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Curriculum, assessment and qualifications

 
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NAHT is working to ensure that the curriculum supports the learning, progress and success of all pupils. NAHT supports the principle that a broad and balanced curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

NAHT is campaigning to: 

Support schools to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for their pupils

  • Challenge the government policy, including EBacc, which may narrow the curriculum
  • Enable and support schools to successfully deliver statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education
  • Lobby for improvements to government policy which supports schools to deliver inclusive education and fulfil their responsibilities under the public sector equality duty
  • Support schools to deliver effective careers education for all pupils
  • Support schools to deliver high-quality Religious Education to all pupils
  • Provide guidance, materials and information to support schools in educating pupils about environmental issues.

Ensure a valid and proportionate approach to statutory assessment in primary schools

  • Lobby the government to reconsider the introduction of the multiplication tables check
  • Lobby the government to ensure changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage and Early Learning Goals are appropriate and relevant for the early years sector
  • Influence the development and implementation of the reception baseline assessment
  • Support members to implement the new statutory assessment for pupils with SEND
  • Identify and challenge the STA over any impact on members of the contract change to deliver statutory assessment in the primary phase
  • Engage with the STA to influence changes and improvements to statutory assessment including moderation and maladministration
  • Campaign for KS2 SPAG to be made non-statutory and oppose any additional statutory testing in the primary phase
 

Ensure the KS4 and KS5 qualification framework and examination system is fit for purpose

  • Press the government, Ofqual and exam boards to ensure that reformed qualifications, both academic and vocational, meet the needs of all pupils and schools
  • Explore the issue of grade reliability, identifying solutions and improvements which are supported by members and pressing the government and Ofqual for appropriate action
  • Inform members of the latest developments in secondary assessment through engagement with Ofqual, JCQ and awarding organisations. 

Engagement model: transitionary year guidance

The engagement model is the new assessment for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum assessments and not engaged in subject-specific study. It was intended for the engagement model to become statutory from September 2020, replacing P scales 1 to 4.

Following discussions with NAHT in light of the impact of covid-19, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has recognised that some schools may not be prepared to fully implement the engagement model from the 2020/21 academic year. As a result, STA confirmed the 2020/21 academic year will be a transitionary year for the assessment of pupils working below the standard of national curriculum assessments and not engaged in subject-specific study.

The transitionary year means that schools with eligible pupils who are ready to implement the engagement model guidance from September 2020 can do so, and schools that need more time to implement this change will continue to have the option to assess against P scales 1 to 4 for one final year. There will be a flexible approach for the submission of teacher assessment outcomes at the end of key stages 1 and 2. The use of the engagement model will be statutory from September 2021.

STA has published guidance on the transitionary year for the 2020/21 academic year.

Information about engagement model training events can be requested by contacting Engagementmodel@icat.org.uk

 

First published 11 September 2020
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