JOINT STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION’S CONSULTATION ON THE

DRAFT PRIMARY NATIONAL CURRICULUM

16th April 2013

This joint statement has been agreed by a group of academics, teachers’ unions, professional associations and children’s authors with expertise in primary education.

Statement

We agree that all pupils must be given every opportunity to succeed, and that there is a need to look afresh at the current National Curriculum in order to slim down the content and allow greater scope for teacher autonomy.

However, we firmly believe that the proposed National Curriculum framework at primary school level will inhibit progress for large numbers of children and label others as failures, by placing unrealistic and inappropriate expectations on children at too early an age. The prescriptive approach that is set out for the primary curriculum will not achieve the Government’s aim of raising standards.

We have serious concerns about the impact that these reforms could have on education in the future if they go ahead. The programmes of study lack relevance to the needs of primary-aged children in the 21st century, and will not adequately prepare them for the future.

The following are the common areas of concern for the signatories of this statement:

  • There has been inadequate discussion over the aims and underlying values of the National Curriculum. This should have happened prior to setting out individual programmes of study, to ensure that there was consensus in the profession and among stakeholders.
  • Breadth and balance should be at the heart of the primary curriculum. We were promised a slimmer curriculum, but the proposals remain over-prescriptive, leaving little room for teacher or school flexibility. The core subjects are over specified, including statutory spelling lists and details of arithmetic procedures, and are likely to constrain curriculum innovation in schools, with insufficient room for other valued areas of learning, including creative and practical subjects
  • Learning and understanding - the current proposals favour ‘essential knowledge’ over concepts, skills and attitudes, and lead to a likely increase in rote learning, at the expense of understanding and critical thinking.
  • Age-appropriateness - the proposals do not take sufficient account of what is known about how children learn, or allow sufficiently for individual differences. Some of the programmes of study are not age appropriate, risking a sense of failure and disengagement among some pupils.
  • The assessment requirements should have been published at the same time as the National Curriculum draft framework – there is concern that these will be high stakes and target driven, further distorting the balance between core and foundation subjects.
  • Trust - Teachers must be trusted and allowed to use their professional judgement and experience to teach children.
  • Continuity and progression across the primary curriculum has not been thought through – in particular, the links between the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, and the transition from primary to secondary.

We therefore call on the Government to:

  • Listen to teachers and academic experts - particularly as to what can realistically be expected of children at particular ages. If the pitch of the programmes of study are inappropriate, then there is a real risk of encouraging failure, which could have long term consequences in disengaging pupils from learning;
  • Delay the proposed statutory implementation of the new National Curriculum in September 2014, to give time for a complete rethink ofthe current aims, values, and content of the programmes of study, in light of the many representations and responses made during the consultation period;
  • Allow for further debate on the content of the National Curriculum as proposals for assessment and accountability are developed;
  • Given the importance of achieving consensus and legitimacy over the aims of the National Curriculum, clear statements that promote positive attitudes to learning should be developed in consultation with all the relevant stakeholders;
  • Include a clear oracy strand within the English curriculum and reinstate drama as it plays a key role in enhancing children’s language skills and confidence;
  • Include a greater emphasis on mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving;
  • The history curriculum needs to be revised entirely to provide a more age appropriate introduction to the past in KS1 and 2, and moving away from the narrow focus on British history. The current draft risks putting children off history for life, omits a global dimension, and does not promote understanding of how to critically review the past;
  • Review the foundation subjects and cross curricular links to ensure that there is greater coherence and structure across the Curriculum as a whole, and more emphasis on concepts and skills, and pupils’ progression.

Additional detailed information to support the points highlighted are in the form of separate responses to the consultation from some of the individuals and organisations listed below. These are entirely their own views which may or may not be shared by the other signatories.

SIGNATORIES

Organisation/Individual
Association of Teachers and Lecturers
NASUWT
NUT
Voice the union
Council for Subject Associations
Association for the Study of Primary Education
National Association for Primary Education
National Primary Teacher Education Council
Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Educators
The Curriculum Foundation
Curriculum for Cohesion
Jewish Teachers Association
Campaign for State Education
Defend School History campaign
The Mathematical Association
Association of Teachers of Mathematics
National Association for the Teaching of English
United Kingdom Literacy Association
National Association of Advisers in English
Professor Andrew Pollard, Institute of Education
Dr Tony Eaude, Research Fellow, University of Oxford
Professor Colin Richards, University of Cumbria
Norman Thomas, Former HM Chief Inspector for Primary Education in England.
Alan Gibbons , Children’s author
Professor Michael Rosen, academic and children's author
Dr Terry Wrigley, Visiting Professor, Leeds MetropolitanUniversity, Editor, Improving Schools
Margaret Brown, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics Education Kings College London
Professor Dominic Wyse, Institute of Education
Andrew Pearce, Associate Principal Lecturer in CPD, Leeds Trinity University
Professor Guy Claxton, Research Director, University of Winchester
Dr Tamara Bibby Institute of Education
Professor Mel Ainscow CBE, Centre for Equity in Education, University of Manchester
Peter Hick, Principal Lecturer, Inclusive Education, Manchester Metropolitan University
Chris Watkins, Reader in Education, Institute of Education
Professor Bill Boyle, Chair of Educational Assessment, University of Manchester
Dr Alison Taysum, Lecturer School of Education, University of Leicester
Christine Hickman, Liverpool John Moores
Marilyn Leask, Professor of Educational Knowledge Management, University of Bedfordshire
Marilyn Grossman, Institute Partnership Manager, Institute of Education
Dr Derek Haylock, Senior Fellow in Education, UEA Norwich
Geoff Bright,Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University
Sue Cox, Senior Lecturer, University of East Anglia
Gail Edwards, Lecturer in Education, Newcastle University
Professor Lori Beckett, Leeds Metropolitan University,
Dr Jon Berry, Senior Lecturer, University of Hertfordshire
Ralph Manning, Lecturer in Primary Education, University of East Anglia
Dr Cathy Lewin, Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University
John Wadsworth, Senior Lecturer in Education (Early Childhood), Goldsmiths
Ashley Barnes, Sheffield Hallam University
Richard Hatcher, Professor of education, Birmingham City University.
Felicity Skelton MA FHEA, Senior Lecturer, Sheffield Hallam University
Professor Alex Kendall, Associate Dean Research, Birmingham City University
Rajesh Patel Senior Lecturer in Youth and Community Work De Montfort University
Andrea Holloway, Senior Lecturer - Primary Initial Teacher Education, University of Worcester
Pete Sorensen, Lecturer in Science Education, University of Nottingham
Dr Cathy Burke, Senior Lecturer, Cambridge University
Rachel Lofthouse, Newcastle University.
Judith Flynn, Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University
Mr René Koglbauer, Director of Secondary Initial Teacher Training, Newcastle University
Liz Todd, Professor of Educational Inclusion, Newcastle University
Linda Whitworth, Senior Lecturer in Primary Humanities, Middlesex University
Sarah Hargreaves, Head of Youth, Community and Education Division, De Montfort University
Dr Pamela Woolner, Lecturer in Education, Newcastle University
Jonathan Barnes Canterbury University
Pat Thomson Professor of Education, The University of Nottingham
Dr Sarah Younie, Principle Lecturer Education, De Montfort University
Tony Fisher, University of Nottingham School of Education and Learning Sciences Research Institute
Dr Lucy Cooker, Lecturer in Education (PGCEi) The University of Nottingham
Professor Dave Hill, Research professor of Education at Anglia Ruskin University
Dr. Vicky Obied, Senior Lecturer in English in Education, Goldsmiths
Professor Howard Stevenson, School of Education. University of Nottingham
Gill Johnson, Lecturer in Primary Education, University of Nottingham
Professor John Holford, PhD, FRHistS, University of Nottingham
Dr David Murphy, School of Education. University of Nottingham
Professor Julian Williams, Manchester University
Richard Pring, Department of Education, University of Oxford
Don Newton, Senior Lecturer Mathematics Education, Birmingham City University
Harvey Goldstein, Professor of Social Statistics, University of Bristol
Roger Murphy, Nottingham University
Ian Menter AcSS, Professor of Teacher Education, University of Oxford
Emeritus professor Michael Bassey, Nottingham Trent University
Hanneke Jones, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University
Peter Cheung, Faculty of Education, University of Cumbria
Emma Bloor, Senior Lecturer . Birmingham City University
Prof Vivienne Griffiths, Faculty of Education, Canterbury Christ church University
Edgar Schröder, Senior Lecturer in German, Middlesex University
Dr Linda Hammersley-Fletcher, Manchester Metropolitan University
ALPESH Maisuria, Course Leader Education and Childhood Studies Anglia Ruskin University
Gary Spruce, Senior Lecturer in Education, Open University
Professor Andrew Noyes, Deputy Head of the School of Education, University of Nottingham
Heather Piper, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Chris Higgins, formerly Principal Lecturer, School of Education, Oxford Brookes University
Joyce Canaan, Professor of Sociology
Birmingham City University
Karen Teasdale, Senior lecturer in drama in education, Birmingham City University
Anne Cullen, Programme Leader, Early Years and Primary Science Middlesex
Professor Carrie Paechter, Department of Education Studies Goldsmiths
Dr Jane Tapp, Lecturer in Primary Education, University of Nottingham
Dr Dave Trotman, Head of Education and Professional Studies, Newman University
Trevor Fisher, Editor of Education Politics
Pura Ariza, Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University

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