A report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review'

In December the DfE published the ‘The Framework for the National Curriculum: A report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review'.  The HA endorses the panel's recommendation that history should be part of the core curriculum for all young people from 5 to 16.  If you have yet to read it, it can be downloaded from the DfE website. 

There are four key areas. We would like to highlight:

 

1. The recommendation that History should be a compulsory part of the curriculum from ages 5 - 16

 This was a key part of HA submission for the Call for Evidence in 2011 (a document which is drawn upon in several areas of the expert panel report). Many have wanted history to 16 since the early days of the original National Curriculum and will be brimming with excitement about the opportunities this offers. However, for others important questions remain about support, resources, appropriate qualifications, and the implications of staffing both KS3 and KS4 with subject specialists.  The HA fully supports history to 16 but has recognised the concerns and put these to the panel in our original submission.

We are delighted the panel recognises the important role history has to play in the primary curriculum. However, concerns remain around what content might be included in the future history curriculum and what support primary teachers will receive to help them implement any changes to this. Lack of CPD for teachers in history is a serious concern.

 

2. Changes to the current Key Stage model

Many HA members have already experienced  a two year KS3 model and have grave reservations about its impact upon history, as the HA Secondary survey evidence has demonstrated in successive years. However, some of these concerns may be ameliorated by the fact of history being compulsory in both key stages 3 and 4.

The report advocates splitting the current Key Stage 2 into two new key stages to counter the ‘lack of pace and ambition in Year 4 and Year 5'. It is not clear at this stage whether this will have any significant implications for history but the broad aspiration to revitalise teaching and learning in Key Stage 2 is to be welcomed.

 

3. An end to ‘levels'

Whatever the assessment model will look like (and this is far from clear) there is a clear commitment to move away from ‘levels'. An opportunity to go about this in a way that genuinely reflects progression and supports learning from 5 to 16 will be welcomed by history teachers.  It is hoped that the new arrangements will also help to improve transition between the phases.

 

4. Essential knowledge is defined as "facts, concepts, principles and fundamental operations"

This seems a definition broad enough to encompass the discipline of history, and offers a bulwark against the notion that a history curriculum just needs to be a list of facts.

By its nature, the Framework is a provisional document.  At the time of writing the DfE have yet to formally respond; instead simply commenting that it needs to be fully debated. It may still be a while before we have clarity on the future landscape of the curriculum from the DfE.  As ‘The Voice of History' the HA will be working hard to engage with the next phase of the process in the coming months, representing members views wherever the opportunity arises, and we would welcome your views on this. Our aim is to ensure that a new National Curriculum leads to the best possible history experience for our present and future pupils.