The national curriculum designates what subjects are taught, the skills and knowledge that are required to be learnt in each subject, standards to be achieved in each subject and how the child is to be monitored and assessed. This framework enables the government to ensure that teaching at every school is uniform, balanced and consistent.
Alongside the standard core subjects to be taught there are other requirements that have arisen out of the Education Act of 1996. Firstly is the subject of Religious education. Schools must now provide religious education for all registered pupils, although parents can choose to withdraw their children. Schools must teach religious education according to the locally agreed syllabus with the exception of specific religion schools e.g. catholic schools. Sex education is another non core subject that is enforced through the national curriculum and primary schools must provide and keep up to date a written statement of their policy on sex education and make it available to parents and pupils. Again, parents can choose to withdraw their children from all or part of sex education.
A more recent addition to the curriculum is PSHE - Physical, health and social education, also known as PACE in some schools. It sets out to promote personal growth in the student and often revolves around quite difficult subjects such as drugs and relationships. This subject has often been criticised by teachers as there are no ground rules for assessment.
Alongside the standard core subjects to be taught there are other requirements that have arisen out of the Education Act of 1996. Firstly is the subject of Religious education. Schools must now provide religious education for all registered pupils, although parents can choose to withdraw their children. Schools must teach religious education according to the locally agreed syllabus with the exception of specific religion schools e.g. catholic schools. Sex education is another non core subject that is enforced through the national curriculum and primary schools must provide and keep up to date a written statement of their policy on sex education and make it available to parents and pupils. Again, parents can choose to withdraw their children from all or part of sex education.
A more recent addition to the curriculum is PSHE - Physical, health and social education, also known as PACE in some schools. It sets out to promote personal growth in the student and often revolves around quite difficult subjects such as drugs and relationships. This subject has often been criticised by teachers as there are no ground rules for assessment.