Preface
1. As a map of what young people should be taught
the National Curriculum is central to education provision. This
Report is the result of one of three inquiries undertaken by this
Committee into the fundamentals of our education system, each
prompted by the twentieth anniversary of the 1988 Education Reform
Act. We have already published a Report on testing and assessment,[1]
and in December 2008 we announced the Terms of Reference for an
inquiry into school inspection and performance reporting.[2]
While not part of the 1988 Act, school inspection represents an
extension of its emphasis on school accountability and the provision
of information to support parental choice.
2. We announced our call for evidence on the National
Curriculum in February 2008 and began taking oral evidence in
June 2008. We held a related evidence session on the Early Years
Foundation Stage in May 2008.
3. During the inquiry we took evidence from Ministers,
government agencies, trades unions, subject associations, employer
representatives, research organisations and prominent academics.
A list of those who gave oral evidence appears at the end of this
Report. In addition we received nearly 50 written memoranda, which
have helped us with the inquiry.
4. We would like to extend our thanks to our Specialist
Advisers, Professor Alan Smithers, Director of the Centre for
Education and Employment Research, University of Buckingham, and
Professor Geoff Whitty, Director of the Institute of Education,
University of London and, in relation to the Early Years Foundation
Stage session, our Specialist Advisers Dame Gillian Pugh, Visiting
Professor at the Institute of Education, University of London
and Professor Kathy Sylva, Department of Educational Studies,
University of Oxford.[3]
5. We set out below a list of acronyms used in this
Report.
DCSF Department for Children, Schools and
Families
ELG Early Learning Goal
EYFS Early Years Foundation Stage
GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education
IAG Information, Advice and Guidance
ICT Information and Communications Technology
ITT Initial Teacher Training
NDPB Non-Departmental Public Body
Ofqual Office of the Qualifications and
Examinations Regulator
Ofsted Office for Standards in Education,
Children's Services and Skills
PFLM Primary Framework for Literacy and
Mathematics
PNS Primary National Strategy
PSHE Personal, Social and Health Education
QCA Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
QCDA Qualifications and Curriculum Development
Agency
QTS Qualified Teacher Status
SEAL Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning
SEN Special Educational Needs
SNS Secondary National Strategy
1 HouseofCommonsChildren,SchoolsandFamiliesCommittee,ThirdReportofSession2007-08,TestingandAssessment,HC169-I. Back
2
The Terms of Reference can be found at www.parliament.uk. Back
3
Dame Gillian Pugh is Chair of the Cambridge Primary Review Advisory
Group and adviser to various sections of the Department for Children,
Schools and Families. Professor Kathy Sylva was a contributor
to the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) project,
which ran from 1997-2003 and the Effective Pre-School and Primary
Education 3-11 (EPPE 3-11) project, which ran from 2003-2008,
and is a contributor to the Effective Pre-School, Primary and
Secondary Education (EPPSE 3-14) project, which runs from 2007-2011. Back
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