The National Curriculum in England provides a statutory framework for education in state-maintained schools, outlining the core knowledge and skills pupils are
England, United Kingdom
The National Curriculum in England provides a statutory framework for education in state-maintained schools, outlining the core knowledge and skills pupils are expected to acquire between ages 11 and 14. Key Stage 3 serves as the bridge between primary education and GCSE preparation, focusing on a broad and balanced range of subjects.
The National Curriculum in England provides a statutory framework for education in state-maintained schools, outlining the core knowledge and skills pupils are expected to acquire between ages 11 and 14. Key Stage 3 serves as the bridge between primary education and GCSE preparation, focusing on a broad and balanced range of subjects.
Year Adopted: 2014
Year 7, Year 8, Year 9
Develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently.
Key skills: Read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, including in-depth study of at least two Shakespeare plays, Read a range of poetry and drama from 1789 to the present day, Understand and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, to create effects, Identify and interpret themes, ideas, and information in textsWrite accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for a wide range of purposes and audiences.
Key skills: Write for a range of contexts including narrative, expository, and persuasive forms, Organize and structure writing using a variety of connective devices, Apply knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation to enhance meaning, Plan, draft, edit, and proofread work to improve clarity and accuracySpeak confidently and effectively in a range of formal and informal contexts, including through speeches, presentations and debates.
Key skills: Use Standard English confidently in formal situations, Participate in formal debates and structured discussions, Give well-structured descriptions, explanations, and narratives, Listen and respond appropriately to others' contributionsUnderstand and use the number system, including fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratio.
Key skills: Use the four operations, including formal written methods, applied to integers, decimals, and proper/improper fractions, Recognize and use relationships between operations including inverse operations, Work interchangeably with terminologies for decimals, fractions, and percentages, Use standard units of mass, length, time, and moneyUse algebraic notation and manipulate expressions to solve equations.
Key skills: Substitute numerical values into formulae and expressions, Simplify and manipulate algebraic expressions by collecting like terms, Solve linear equations in one unknown, Recognize and generate terms of a sequence from a ruleDerive and apply formulae to calculate and solve problems involving perimeter, area, and volume.
Key skills: Use standard units of measure and convert between them, Calculate the area of triangles, parallelograms, and trapezia, Use the properties of angles at a point, on a straight line, and within triangles, Apply Pythagoras' Theorem to solve problems in right-angled trianglesUnderstand the nature, processes, and methods of science through different types of scientific enquiries.
Key skills: Ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations, Plan and carry out scientific investigations, identifying and controlling variables, Use appropriate techniques, apparatus, and materials during fieldwork and laboratory work, Present and interpret observations and data using appropriate methodsUnderstand the structure and function of living organisms and the interactions between them.
Key skills: Describe the structure and functions of the human skeleton and muscular system, Understand the process of gas exchange and the effects of smoking/exercise, Explain the process of photosynthesis and the role of leaves, Understand the basics of heredity and the DNA modelUnderstand the properties of matter, chemical reactions, and the Earth's atmosphere.
Key skills: Use the particle model to explain the different states of matter, Understand the concept of atoms, elements, and compounds, Investigate chemical reactions including oxidation and the use of the pH scale, Describe the composition of the Earth and the atmosphereUnderstand the concepts of energy, motion, forces, and electricity.
Key skills: Calculate speed and represent journeys on distance-time graphs, Understand the conservation of energy and energy transfers, Describe the properties of waves (sound and light), Understand electric current, voltage, and resistance in circuitsDevelop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history.
Key skills: Identify significant events and make connections across different periods, Analyse trends within periods and over long arcs of time, Use historical terms and concepts such as 'empire', 'civilisation', and 'parliament'Understand the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1066-present.
Key skills: The Norman Conquest and the development of the English state, The Renaissance and the Reformation in England, The Industrial Revolution and its impact on society, The development of the British Empire and its decolonisationUnderstand significant aspects of the history of the wider world.
Key skills: Study at least one non-European society (e.g., Mayan civilisation, Benin, or the Islamic Golden Age), Understand the causes and events of the First and Second World Wars, Analyse the Cold War and its global impactThe National Curriculum for Key Stage 3 is presented as a single block of learning for Years 7, 8, and 9. Schools are given the flexibility to decide how to sequence the content across these three years. While the curriculum is statutory for state-maintained schools, academies and private schools have more freedom in their curriculum design, though they must still provide a 'broad and balanced' education.
Formal 'National Curriculum Levels' (e.g., Level 5, Level 6) were removed in 2014. Schools now develop their own internal assessment systems to track progress against the 'Programmes of Study'. At the end of Key Stage 3, teachers provide a summary assessment of whether a pupil is meeting, exceeding, or working towards the expected standards. There are no longer mandatory national SATs tests at the end of Year 9; assessment is primarily teacher-led.
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England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
England
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