National Curriculum for England

England, United Kingdom

The National Curriculum for England provides the statutory framework for subjects, content, and attainment targets for primary and secondary schools. It aims to ensure a broad and balanced education, focusing on core knowledge and essential skills across four Key Stages.

The National Curriculum in England

The National Curriculum for England provides the statutory framework for subjects, content, and attainment targets for primary and secondary schools. It aims to ensure a broad and balanced education, focusing on core knowledge and essential skills across four Key Stages.

Governing Body: Department for Education (DfE)

Year Adopted: 2014

Grade Levels Covered

Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2), Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6), Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)

English

Key Stage 1 (Year 1)

EN1-RW Reading: Word Reading

Apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words.

Key skills: segmenting, blending, GPC recognition
EN1-WC Writing: Composition

Compose a sentence orally before writing it.

Key skills: oral rehearsal, sequencing, narrative structure

Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

EN6-RC Reading: Comprehension

Provide reasoned justifications for their views about books.

Key skills: inference, critical analysis, evidence-based reasoning
EN6-WG Writing: Grammar and Punctuation

Use the range of punctuation taught at Key Stage 2 correctly, including colons and semi-colons to mark boundaries.

Key skills: advanced punctuation, sentence cohesion, grammatical precision

Mathematics

Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

MA2-NPV Number: Place Value

Recognise the place value of each digit in a two-digit number (tens, ones).

Key skills: partitioning, number comparison, estimation
MA2-GMS Geometry: Properties of Shapes

Identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides and line symmetry in a vertical line.

Key skills: shape identification, symmetry analysis, geometric vocabulary

Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

MA6-NAS Number: Four Operations

Divide numbers up to 4 digits by a two-digit whole number using the formal written method of long division.

Key skills: long division, interpreting remainders, calculation accuracy
MA6-ALG Algebra

Express missing number problems algebraically.

Key skills: formula usage, linear sequences, solving equations

Science

Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2)

SC1-WS Working Scientifically

Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.

Key skills: observation, questioning, data recording
SC1-MAT Everyday Materials

Identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock.

Key skills: classification, property testing, material identification

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

SC3-BIO Biology: Cells and Organisation

Cells as the fundamental unit of living organisms, including the functions of the cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuole, mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Key skills: microscopy, structural analysis, biological systems
SC3-PHY Physics: Energy

Calculation of fuel uses and costs in the domestic context, compared with energy transfers in other systems.

Key skills: energy conservation, mathematical modeling, resource analysis

History

Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2)

HI1-LM Chronological Awareness

Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.

Key skills: continuity and change, oral history, chronological sequencing

Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6)

HI2-BR British History

The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain.

Key skills: historical enquiry, analyzing influence, source evaluation
HI2-AC Ancient Civilizations

The achievements of the earliest civilizations—an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one (e.g., Ancient Egypt).

Key skills: comparative history, cultural analysis, archaeological evidence

Implementation Notes

The National Curriculum is mandatory for all local-authority-maintained schools in England. Academies and free schools are not required to follow it but must offer a 'broad and balanced' curriculum that includes English, Maths, and Science. Teachers use 'Programmes of Study' to plan lessons and 'Attainment Targets' to measure student progress at the end of each Key Stage.

Assessment

Statutory assessments include: the Reception Baseline Assessment (EYFS), Phonics Screening Check (Year 1), Multiplication Tables Check (Year 4), and National Curriculum Tests (SATs) in English and Maths at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6). Key Stage 4 culminates in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations.

About This Standard
Added:
January 13, 2026
Last Updated:
January 13, 2026

This standard was generated using AI with grounded search to find official, accurate information. While we strive for accuracy, please verify important details with official sources.

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