May 14, 2006

Recently on this page (‘Choosing the right textbook’, April 23) I wrote about the important factors schools should consider when selecting textbooks. Following that article I received emails from two members of a school’s parent committee who said that they were interested in what had been written. This suggested that parents, in addition to teachers, are also interested in, and need to be made aware of the issues and opportunities available by following the ideas set out in the English national curriculum on which the article was based.

This national curriculum provides a formal structure for the teaching of subjects in primary and secondary schools in England. This structure incorporates the progression and continuity which are so essential for ensuring that schools provide their students with a good framework for their learning.

The English national curriculum is compulsory in all government schools in England. Most private schools also follow it. It is organised in key stages, of which two apply to primary schools.

Key stage one (KS1) — aged 5-7 — classes I and II; key stage two (KS2) — aged 7-11 — classes II, IV, V and VI; key stage three (KS3) — aged 11-14 — classes VII-IX. Note that secondary school starts in class VII.

The terms used in the national curriculum define the path that educationists have taken to translate theoretical ideas — such as attainment targets, level descriptions, programmes of study and schemes of work — into practical ideas. Can you see how the continuity is established from one stage to the next?

* Attainment Targets (AT): An AT sets out the ‘knowledge, skills and understanding’ in each subject that pupils are expected to have by the end of each key stage for that subject. In teaching pupils, this is what we are trying to impart to them — knowledge, skills and understanding. This is one of the main purposes of a school, so it is necessary for the school to know its targets in order to be able to assess the effectiveness of its teaching.

* Level descriptions (LD): The overall progression in each subject from age five (KS1) to age 14 (KS3) is described in detail. This description is divided into eight sections or ‘levels’ from level one to level eight, thus creating eight level descriptions.

These LDs provide the basis for the teacher’s judgement about each pupil’s performance at the end of each KS. The description for level eight covers exceptional performance which is achieved only by the most gifted pupils.

By the end of KS one (age seven), the majority of pupils are expected to be working at level two, with a few still at level one and a few who have moved on to working at level three. By the end of KS two (age 11) the majority of pupils are expected to be working at level four and at levels five/six at the end of KS three (age 14).

Thus, for each subject, there is a standard which the majority of pupils are expected to have reached — the attainment targets (AT). Each of the level descriptions then gives comprehensive details of specific aspects of pupils’ learning which are summarised in each AT. The details in the LDs enable the teacher to measure each pupil’s performance more easily and to recognise more clearly the standard which each pupil has reached. This is most useful for both the teacher and the parent.

* Programmes of study set out the broad outlines of what pupils should be taught in each subject as they progress from year to year. They set out the essential knowledge, skills and understanding which must be covered in schools. This establishes the continuity and progression through each school year which is so essential to ensuring that the pupils have ‘joined-up’ learning, and that they do not skip from one topic to another unrelated one thus hindering progression.

* Schemes of work show how schools have chosen to organise the curriculum, translating programmes of study into practical teaching plans for each term and then to individual lesson plans.

Thus the four elements described above create the framework for the satisfactory teaching of the subject by the teacher and for the teacher’s assessment of the pupil’s progress in relation to the ATs. It is important for both the teachers and the parents to understand how these elements build up, one upon the other, from the general attainment targets to the details of the schemes of work which enable pupils to achieve the expected attainment targets.

The English national curriculum sets out the minimum that has to be taught in schools, and provides a framework against which pupils’ attainment can be measured. Note that the judgement about a pupil’s attainment in any subject can only be made critically when the teacher has a framework against which to measure, i.e. the level descriptions. A simple example — you can only measure the length of an object accurately by measuring it against a ruler (the framework) — otherwise you are only guessing its length. This brings us back to the subject of choosing the right textbook — a very important choice as this is the main resource used by the pupil and the one which will fundamentally affect his/her learning. Textbooks written for the English national curriculum present the material in the programmes of study in a way which is appropriate for the pupils at each KS. Thus their vocabulary, choice of illustrations and amounts of detail in the text are all matched to the pupils’ needs.

The implementation of all of the above is for the school to do, but what about parents? Do they need to do any more if their child already attends a good school?

By researching some of the ideas above parents will have a better understanding of modern teaching practices. They will get a broader picture of their child’s learning needs and could become more involved in helping them. In addition they could have more meaningful discussions with the school about their child’s progress. At home they can also become more involved by working with their children to give them extra support.

In England some publishers (e.g., Letts, published in Pakistan by Danesh Publications) publish home learning books specifically for the parents to support their young children at home with their schoolwork. Interestingly, in England the home learning market is larger than the market for books written specifically for use in schools.

Clearly parents in England, who are buying these books, recognise the important contribution they can make at home to their children’s education by supporting their schoolwork. I am sure parents in Pakistan would also want to give their children that added advantage.

Writer’s email: dorcas@ic24.net

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