THE NEW ENGLISH CURRICULUM Sue Hackman
Just another re-write?
A shift of approach From Processes & skills Development Learning continuum Progression Extension To Knowledge Acquisition Mastery Year-specific goals Enhancement
SPEAKING & LISTENING
Whatever happened to speaking and listening?
The short answer. It became spoken language.
The old curriculum Speak in a range of contexts Listen and respond Group discussion Drama Standard English Language variation
The new curriculum aims for spoken language 1. Use discussion in order to learn and explain oneself clearly 2. Be competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations
What s gone? Range of context and purpose Analysis of spoken language Responding Collaboration Drama as improvisation Language variation
To consider What will you give up to make way for the new emphases? What will you protect? What will be your school aims for talk?
You can t just give up talking to learn
READING
The old curriculum Reading strategies Understanding texts Reading for information Literature Non-fiction and nonliterary texts Language structure and variation
The new aims for reading 1. Read easily, fluently and with good understanding 2. Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information 3. Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions 4. Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
The two new reading strands 1. Word reading 2. Comprehension
New emphases Engendering positive attitudes to reading Greater emphasis on literature, especially classic texts Learning and reciting poetry by heart Less emphasis on non-fiction and non-literary texts (but more on information skills in other subjects and contexts)
To consider Review your reading resources. Do you have enough quality and classic texts? Review the way you encourage reading for pleasure. Securing higher level phonics is a priority for those who don t achieve it in KS1.
WRITING
The old writing curriculum Composition (purpose and text type) Planning and drafting Punctuation Spelling Handwriting and presentation Standard English Language structure Breadth (range of purposes, text types and readerships)
The new writing curriculum Transcription (spelling & handwriting) Composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing) The appendices on Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation
The emphasis Accuracy and correctness The basic skills Mature, flexible sentence formation Elegance Sentence level rather than text level features Expression rather than text types
The new handwriting curriculum Premium on well-formed, proportionate letters Surprisingly little emphasis on joining up (though it is mentioned in the notes)
The new spelling curriculum 100-word lists for Y3-4 and Y5-6 Continued emphasis on phonic choices More detailed spelling rules Many words and rules have been lifted to earlier years Strong link to meaning word history, word roots, function and morphology
Appendix 1 (Spelling) Statutory rule Non-statutory explanation Non-statutory examples
How easy are the new spelling lists?
The spelling lists accidentally eighth guard cemetery guarantee privilege
Cultivate strategies for learning difficult words
criti-ise
practice practise
environment
environment
sign
Composition in the new curriculum Plan Draft Evaluate Proofread Read aloud
What s (almost) gone? Text types Inventive and exploratory language A great deal of nonfiction
What s (almost) new? Rehearsal for writing Precis in Y5&6 Cohesion (connectives, signposts, etc)
To consider Will you have to clear any space to cover the new composition curriculum? Can you see any topics you could now shrink to make space?
Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation References threaded throughout the PoS, but predominantly in writing Appendix 2: Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation by year Detail of content to be introduced Word Sentence Text Punctuation Terminology for pupils
Glossary for the programmes of study for English (non statutory) Term Guidance Example
Identify the subordinate clause Wherever I go, I carry my toothbrush.
Wherever I go, I carry my toothbrush.
Change the verb into the subjunctive mood I am a rich man
If I were a rich man
Convert to a passive sentence and remove the agent The new teacher parked her car in the headteacher s parking space.
The car was parked in the headteacher s parking space.
Add in the missing punctuation marks before we go any further he said let me warn you that it gets harder
Before we go any further, he said, let me warn you that it gets harder.
Some shifts in terminology Contractions Apostrophes for omission/missing letters Inverted commas Speech marks Single-clause sentence Simple sentence Co-ordinated sentence Compound sentence Subordination Complex sentence
No going back to the 1950s
Seek out Hands-on deductive activities
Find grammar Exemplified in reading
Use grammar as part of. Modelled writing Shared composition Guided writing
Discover grammar as an object of interest in its own right
To consider What training will staff need to understand the new grammar curriculum? How will you prevent some very dull teaching of rules? Are you resourced for this?
ASSESSMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY
1 Accountability
2 The removal of levels
3 The raised bar and the new floor
4 Mind the gaps between old and new tests
To consider Decide how to play the new curriculum in Years 5 and 6 Fix the grammar shortfall in Year 4 and below Watch out for the accountability report Decide how you are going to track pupils Identify the new borderliners if the performance table headlines and floor standards change
THANK YOU