Supporting your child's education
Ever found yourself at parents' evening wondering what the national curriculum means or what a key stage is? Our easy guide to primary education explains all
As a parent, guardian or grandparent, you will probably want to know what your child is learning and what progress he has made at each stage, but things have changed a fair bit from when you went to school yourself, so how do you find out what it all means? To help, Your family asked the Qualifications & Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) to explain exactly what children learn at school, and give ideas of ways to support your child’s education.
What is the national curriculum for primary schools?
The National Curriculum sets out the stages and core subjects your child will be taught during his time at school. At Key Stages 1 (years 1 and 2) and 2 (years 3 to 6), your child will cover the following:
- English: pupils learn how to speak clearly and interact with others, as well as write about their own ideas and feelings
- Maths: children explore mathematics through practical experiences and group activities, learning to count and complete basic addition and subtraction
- Science: through observation and group projects, pupils will start to develop a basic knowledge of science and the world around them
- Design and Technology: pupils investigate how things work through group activities
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT): children learn how to use computers to develop their ideas and record their creative work
- History: pupils find out about important people and events from both recent and past history
- Geography: kids investigate the environment across the world through maps and photographs
- Art and design: through creative play, children explore different forms of art and begin to learn how shapes and colour can be used to express feelings and ideas
- Music: pupils learn how music can influence moods, and the basics of creating sound
- Physical Education: through group activity and play, pupils are taught how to work with others and start to learn skills in coordination and movement.
"Bradley's class have activities and do roleplays involving either writing or art," explains Jackie, mum of Bradley, four, and Ethan, one. "Last week the children pretended to be customers at a post office and learnt about money, stamps and writing Christmas cards. In maths they do a lot of measuring and last week they had to measure three things in their playground. Each half of term has a different theme too — this time it’s outer space and they have to do lots of exercises, such as writing down one thing they would tell an alien about themselves, such as 'My name is Bradley', as well as colouring in. Bradley is also learning joined-up writing, whereas I wasn't taught that until much later on."
The learning environment is certainly a fun place to be. "The classrooms are amazing," continues Jackie. "They have a 'Creation table' with cardboard boxes, glue and Sellotape, an 'Investigation room' with art and craft drawers full of feathers, coloured paper, glitter and stickers, a 'Construction area' with LEGO, and the roleplay area. There are laptops too and Bradley has learnt how to use the internet — he can work everything on the CBeebies website by himself now."
How will my child's progress be monitored?
Before your child starts primary school, his teacher will complete an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) profile, to give Year 1 teachers a picture of each child's ability. This enables teachers to plan an effective curriculum that fits the needs of every child.
At Key Stages 1 and 2, the National Curriculum is divided into eight different levels that track a child's progress, compared to other pupils of the same age across the country. All schools monitor their progress throughout the school year and you should receive updates on the level your child has reached at parent-teacher evenings and in school reports.
When your child reaches the end of Key Stage 2, he will take a national test in both English and maths and you will receive the test results, as well as the teacher’s assessment of his progress.
How can I help my child with his learning?
Parents and guardians are encouraged to take an active role in the National Curriculum. Some schools offer parents support on how to help at home through their websites, and give advice on levels of achievement so you can see what your child could be working towards.
Brenda Bigland, Headteacher of Lent Rise Combined School in Buckinghamshire, said: "I believe it's vital for parents to be engaged with their children's learning. It supports the child when they know that home and school always work together."
Parents and guardians can encourage children to see learning as fun. "Put words on your fridge and play games until the child has learned them," suggests Brenda. "Try learning tables or singing to him in the car as you travel. You can also buy board games that help with spelling and play them as a family, with forfeits being set for all other players by the winner."
By incorporating subjects such as maths and English into family life, your child will learn without knowing it. You could turn a trip to the supermarket into a chance to practice maths or turn a car journey into an opportunity to learn words on road signs. Taking a proactive role in your child's learning will help him develop more quickly and give him confidence in his own ability.
“Bradley's school told us it was very important to read him a story every night and ask questions afterwards to make sure he had been listening and had understood," explains Jackie. "They also recommended that we get Bradley using his new skills in everyday life. So, if I'm writing a shopping list, I get him to write down some simple items of food we need or, if I'm buying new furniture, he helps me measure it."
Helping with homework
"Even homework can be a fun experience when parents celebrate how well the child is doing," says Brenda. "It helps your child to strive even harder to achieve his goals."
“Bradley started school this year and was given homework from day one," says Jackie. "Mostly it's learning phonics, so if they are doing the sound ‘r’ at school, the children have to put things starting with ‘r’ in their workbook at home and you have to spend time helping them search for ideas.
"He is also given eight new words to learn every week — they come on cardboard shapes with Velcro and a board to stick them to. Parents have to make sure their children know the words and that they return the board the next week. We hide them round the house and make it a game."
If your child comes home complaining that the work is too hard, remember that each term and each year the work should be getting a little harder, otherwise it is not challenging your child and so may not encourage him to achieve his full potential.
"If you are genuinely concerned that the workload is upsetting your child, make an appointment to see his teacher who should then be able to guide you to support him further at home," recommends Brenda.
Find Out More
- Directgov aims to provide easy access to government information and services, and explains in more detail about the Primary framework for literacy and mathematics and helps parents to understand the National Curriculum
- Read our articles How to support your child at school and Talking to your child's teacher
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