Criticizes the attainment targets of Great Britain's National Curriculum English. Laments the division of English potentially present in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabi. (MM)

Argues that the quality of interaction in the English classroom depends on teachers, students, and the culture they share rather than on external forces like examinations. (MM)

Discusses implications of the Cox Report on English instruction in Great Britain. Questions the definitions of aims and responsibilities outlined in the report. Suggests that the magnitude of what teachers are called upon to teach and assess will diffuse rather than concentrate attention on what matters most in English as a distinctive subject.…

With new demands and expectations being placed on careers work, the role of careers service is changing to focus on those most at risk of dropping out of education. Recent research has been used to show how careers education has improved since the mid-1980s, but there is still much work to be done. New challenges must be met by those responsible…

This, the second of three annual reports by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), continues to track central policy and developments in the implementation of the British National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies (NLS and NNS). The report considers value for money in their funding and on the perception and experience of the…

The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies (NLS and NNS) represent a major government initiative to improve classroom practice and student learning in literacy and mathematics in elementary schools across England. National targets were intended to increase the percentage of 11-year-olds reaching the "expected level"--Level 4--in…

The importance of appropriate communication, language and literacy learning in the early years cannot be overestimated. Children who enter school with well-developed communication and literacy skills have a considerable advantage over those who have yet to start. In England, children enter Reception classes at different points throughout the…

A classroom assessment of students' work against Britain's National Curriculum is presented. Some development work that focuses primarily on Teacher Assessment of Profile Component 2 is described. How this work has been tested in the classroom is explained. Some comments upon the initiative in the light of evaluation are also included. (KR)

Notes that research in three primary schools in Southern England draws attention to the ways in which the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) is prompting changes in contexts for writing and in the nature of teacher intervention. Concludes that developmentally appropriate, affirming strategies need not contravene the educational ideals of the NLS.…

In 1995 the streamlined British national curriculum defined outdoor education as "outdoor and adventurous activities" (OAA) and placed it within the physical education (PE) curriculum. However, many PE teachers lack a knowledge of outdoor education and, when faced with limitations in time, resources, facilities, and expertise, may choose…

These medium-term plans have been produced to support, but not prescribe, teachers' planning. They exemplify ways in which England's National Literacy Strategy (NLS) Framework objectives (and the Early Learning Goals) can be clustered. The Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 medium term plans cluster the NLS text, sentence and word level objectives into…

A British special school's experience in developing an aims-based curriculum for disabled pupils is described. Overriding aims, or first principles, were spelled out and translated into more pragmatic terms, which were analyzed to constitute a curriculum. Methods for linking the aims-based curriculum with the National Curriculum are outlined. (JDD)

A cyclical process model for implementing England's National Curriculum was developed by a British school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. The model focuses on curriculum audit, time allocation for various subjects, framework for curriculum organization, support program for teachers, developing subject rationale, recordkeeping,…

Traces the chain of events involved in the conception and development of the British National Curriculum with special attention to the place of art and design. Describes the confusion concerning disciplinary boundaries, content, and attainment targets and questions the effect the confusion will have on art and design education. (LS)

This article explores how England's National Curriculum history might be taught to pupils with severe learning difficulties (SLD). The article suggests one possible conceptual framework for the teaching of history, examines some tensions inherent in attempting to teach history to SLD pupils, and describes two examples of good practice in this…