NAHT
Call us: 0300 30 30 333
Home Menu

Curriculum, assessment and qualifications

 
Curriculum_assessment_2 icon.jpg

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. 

LA moderation of writing: moderation 'script' for 2019

Revised teacher assessment guidance for schools and local authorities has been published for both KS1 and KS2 in 2019. Schools will be informed on or after Friday 17 May if they are going to receive an external moderation visit, and those visits will take place between Tuesday 4 June and Thursday 27 June.

NAHT received feedback from members with concerns about moderation in 2018 and we negotiated to achieve key changes. As a result of NAHT's input, several clarifications and additions have been made to the guidance.

In particular, the section on local agreements has been reviewed with regard to content and clarity, and the guidance is now absolutely clear that local authorities (LAs) cannot require schools to sign a non-statutory agreement and that this must be a collaborative process agreed upon by all parties.

Mandatory national moderator training continued this year and NAHT has ensured the training materials used for this training are available to schools. You can access these materials through NCA Tools.

There may still be some challenging discussions with LA moderators and  you will find some suggested responses to particular issues or questions that may arise below. We hope that the 'script' will support you to take control of the LA moderation process.

First published 16 April 2018

First published 25 June 2019
;