Whether your child has already started school, or is going to start next week, what they are actually going to learn could be a bit of a mystery.
And when it comes to doing homework, many Hull and East Yorkshire parents will probably want to know what it is their child might be learning.
Below, we’ve pulled together a quick guide to the National Curriculum, what stage your child is expected to be at before they start school, and what you might expect from their daily school life.
What does my child need to know before school?
By the age of four, it will be helpful for your child to be:
- toilet trained
- able to dress themselves
- recognise their own name
- familiar with the alphabet and able to count to 20
- able to sit still for 40 minutes
What will my child learn in school?
The national curriculum is a set of subjects used by primary and secondary schools across the country to make sure children all learn the same things.
Private schools and academies do not have to follow the national curriculum.
In 2014, the Government introduced a new, tougher framework for the national curriculum for all primary and secondary children up to the age of 14.
In 2015, a new curriculum for 15 to 16 year olds also came into force.
The new primary school curriculum means:
- Children learn more maths at a younger age. They must know their 12 times table by nine, and basic fractions are taught to five-year-olds.
- History takes a more chronological approach than previously.
- In English, children learn more Shakespeare and there is more emphasis on spelling. Word lists for eight and nine-year-olds include ‘medicine’ and ‘knowledge’.
- In computing, children will need to learn how to write code, and understand algorithms.
- In science, there has been a shift towards hard facts and ‘scientific knowledge’, with content including the solar system and evolution.
- Design and technology will include 3D printing and robotics.
Compulsory subjects in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (primary school) include:
- design and technology
- art and design
- physical education (PE), including swimming
- ancient and modern foreign languages (at key stage 2)
Schools must also provide religious education (RE) but parents can ask for their children to be taken out of the whole lesson or part of it.
Schools often also teach:
- personal, social and health education (PSHE)
- modern foreign languages (at key stage 1)
You can find out more about the content of the national curriculum here. www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum
How can I help my child to learn?
Key Stage 1
If your child is aged four to seven, and in reception or Key Stage 1, you can help them do well in school by:
- Reading to them, and listening to them read.
- Help them learn their times tables, there are plenty of games and songs you can take advantage of.
- If your child is a picky eater, send them to school with a pack-up. Children in Key Stage 1 are entitled to free school meals, and your school might also offer a breakfast club, but if your child is fussy it could be best to send them with some food which will help them stay fuelled during the day.
Key Stage Two
Between the ages of seven and 11, your child will be building on what they already know as well as studying a few more subjects.
- In history, explore different landmarks in history with sites like Google Earth
- Explore a map with them to help with their geography
- Give your child pocket money and challenge them to spend just 25 per cent of it on sweets to help them learn fractions
- Read more complex texts with children, and consider subscribing to a children’s newspaper