Not before time

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Sassie'sDad
Posts: 459
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Rugby

Not before time

Post by Sassie'sDad »

For the first time, a new curriculum has been devised specifically for fee-paying prep schools to give children a better start and prepare them for the demands of secondary education.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... culum.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Waiting_For_Godot
Posts: 1446
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:57 pm

Re: Not before time

Post by Waiting_For_Godot »

I thought they didn't follow the national curriculum and just used it as a guide line. :?
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Not before time

Post by hermanmunster »

I didn't think they used the national curriculum either.
KES Parent

Re: Not before time

Post by KES Parent »

I thought that was what we were paying for, to free our DCs from the tedium and lack of challenge that is the National Curriculum.
Fran17
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Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:16 pm

Re: Not before time

Post by Fran17 »

Our son's school didn't follow the national curriculum.
yoyo123
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Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Not before time

Post by yoyo123 »

I like the national curriculum, it is very broad, not sure where the idea that it doesn;t include much beyond maths and literacy comes from. There are guidelines for all subjects, including PE and art, not just a game of rounders and draw a picture - like it was in my day
Yummiemummie
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 9:02 pm

Re: Not before time

Post by Yummiemummie »

We moved our daughter specifically because at the local school the national curriculum essentially meant lots and lots of literacy and numeracy and little else, especially in the run up to yr 6 SATS. This system had left my son at a real disadvantage when he joined a very academic indep secondary school.
Needless to say we feel my daughters move to a prep school free of the NC has massively paid off, she skips out of school every day full of excitement about what she's done. Of course she is still tested regularly on maths, English etc, but the whole process seems a lot less pressured. At primary level it is so nice to be free of league tables and a relatively narrow national curriculum.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Not before time

Post by yoyo123 »

The national curriculum covers all subjects..
http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stage ... index.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Yummiemummie
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 9:02 pm

Re: Not before time

Post by Yummiemummie »

I agree, but the national league tables only publish results for yr 6 in Maths and English, hence the emphasis in some schools on these subjects in yr 6. Not in all schools, but certainly in the one my children went to which was always towards the top of the league tables. I'm sure other schools cover the curriculum more broadly.
Fran17
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:16 pm

Re: Not before time

Post by Fran17 »

Totally agree with you Yummiemummie, we took our youngest out of his state primary for exactly the same reason. It was such a shame that when they covered a history or geography topic, the children were asked to do a project during a half term holiday and the occasional art lessons were rushed through with no time for the children to enjoy them or be at all creative. I can't speak for all schools, but this was certainly our experience. He was beginning to fall behind and always said that apart from break and lunchtime, school was boring. However, when he went to his new school, which did not follow the national curriculum, he blossomed and loved school. It was wonderful to see him so happy.
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