Less play, more computer programs for primary school pupils

They certainly won't involve computer coding, foreign languages or fractions.

New rules set out by the Government and coming into force with the start of the new term will change all that.

As part of a wide-ranging drive to push up standards in education, structured learning will start from the moment a child starts school.

That is highly controversial with those who advocate play as the way to introduce youngsters to school life.

And it has meant that schools are having to re-think the way they teach younger year pupils.

Headteacher Jane Siddons admits the changes have been a huge challenge, but says the new computing curriculum was being "fully embraced" at Lightmoor Village Primary School in Telford.

She said: "Computers are of part of everyday life and children need to be ready for the workplace and to be useful citizens of the digital world of the future.

"They need the skills, knowledge and understanding of how computer systems work, how to design and build programmes and develop creative ideas."

She added: "We are building on current practice, have introduced a new scheme of work after training and development of the staff."

Heather Bailey, of the Shropshire Mum support group, welcomed the changes and praised attempts to "prepare children for the future".

She said: "As someone whose business relies on good computer coding and website design I believe this can only be a good thing.

"The world of computer programming and website design has become very much a part of everyday life and it's quite clear it will continue to do so.

"Preparing our children for the future and life has always been the goal in education, the key factor is finding a way of making it work by giving schools the funding and tools to make this and all aspects of education a success.

"You only need to hand a smart phone or tablet to a toddler to see just how tech savvy today's children are."

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said teachers had worked hard to prepare for the new curriculum over the past year.

He said he was confident they would cope with its implementation but he warned there could be some difficulties with maths, where more advanced topics are to be taught at a younger age.

"One of the mistakes in the implementation of the curriculum is that it's all being implemented at once," Mr Hobby said.

"In maths you need to learn the early concepts before you learn the later concepts, so there is a problem that there will be children who have not learned the earlier concepts before being expected to learn the more demanding ones."

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers has warned that many of its members feel their schools are not yet prepared to teach the new curriculum.

The association's education policy adviser, Jill Stokoe, said: "Teachers are saying they haven't had enough information and some people really haven't got to grips with the new curriculum.

"What we are saying to them is to use their judgement."

She said there were particular problems with maths introducing some quite complex ideas for very young children.

The new national curriculum means pupils aged between five and seven will be required to understand algorithms and also be required to create and debug simple computer programmes in the first two years of school.

Primary schools will also teach about storage and retrieval of data , the use of internet search engines, keeping safe online and how to write code.

Under the shake-up, the subject of computing is replacing information and communication technology.

The new computing syllabus is seen as one of the most ambitious changes to the national curriculum which will be followed by more than five million pupils aged five to 14 in English state schools.

Other major reforms include the introduction of a compulsory foreign language for all pupils from the age of seven, while basic fractions will be taught to pupils as young as five.

The curriculum is seen as the key legacy of Michael Gove's reform programme before his removal as eduction secretary.

It will see infants taught how to write and develop their own computer programs.

English lessons will involve learning how to use punctuation correctly in the first two years of school.

The curriculum is being implemented for most year groups simultaneously.

The Government says the new curriculum does not tell teachers "how to teach", but concentrates on "the essential knowledge and skills every child should have" so that teachers "have the freedom to to shape the curriculum to their pupils' needs".

Changes expecting more from our youngsters:

How pupils will hit the ground running in primary school – and other changes that will affect pupils as they go through their school career:

• Maths: Teachers will expect more at an earlier age. Basic fractions, such as half or a quarter, will be taught to five-year-olds. There will be a requirement for pupils to learn their 12 times table by the age of nine. By the end of Year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value.

• Computing: Lessons will teach pupils how to write code. Pupils aged five to seven will be expected to “understand what algorithms are” and to “create and debug simple programs”. By the age of 11, pupils will have to “design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems”.

• English: The subject will strengthen the importance of Shakespeare, with pupils between the ages of 11 and 14 expected to have studied two of his plays. Word lists for eight and nine-year-olds include “medicine” and “knowledge”, by 10 and 11 they should be spelling “accommodate” and “rhythm”.

• History: The history curriculum takes primary pupils through British history from the Stone Age to the Normans. They can also study a later era, such as the Victorians. “Significant individuals” to be studied include Elizabeth I, Neil Armstrong, Rosa Parks and suffragette Emily Davison. Secondary schools will teach British history from 1066 to 1901, followed by Britain, Europe and world events from 1901, including the Holocaust and Winston Churchill.

• Science: Will shift towards a stronger sense of hard facts and “scientific knowledge”. In primary school, there will be new content on the solar system, speed and evolution. In secondary school, there will be a clearer sense of the separate subjects of physics, biology and chemistry. Climate change will also be included.

• Design and technology: Linked to innovation and digital industries. Pupils will learn about 3D printing and robotics.

Report by Emma Walker - emma.walker@shropshirestar.co.uk