The National Curriculum covers learning for all children aged 5-16 in state schools, and sets out:

• which subjects should be taught
• the knowledge, skills and understanding a child should achieve in each subject (according to a child’s age)
• targets – so teachers can measure how well a child is doing in each subject and how information on a child’s progress should be passed on to parents

The National Curriculum, taught to all pupils in state or maintained schools, is made up of blocks of years known as Key Stages:

What is the Foundation Stage?

The Foundation Stage is designed specifically for children aged 3-5 years.

There are six areas of learning covering children’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. A child’s development is assessed throughout the Foundation Stage. A record of development across all of these areas provides a picture of the whole child at the end of the Foundation Stage.

What is Key Stage 1?

Key Stage 1 (KS1) is the level of the National Curriculum taught to children in Year 1 and Year 2 (Age 5-7). Teacher assessment in English and Maths are reported at the end of Year 2. Children are expected to attain Level 2b.

What is Key Stage 2?

Key Stage 2 (KS2) is the level of the National Curriculum taught to children in Year 3 to Year 6 (Age 7-11). National tests (SATs) are taken at the end of Year 6. Children are expected to attain Level 4b.

What is Key Stage 3?

Key Stage 3 (KS3) is the level of the National Curriculum taught to children in Year 7 to Year 9 (Age 11-14). National tests (SATs) are taken at the end of Year 9. Children are expected to attain Level 5 or 6.

What is Key Stage 4?

Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the level of the National Curriculum taught to children in Year 10 and Year 11 (Age 14-16). National tests (GCSEs) are taken at the end of Year 11.

Compulsory National Curriculum subjects are the same for Key Stages 1 and 2:
• English
• Maths
• Science
• Design and technology
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• History
• Geography
• Art and design
• Music
• Physical education
• One modern foreign language (from September 2010, a modern foreign language became compulsory for Key Stage 2 children – Years 3 to 6) – French, Spanish or German are the most common languages taught.

Schools also have to teach religious education, though parents have the right to withdraw children for all or part of the religious education curriculum.

In addition, schools are encouraged to teach:
• PSHE (personal, social and health education)
• Citizenship
• Sex education – every primary school must have a written policy on this available to parents and pupils (and parents can withdraw their children from sex education classes if they choose)
Key Stage 3 and the National Curriculum
Children attending a state school from ages 11 to 14 (Years 7 to 9) follow Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum.

Key Stage 3 compulsory National Curriculum subjects are:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Design and technology
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• History
• Geography
• Modern foreign languages
• Art and design
• Music
• Citizenship
• Physical education

General Certificate of Secondary Education – GCSE’s

The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England. The qualification mainly involves studying the theory of a subject, combined with some investigative work. Some subjects also involve practical work. GCSEs are usually studied full-time at school or college, taking five terms to complete.

GCSEs are available in more than 40 academic and nine ‘applied’ subjects. GCSEs are assessed mainly on written exams, although in some subjects there are also elements of coursework. Some subjects, like art and design, have more coursework and fewer exams. Some GCSE courses are made up of units; for these, children take exams at the end of each unit. Other GCSEs involve exams at the end of course.

For some subjects, everyone sits the same exam. For others, there is a choice of two tiers: ‘higher’ or ‘foundation’. Each tier leads to a different range of grades. Subject teachers normally decides which tier is best.

Grades

GCSEs are graded A*-G and U (unclassified):
• higher tier exams leads to grades A*-D
• foundation tier exams leads to grades C-G

The results are published in March and August. Most universities and colleges will ask for five GCSEs grades A*-C, including English and maths (as well as A levels or equivalent qualifications).

Ofsted

The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools In England (HMCI).
Inspections are generally two or three day visits every three years, with two days notice. They focus on the “central nervous system” of the school – examining how well the school is managed, and what processes are in place to ensure standards of teaching and learning improve; the school leadership and management are expected to be aware of everything in the Self Evaluation Form (SEF). The SEF serves as the main document when planning the inspection, and is crucial in evaluating the quality of leadership and management and the school’s capacity to improve.
After an inspection of a school, Ofsted publishes a report on the school on its website. In addition to written comments on a number of areas, schools are assessed on each area and overall on a 4-point scale: 1 (Outstanding), 2 (Good), 3 (Satisfactory) and 4 (Inadequate). Schools rated Outstanding or Good might not be inspected again for five years, while schools judged less favourably are inspected more frequently, and may receive little or no notice of inspection visits.

For more information on the Primary Curricula please go to

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary

For more information on the Secondary Curricula please go to

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/secondary

Great news…from 1 April 2012, teachers who qualified in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America (USA) will be recognised as qualified teachers and awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England without being required to undertake any further training or assessment. In order to be awarded recognition as a qualified teacher, you will need to have satisfied both of the following conditions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA:

(a)   you must have successfully completed a course of initial teacher training (ITT) which is recognised by the competent authority in that country; and

(b)  have successfully completed or satisfied any additional conditions, including any period of professional experience comparable to an induction period, which are required for employment on a permanent basis in government schools (schools wholly or mainly government funded) in Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA.  

Teachers who are barred or subject to any restrictions on their eligibility to teach in their country of qualification will not be able to be recognised as qualified teachers in England. To be recognised as a fully qualified teacher in England, you must be able to teach as a fully qualified teacher in the country where you were trained.

Applying for QTS

Teachers must apply to the Teaching Agency for the award of QTS before they can be recognised as qualified teachers. justteachers can provide the downloadable application form for you to complete and in turn send to the Teaching Agency with a letter confirming that that you are both qualified and eligible to teach permanently in the country in question. Only letters from the recognised authority will be accepted for this purpose.

The Teaching Agency will verify that you are a fully qualified teacher in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA and have not been barred from teaching. Subject to satisfactory completion of these checks, you will be issued with a letter confirming the award of QTS. Details of fully qualified teachers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA will be held on the Teaching Agency’s database of teachers with QTS. 

Where to obtain you letter of recognition:

 For Australia: a territory’s department for education or teacher registration board.

For Canada: a territory’s department for education or college of teachers.

For New Zealand: The New Zealand Teachers’ Council

For the USA: a state’s Department of Education.

All in all wonderful news for teachers!

Register with justteachers to find out more information.

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You will:

• Be qualified to teach within a UK Secondary school
• Have at least 12 months UK experience within a Secondary environment
• Have a good knowledge of the UK national curriculum
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• A desire to work closely with a very successful team
• Be committed to work the full duration of the contract

Register now for more details of this and many more teaching job opportunities.

 We are looking for confident teachers that are flexible in their approach to teaching, who possess excellent communication and are skilled in classroom management.

For Secondary teachers you will be experienced in one or more of the following subjects: Humanities (Geography, History, RE and Citizenship) English, Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) Maths and Physical Education.

For Primary teachers you will have experience through your teaching studies or from substitute teaching of teaching across the age range – 3-11 years old.

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This is a perfect opportunity for teachers who are looking to secure a long term or permanent position in England. Register now for more details of this and many more incentives that justteachers offer to teach in theUK.

Are you flexible, resilient and enthusiastic? Are you looking to work in a number of different schools that will enhance and expand your current teaching skills?  Are you looking for a flexible contract that will allow you to travel to Europe and beyond during term time? Yes? Great news you may be eligible to join the justteachers Coventry Guaranteed Pay scheme for September 2012 or January 2013. Register now for more details of this and many more incentives that justteachers offer to teach in the UK.

Register now if you are interested in finding out more about the teaching opportunities that justteachers can offer in the UK in 2012; our offices are central London, Bournemouth, Coventry, Manchester, Yorkshire,  Lincolnshire/ and Peterborough. Do not miss out!!

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Teaching Jobs Bournemouth

Some 67% of 11-year-olds gained the expected level, Level 4, in all of these subjects in national curriculum tests, known as Sats. Last year 64% of primary pupils left school having reached this level.

But one in three youngsters still failed to achieve the level expected of them in all three subjects.This means that nearly 183,000 pupils left school without a good grasp of reading, writing and maths this summer.

Improvement

The figures released on Tuesday show a steady year-on-year rise, with 62% of pupils reaching the expected level in the “three Rs” in 2009 and 2008.

“We can and must do much better for the one in 10 boys who at the age of 11 can read no better than a seven-year-old”

Overall, the figures from the Department for Education (DfE) results show 84% of pupils reached Level 4 in reading, up from 83% last year.In writing, 75% reached the expected level, compared with 71% in 2010. The biggest rise in some years.

In total, 81% achieved Level 4 in English (made up of the reading and writing tests), up from 80% last year.And 80% achieved the expected level in maths, against 79% the year before.

But the data also shows one in 10 boys – almost 28,000 youngsters – left primary with the reading age of a seven-year-old (Level 2 or less).This compares with 5% of girls, just over 13,000 pupils.

The DfE also published results of science tests taken by a sample of 11-year-olds.

Based on this sample, it is estimated that 84% of 11-year-olds are reaching the expected level in science.

The data also details the numbers of pupils scoring Level 5, one above the expected standard.In English, 42% of pupils achieved a Level 5 in reading, compared with 50% in 2010. In writing, 20% reached this level, against 21% last year.It means that, in total, just 13% of pupils achieved a Level 5 in reading, writing and maths combined. In 2010, this figure was 14%.