FOI release

Request about the National Curriculum Review

Published 22 July 2011

• Date requested: 28 June 2011
• Publish date: 22 July 2011
• Updated: 1 August 2011

1. Request

Can the department provide information regarding engagement the department had with stakeholders, who these stakeholders are, and who has been involved in the consultation on the review of the National Curriculum?

Further to this, can the department include:

• which schools the ‘teachers and head teachers’ are from
• which ‘subject associations and other subject experts’ are included
• which organisations the ‘representatives from further and higher education’ are from
• which ‘employer representative organisations’ are included
• which ‘significant employers’ are included
• any other bodies (not people acting in a personal capacity) who have been included

Also, who else is planned to be included in any of the above groups during the National Curriculum review?

Who are the stakeholders being asked to comment on emerging drafts of the new Programmes of Study?

2. Release

A copy of the information requested is set out below. It details the dates and type of event, and lists those invited to attend. Members of the advisory committee and expert panel (membership of which is detailed on the Department for Education’s website) were also present at a number of the events.

In addition to these specific events, the department has carried out a public Call for Evidence which received nearly 5800 responses and has had a wide range of one-to-one discussions with stakeholders.

Details of the further engagement that the department envisages in the autumn are not yet available but will be published on the website in due course.

2.1 National Curriculum Review - stakeholder engagement and events

18 March - Maths subject seminar

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
Ofqual; Ofsted; Specialist Schools and Academies Trust; National Strategies; Royal Statistical Society; Mathematics in Education and Industry; London Mathematical Society; Institute of Mathematics and its Applications; The Mathematical Association; University of Leicester; Oxford University; National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics; University of Nottingham; University of York; University of Manchester; University of Cambridge; University of Brighton; St Luke’s C of E Primary School; Gillots School; Amery Hill School; Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education; King’s College London.

23 March - English subject seminar

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
Ofqual; OfSTED; National Strategies; Specialist Schools and Academies Trust; English Association; National Association for the Teaching of English; United Kingdom Literacy Association; National Literacy Trust; National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum; Institute of Education; De Montfort University; University of Cambridge; The Communication Trust; King’s College London; Cambridge University; Open University; Sawtry Community College; Worle Community School, North Somerset; King Edward School, Bury St Edmunds; St James’ High School, Exeter; National Drama.

31 March - Science subject seminar

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
Ofqual; Specialist Schools and Academies Trust; National Strategies; Science Community Representing Education; Association for Science Education; Institute of Physics; Royal Society of Chemistry; Royal Academy of Engineering; Society of Biology; National Science Learning Centre; Royal Society National Advisers and Inspectors Group for Science; King’s College London; University of York; British Science Association; Wellcome Trust; Institute of Education; University of Bedfordshire; Graveney School; South Bromsgrove High School; Isle of Sheppey Academy; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

13 May - Science event

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
Ofsted; SSAT; ASE; Waingels College; Fulneck School; St Michael’s RC Science Specialist School; Sacred Heart Language College; Stoke Damerel Primary School; The London Oratory School; St Albans Catholic High School; Halton School; Maiden Erlegh School; Charterhouse School; Woodhey High School; The Abbey School; Cambridgeshire Advisory Service; Boston Grammar School; Bolton School Boys’ Division; Westcliff High School for Girls; Isle of Sheppey Academy; Copley High School; City of London School for Girls; Starks Field Primary School; Britannia Village Primary School; Walthamstow Academy; Holly Lodge Girls College; Lynnfield Primary; Penn Wood Primary and Nursery School; Challney High School for Boys and Community College; Denbigh High School; Royton & Crompton Science College; St Peter’s Catholic School and Specialist Science College; Castle Hill Juniors; Beardwood Humanities College; Kew Green Prep School; Moreton Hall; Neston High School; Ormiston Voctory Academy; St John’s Catholic school and sixth form centre.

20 May - PE subject seminar

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
Brindishe Green Primary School; Brindishe Lee Primary School; St Hubert’s Catholic Primary School; Oldfield Primary School; Drayton Manor High School; Hawes Side Primary School; Richard Lee Primary School; Castle Hill Juniors; Newton Farm Nursery; Woodroffe School; Cannon Lane First School; Willow Primary School; Challney High School for Boys and Community College; Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys; St Luke’s Science and Sports College, Exeter; Nettleham Church of England Aided Junior School, Mill Hill; Street Children’s Centre; St Edmund’s Catholic School, Dover; Christ the King RC Primary School; St Thomas of Canterbury RC School; Darwen Aldridge Community Academy; Bodmin College; Leeds West Academy; Feversham College.

24 May - HE/FE event

Representation was from Universities UK; Russell Group; University of Cumbria; Supporting Professionalism in Admissions; Association of Colleges; and the QAA.

15 June - Teachers event (London)

Attended by primary and secondary teachers who are members of NAHT; NASUWT; ASCL; ATL; NUT; SSAT; Voice; Bureaucracy Reference Group.

16 June - SEND event

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
ASCL; NUT; ATL; NAHT; Voice; Institute of Education; British Science Association. Attendees and invitees were also from the following schools:
Lyng Hall; Cotgrave Candleby Lane School; Haverstock School; Parliament Hill, Camden; Torriano Juniors; The Brunts, Redhill, Notts; Newstead Primary; Kingsway Primary; Robert Mellors Primary; Gotham Primary; Montacute Special School; Lampton School; New Bridge Special School; Ridgeway community school; Pencalenick School; Grangewood Special School; Cuckmere House; St George’s, Ascot; King’s University; Northumberland Park school, Haringey; Exeter University; St James’ High School, Exeter; The Wycombe Grange Pupil Referral Unit; Samuel Rhodes Primary; Thornhill School; St Joseph’s School; Prior Weston School; Grafton School; St John the Evangelist School; St Mary Magdalene Academy; Highbury Fields School; Little Heath (Special) School.

21 June - Teachers event (Sheffield)

Attended by members of NAHT; NASUWT; ASCL; Bureaucracy Reference Group; ATL; NUT; SSAT; Voice.

5 July - Primary teachers event

Event with primary teachers, specifically to consider the review from a primary perspective. The following organisations nominated individuals to attend: National Association for Primary Education; NAHT; NUT; ASCL; NASUWT; Primary Umbrella Group; National Primary Headteachers; Cambridge Primary Review.

11 July - PE event with subject teachers

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
Our Lady’s RC School, Manchester; Abbeywood First School, Redditch; Featherby Junior School, Gillingham; Linthwaite Primary School; Cudleigh Primary School, Devon; Prince Albert School, Aston, Birmingham; Hayesbrook School, Tonbridge; Ivybridge Community College, Devon; Wingfield Business and Enterprise College, Rotherham; King Alfred’s Sports College, Wantage; Sidmouth College, Devon; Priory School, Bexley, London; Windsor High School, Dudley; Harefield Academy, Hillingdon; Springfields Special School, Wiltshire.

14 July - Maths event with subject teachers

Attendees and invitees were from the following:
Marnel Junior School; Henry Box; The Wroxham School; Park Community School; Portchester Community School; Gosford Hill School; The Cooper School; Woodroffe School Lyme Regis; Hamton Dene Primary School; Imberhorne School; Amery Hill School; Bay House School; Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre; Sir John Leman High School; Park View Junior School; Bignold Primary School & Nursery; Heckmondwike Grammar School; Falconbrook Primary School; Muray Park School; d’Overbroeck’s College, Leckford Place; The Lancaster School; Durham Johnston Comprehensive; Tewkesbury School; University of Oxford; Isambard Community School; Rednock John Mason; Plantsbrook School.

Engagement has been with Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education; London Mathematical Society; Mathematical Association; Association of Teachers of Mathematics; and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics.

19 July - Young people event

Event organised in conjunction with the British Youth Council seeking to ascertain what sort of things pupils will see as being important in the new national curriculum, and how we might best engage young people through the rest of the process.