The Primary School Curriculum


The Primary School Curriculum

The current National Curriculum was introduced under the Education Reform Act in 1988, this act set out to ensure that all children were equal to the same standard of education. The 1944 Act had introduced universal state education, but ‘what’ was taught and ‘how’ the curriculum was delivered tended to reflect earlier content and practice (Driscoll, P et al. 2015).  Marsh, C. (2009) defines the curriculum as ‘The curriculum is those subjects that are most useful for living in contemporary society.’ Since 1988 there has been very little real change in relation to the core subjects that are taught at primary school (Collins, 2011). This is a concern as a lot has changed within society since then and it could be argued that our education system could have progressed with it. In this blog post I will be discussing the key purposes of the National Curriculum and the subjects I believe should be prioritised and focused on more today.

Donaldson (2015) supports the act by suggesting that the curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society and to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. I believe this is significantly important and crucial to teach at primary school as it develops various aspects of a child’s life and enhances their future, to secondary school and potentially university or college through to their career. During the 1980s a debate was conducted which centres around what ‘should be’ included as part of the primary curriculum does not examine what is really happening inside primary classrooms (Cullingford, C. 19890). The content taught within school is the compulsory subjects which I believe is important and essential within a child’s education, the ability of each student develops throughout the years as does the knowledge taught within each subject. The Donaldson Review (2015) suggests that the curriculum in Wales should intend to focus on the four main purposes that include developing children and young people to become ‘ambitious capable learners’, ‘enterprising, creative contributors’, ‘ethical, informed citizens’ and ‘healthy, confident individuals. If the curriculum is structured with the compulsory subjects and these aims, it will benefit young children and enhance their opportunity in becoming successful learners. The focus when teaching the primary curriculum, therefore, is upon ‘the child’ not ‘the subject’ (Cullingford, C. 1989).

The National Curriculum 2014 states: ‘The overarching aim for English in the National Curriculum is to promote high standards of literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the written and spoken word and develop a love of literature through widespread reading of enjoyment’ (DfE 2013: 1). Mathematics has a high status. It has been labelled a ‘core’ subject within the primary curriculum for Key stages 1 and 2 (DfE 2013). Literacy and numeracy consist of many skills that equip students in various situations inside the curriculum as well as outside the curriculum. I strongly agree that these subjects are essential to teach and should be the prioritised subjects, learners are able to gain various attributes through literacy and numeracy and are able to significantly progress within these areas. Donaldson (2015) states that Literacy and numeracy are universally acknowledged to be the essential foundations of education (Donaldson, 2015, p.18). Both subjects are taught alongside other subjects within school, meaning they can support the development within other lessons at school especially within the new Welsh curriculum that is being introduced by Donaldson. The areas of learning the new curriculum will focus on such as language, communication, science and technology will require good knowledge and skill within numeracy and literacy. Jobs and many positions will require the ability to use literacy and numeracy skills within them, whether this is by working with money through to teaching or project managing. A previously mentioned, the importance of both subjects within the curriculum is essential and should remain as the main priority regarding the impact it has on a child’s development.

Another key area that the curriculum should focus on and make a priority is the use of technology as this now plays a fundamental role within society. It is evident how much technology has evolved today, this is through the development of phones and computers and how much of the population rely on these today. Donaldson (2015) expresses the importance technology has on the lives of children and young people today, it plays a powerful role in communication, networking, information and for entertainment and leisure (Donaldson, 2015, p.41). During my work experience at Fynamore primary school last year I observed the children using laptops and iPads within particular subjects to enhance their learning. Laptops were introduced into primary schools by The One Wales Laptops (OWLs) pilot which was launched by the Welsh Government in 2010. Its purpose was to explore the educational benefits of providing access to laptops for pupils from deprived areas (Estyn, 2013). The new curriculum in Wales conducted by Donaldson will introduce digital competence as currently technology is not considered as a priority of the curriculum, however I strongly believe this subject should be a main focus due to the demand from individuals to use technology within society today. We should incorporate technology into more subjects to make them more engaging and encourage children to learn and develop their skills in order to benefit themselves outside of the curriculum as well as inside, I do not agree with making children learn from a computer all day but to deliver it as a separate subject or within others.

In conclusion to this blog post, the National Curriculum should be structured around the three key subjects I discussed, these include numeracy, literacy and technology. I am not ruling out the other subjects taught within school, such as physical education, humanities and languages for example that are not fundamental and have a meaning towards learning. Although these three discussed consist of many skills and benefits that enhance children’s learning in various areas of the curriculum and have the ability to make learning more fun. The development of Donaldson’s Review (2015) of the curriculum focuses on these three key areas and other important subjects that support the educational achievement of children and enhance their success throughout their education, through providing them with the skills and knowledge essential to do well.  

References

Estyn (2013) The Impact of ICT on pupils’ learning in Primary Schools. Online at: https://www.estyn.gov.wales/sites/default/files/documents/The%20impact%20of%20ICT%20on%20pupils’%20learning%20in%20primary%20schools%20-%20July%202013.pdf (Accessed: 13/02/2019).

Donaldson, G. (2015) Successful Futures, Independent Review of Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales. OGL.



Marsh, C. (2009) Key Concepts for Understanding Curriculum. 4th edn. USA: Routledge. Page 6.

Collins, N. (2011). How the National Curriculum has Evolved. Online at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/educationnews/8270189/How-the-national-curriculum-has-evolved.html (Accessed: 28/02/2019).

Driscoll, P., Lambirth, A., and Roden, J. (2015) The Primary Curriculum. A Creative Approach. 2nd edn. London: SAGE.

Cullingford, C. (1989) The Primary Teacher. The Role of the Educator and the Purpose of Primary Education. London: The Editor and Contributors.

DfE (Department for Education) (2013) English Programmes of Study: Key Stages 1 and 2. National Curriculum in England. London: DfE.

Bartlett, S & Burton, D. (2007) Introduction to Education Studies. 2nd edn. London: SAGE.

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