How much has primary teaching changed in the last 9 years?!

[tootsweets]

Help! My youngest child is approaching 3 and I am thinking about returning to teaching. I haven't taught since 2003 and am wondering how much the curriculum etc has changed. Are the Numeracy and Literacy strategies still used and QCA documents?
I am helping in a year one class for a couple of hours a week but just hearing readers. I feel frustrated and overwhelmed at the moment and wondered if anyone could enlighten me?

Quite a lot! There are changes all the time. I did a return to teaching course when I had a break, I went one day a week and my DS's school let me practise.
The other way is to start with supply, take your CV around and try and find just one school to begin with. They should leave plans and you can ease your way in. As you gain confidence try a few more schools. Or get the school that you help in let you do more than hear readers-e.g. sit in a maths class and then work with a group.

No, no and no. At least not in my school. We're running from a skills curriculum and plan topics based on that.

The old QCA site has gone. Try googling it and you get things like this

Thank you both.

Exoticfruits - Any advice on finding a return to teaching course?

Tootsweets AFAIK there are no return to teaching courses available unless you teach secondary science. However there is some support from TDA here www.tda.gov.uk/teacher/returning-to-teaching.aspx which might help as a start?

It may be worth contacting your LEA in case they run their own courses, or you might be able to access their CPD (though you will more than likely have to pay for this). Also check out the TES forums as they give a lot of advice with current issues and job applications.

I think it's changed massively. I qualified as the Literacy Strategy came in-so have been teaching for about 13 years.

The literacy/numeracy strategies were replaced by the Frameworks which were also scrapped. Labour were about to bring in a skills-based curriculum, but that went out of the window when the Tories got in. The Tories are bringing out their own curriculum in a year or so which I've seen samples of. The QCA documents weren't ever statutory, I don't think-but they've gone too. We just teach directly from the NC now (which was the only compulsory bit anyway)which is great.

There are also lots of other things that have come in (or come and gone!) as popular 'must-dos' in the last few years (with nothing being removed from the timetable to make room for them!) which it would be worth finding you out about

APP
Letters and Sounds
P4c
R time
Mantle of the Expert
Seal
MFL
Thinking Hats
AFL
wave 2/3 interventions
PPA
Eric
Brain Gym
VAK
VCOP
'Real' books (as opposed to the pretend ones we had previously used)
WILF/WALF/Success Criterea

This list could go on and on; I'm sure some other teachers could help me add to it!

I did my return to teaching course a long time ago. My DC's school Head told me about it. You could ring your LEA. I would have a chat with the Head of the school that you help in and ask for advice.

There is lots of advice on returning to teaching on the TDA website, however return to teach funded courses (and Get a Taste of Teaching courses, for those interested in joining the profession for the first time) are no longer available in most parts of the country. I work for a South West LA, and we do offer Return to Teach courses for which there is a charge, however the course does offer an excellent opportunity to get back into school and get updates on what has changed since you last taught. It provides recent, relevant experience and many returning teachers report it boosts their confidence and current knowledge, before trying to get either supply, part-time or full-time teaching posts. We are also looking at providing Taster courses, which enable career-changers to spend structured time in school and receive advice about teaching today, and, if they want to pursue the career change, how to go about an application to train as a teacher. Certainly contact your local LA to see if they are providing anything along these lines.

Thank you everyone. Looks like I have lots of work to do and decisions to make. Feel a bit scared. Am a lone parent with 4dcs under 10. Hope it is possible!