Frequently Asked Questions

General Background

Curriculum Proposals

Assessment Proposals

Implementation Issues

 

General Background
Q. How does this consultation relate to the KS 3 consultation held last year?

  • The present consultation is Phase 3 of a longer process that began in 2000.
  • Phase 1 Consultation, from April to October 2000, agreed the curriculum framework (i.e. the revised aim, objectives, key elements and generic skills) and the “new” areas of Employability, Citizenship and Personal Development (now combined under Learning for Life and Work)
  • The framework was overwhelmingly agreed in 2001 and these aspects are not up for consultation this time.
  • Phase 2 Consultation, from April to October 2002, consulted on the general structure of Key Stage 3 and the nature of assessment and implementation.
  • A summary of the feedback from this can be found on pages 15 –17 of ‘Pathways, Part 1’ (and in detail on the CCEA web-site).
  • Phase 3 Consultation, from September to November 2003 has taken into account the feedback from Phase 2 and is focusing on the detailed proposals for Areas, subject strands and assessment.
Q. When are changes likely to take place at Key Stage 4?

  • The Minister accepts that the current statutory requirements for KS4 leave little scope for flexibility and have an insufficient focus on skills (see Minister’s letter on this website).
  • CCEA has been asked to provide further advice by 31st December this year so that legislation can be put in place to allow the proposed start changes to Key Stage 4 (and also Key Stage 3) to begin September 2005.
  • The current “Flexibility at KS4 Initiative” operated by the Dept. of Education will continue to be available until that date.
Q. How do these proposals follow on from what is being done at Primary school?

  • The aim and objectives are common to all Key Stages.
  • The same range of skills has been built into each key stage – (see the outline of skills progression in Pathways Part 2).
  • Progression in the development of skills has been set out for all key stages.
  • By specifying a minimum statutory entitlement teachers can build on what the pupils have already done.
Curriculum Proposals
Q. How were the Statements of Minimum Entitlement arrived at?

  • The statements have their basis in the work of the subject working groups 2000/1.
  • They represent the key concepts and contexts that every young person should have opportunities to learn about in that subject strand.
  • They are the main focus of consultation and respondents are invited to make detailed suggestions as to how they might be improved.
Q. What are the Key Elements? Are they just the Cross Curricular Themes re-packaged?

  • Many of the Key Elements are drawn from the original aim of the Northern Ireland Curriculum and from the CCTs. Others represent issues to which education has been increasingly asked to respond, such as Sustainable Development and Media Education.
  • These are now set out as Key Elements under the objectives of the curriculum so that they can be addressed as a central (rather than a secondary) purpose of the curriculum.
  • Because they represent the overarching objectives of the curriculum they are common for all subject strands.
  • Setting out the curriculum under Key Elements aims to show clearly the ‘higher’ purposes of the curriculum and also to facilitate linkages between Learning Areas and subject strands.
  • Unlike the CCTs, which were often difficult to recognise within subjects, the Key Elements now represent the Minimum Entitlement for pupils in each subject strand.
Q. Last time the curriculum was revised, we were told that a broad and balanced curriculum was essential. Will this reduced curriculum provided provide a broad and balanced experience for our young people?

  • Providing a broad and balanced curriculum is still important but that does mean a uniform, “one size fits all” curriculum? The Cohort Study has shown us that schools will develop their own curricula even within a highly prescriptive framework.
  • This time, the method of achieving breadth and balance is different. To these requirements must also be added coherence, relevance, enjoyment and motivation.
  • The statutory entitlements lay the foundations for balance and breadth. The teaching plans will indicate the range of options available to teachers to meet the needs of their pupils. The professional judgement of teachers will determine if the subject matter is appropriate and challenging.
  • We are not looking for uniformity but rather a series of curricula that meets the needs of pupils built upon an agreed minimum entitlement.
Q. If schools have the flexibility to create their own curricula, how can schools face up to possible charges that they are not providing the same opportunities for young people as another nearby school?

  • The statutory entitlement will be defined as a minimum entitlement. All schools must provide this.
  • As long as schools can show how they are responding to each aspect of the minimum entitlement they will be meeting their statutory requirements, even if they choose to interpret them in a way which is different from other schools.
Q. Are CCEA going to identify or recommend percentage time allocations for Learning Areas/subject strands?

  • No. Schools overwhelmingly rejected the suggested time allocations for subjects in the Phase 1 consultation.
  • The Cohort Study research revealed that only 2 out of the 51 schools in the study adhered to the suggested time allocations.
  • Over the next couple of years CCEA will work with pilot schools to trial a range of models of curriculum implementation and will disseminate these. Schools will then have the opportunity select a model or modify a model to suit their particular needs.
  • Schools will be expected to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils and should be guided by the Statements of Minimum Entitlement for each Learning Area/subject strand and by the perceived needs and interests of their pupils.
Q. How can such a flexible system of minimum entitlement statements adequately prepare pupils for GCSE?

  • The Statements of Minimum Entitlement (SMEs) represent the foundations for learning in the subject strands, and encompass sufficient aspects of the current Programmes of Study to lay the groundwork for GCSE.
  • With an increasing emphasis on the development of skills and capabilities it is anticipated that pupils will be able to deal with the content of GCSE courses in a more meaningful way.
Q. Is there a danger that the lack of specification will make it difficult for non- specialists to interpret the statements and develop effective teaching plans from them?

  • Heads of Departments would normally coordinate the development of schemes of work and teaching plans based on the SMEs.
  • Some exemplification is provided with the SMEs to inform breadth and depth in activities.
  • There will be support provided during the implementation phase.
  • CCEA intends to provide a range of sample teaching plans with integrated assessment opportunities in the near future to assist future planning.
Q. Will teachers continue to be trained as subject specialists or as teachers of, for example, Science and Technology?

  • The subject expertise of our teachers is one of the great strengths of the Northern Ireland system and there is no intention to undermine this. However, teachers will be encouraged to become more familiar with the range of subjects and objectives that their pupils are being asked to address and to plan collaboratively to enhance learning.
  • In time teachers may train in more than one subject in order to be able to identify and strengthen the learning links and opportunities that exist.
Q. Is there an international model already in existence?

  • This curriculum framework is unique but builds upon many models that already exist around the world, for example the Areas approach in Scotland. The infusion of skills and the enhanced opportunities for collaboration resemble most closely some of the developments in Australia and USA.
  • It reflects an overall trend of moving from:
    - a centralised curriculum to a more localised one;
    - prescription to flexibility;
    - teacher dependence to teacher autonomy;
    - pupil dependence to pupil autonomy.
Q. Where does RE fit into all of this?

  • RE will be a statutory part of the KS3 curriculum but the remit for defining entitlement in relation to RE rests with the Department of Education and the four main Christian Churches.
  • The common core curriculum for RE is currently being consulted upon and schools are asked to consider these proposals as part of their special closure day.
  • CCEA has been working with the RE Development Group to explore how the format of the RE proposals might be illustrated in the same way as other subject strands.
Assessment Proposals
Q. Why has CCEA done away with testing?

  • There is no doubt that tests provided some useful information for teachers. Tests are often seen as objective and impartial and a useful benchmark for target setting.
  • However, at Key Stage 3 it also led to a two tier system, whereby three or four subjects were seen as more “important” because of the tests. It also distorted the teaching and learning process in those subjects as pupils were taught to the test agenda and not the learning experiences set out in the programmes of study.
  • Tests also produced very little formative information and are not an effective means of assessing skills – two elements which are central to the curriculum and assessment proposals.
  • Schools can still use well constructed tests as one of their assessment tools but CCEA believes that well supported teacher assessment will produce a more focused, rounded and balanced report on a Key Stage 3 pupil’s progress and achievement.
Q. Why is there such emphasis on assessment for learning?

  • The emphasis on assessment for learning is not new. It has always been part of good practice in formative assessment where teachers have tried to close gap between current achievement and targets for improvement.
  • CCEA want to make this approach in which assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process central to classroom practice.
  • Research by the Assessment Reform Group has shown that it can increase motivation, enjoyment and attainment.
  • We will be working with the ELBs to develop pilots in Assessment for Learning and to provide inset and support for this approach during the implementation phases.
Q. How do the skills outlined for KS3 differ from/link with the Key Skills at KS4?

  • The skills are the same. The principal difference is the process of assessment. The Key Skills Qualification requires the student to sit a test and submit a portfolio of work. In Key Stage 3 the assessment will be by the teacher.
  • CCEA will also map progression in each of the skills through each key stage so that teachers and parents can see how a pupil might be expected to progress.
Q. If schools have the flexibility to create their own curricula, how can there be a national standard?

  • The emphasis will be on the assessment of skills. The knowledge and understanding of the learning areas and subject strands will be the contexts for the assessment of the application of the skills.
  • Measuring attainment in the skills of Communication, Application of Number and ICT will mean that benchmarks can be set for standards in Northern Ireland.
Q. Where will the benchmarking data come from?

  • Each year CCEA will collate the outcomes in Communication, Application of Number and ICT in Northern Ireland schools. The data can then be re-organised to provide a range of statistics based on a Northern Ireland average, for example, for Northern Ireland as a whole or by school type eg a girls’ grammar school or a boys’ secondary school.
  • As the profile of any school is not likely to change significantly from year to year, the previous year’s data can be used as the benchmark for comparison with the current year.
Q. How do we get the standards right?

  • Exemplification and effective standard setting from the outset will be managed through an accreditation scheme. If the school has got the standards and processes right, CCEA will accredit the school and review their standards every three years.
  • CCEA is determined that assessment in Communication, Application of Number and ICT will be well supported within school eg sound processes for internal standardisation and outside school. It will work with teachers to develop and disseminate standards and make full use of the potential for ICT to really provide general access to examples of work at particular standards.
  • CCEA will also work with schools during moderation year to ensure that the standards set are acceptable and provide support where they are not, to move schools to the right standards.
Q. What are the benefits of accreditation?

  • The principal benefits lie in the recognition that a school has done everything required of it to produce valid and reliable assessment in Communication, Application of Number and ICT and that once accredited CCEA will accept the assessments of the school for two years and review the standards in the third year.
Q. What will happen if schools do not submit themselves for voluntary accreditation?

  • Schools which do not participate in the accreditation scheme will be asked to submit evidence of standards for moderation each year. However, we see this as an unlikely scenario as schools will be engaged in self-evaluation using the ETI scheme Together Towards Improvement – A Process of Self-Evaluation. The CCEA accreditation process will match the ETI scheme closely. Work in one area will fulfill requirements in the other.
Q. How will schools manage the assessment of Communication, Application of Number and ICT?

  • CCEA does not wish to prescribe for schools how the process of assessment in Communication, Application of Number and ICT should be carried out. We intend to build upon the present ICT accreditation scheme which allows schools considerable scope and autonomy.
  • Over the next year CCEA will trial a number of approaches, for example:
    - a whole school approach where all learning areas contribute to the assessment of all three skills;
    - a more selective approach where one set of learning areas contribute to assessment of one or more skills and where the learning areas targeted to provide evidence rotate each year of KS3;
    - an approach which combines teacher assessment with the voluntary tasks which CCEA will design to confirm teacher assessment.
  • We intend to offer schools a choice of approaches and to advise schools on any approaches they would like to take.
Q. What does on-line moderation actually mean?

  • Online moderation simply means that evidence to support the standards applied in schools will be transmitted to CCEA using the C2K Wide Area Network. The advantage for CCEA and schools is that the turnaround time and time taken to provide feedback can be reduced.
  • CCEA support moderators and schools will be able to interact online to ensure that standards are being met.
  • It will also mean that a wider range of evidence (eg video, audio, programming etc) can now be submitted by a school for moderation.
Q. To what extent have parents been consulted about the annual report?

  • Consultation with parents is part of this overall consultation process in which we are all now engaged. Their views on the content and format of the annual report will be considered closely.
  • Useful background information: A small scale pilot was carried out with the parents of primary school pupils and they have indicated that they found the Annual Report for primary schools, which is similar in format, a useful and informative document.
Implementation Issues
Q. What support will be given to teachers to translate these proposals into classroom practice?

  • Sample integrated curriculum and assessment materials will be developed and made available online, along with a range of other materials
  • ICT systems will support assessment, recording and reporting
  • INSET training packages will be developed to support the development of
    - Thinking Skills
    - Personal and Interpersonal Skills
    - Assessment for Learning
    - Timetabling and curricular models
    and in other areas identified by teachers and schools as needing support.
  • Piloting in Citizenship, Employability and Personal Development (including Relationships and Sexuality Education) continues and resources have been produced.
  • Pilot work into collaborative teaching approaches will soon take place and the outcomes disseminated.
  • Pilot work will also take place in Assessment for Learning, the trialling of approaches and criteria for the assessment of Communication, Application of Number and ICT, and the trialling of the proposals for annual reporting.
Q. How might schools organise their exceptional closure day in order to provide the best possible feedback?
Schools are free to organise the day as they see fit.
  • A possible way might include:
    - showing the video to staff to set the scene and provide a short overview,
    - a powerpoint presentation to all staff or within Departments, using the slides and notes provided
    - consider by Departmental or Learning Area the detailed proposals for the subject strand that affect them, raising questions and making suggestions that might be fed back in the consultation;
    - assessment should be an integral part of these discussions, but there should also be a specific sub-group to consider the assessment proposals:
    - a plenary feedback session to provide SMT with main highlights from Departmental, small group and whole staff views;
    - discussion and agreement on an action plan to ensure the completion of the school’s on-line response, either as a whole school or by Area/subject strand.
Q. Should schools complete a single questionnaire or do they need to be completed by individuals/departments?

  • Both types of responses are welcome and will be analysed separately. Schools are encouraged to return a response which reflects the mediated views of Senior Management to the overall desirability / or otherwise of the changes.
  • Areas /Subject Departments are encouraged, if they so wish, to respond on the detail of the proposals within their strands suggesting alternative (better) ways of expressing the entitlement, based on proven good practice and pupil motivation, interest, enjoyment.
Q. What initiatives/changes are likely to occur with GCSE and AS/A- Level given that KS3 is only part of what happens in schools? What is coming next?

  • CCEA has already provided new courses at GCSE, in particular Learning for Life and Work (as well as other vocational GCSEs) that take forward the Key Stage 3 agenda into Key Stage 4. The Tomlinson Review in England is currently considering the potential re-structuring of 14-19. CCEA has every confidence that what is being proposed here for Key Stage 3 will be in line with what is likely to be proposed post 14.