National Curriculum Key Stages
England and Wales
| Age | Stage | Year | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
3-4 |
Early years foundation stage |
||
4-5 |
Reception |
||
5-6 |
Key Stage 1 |
Yr 1 |
|
6-7 |
Yr 2 |
Teacher assessment in English, Maths & Science Expected to work at levels 1-3 in key stage 1. A child age 7 is expected to achieve level 2 | |
7-8 |
Key Stage 2 |
Yr 3 |
|
8-9 |
Yr 4 |
||
9-10 |
Yr 5 |
||
10-11 |
Yr 6 |
National Tests & Teacher assessments in English, Maths & Science. Expected to work at levels 2-5 in key stage 2. A child age 11 is expected to achieve level 4. | |
* A child working at level 1 or 2 at age 11 is not formally tested – given teacher assessment only. | |||
11-12 |
Key Stage 3 |
Yr 7 |
|
12-13 |
Yr 8 |
||
13-14 |
Yr 9 |
Teacher assessment in English, Maths & Science and other foundation subjects. Expected to work at levels 3-7 in key stage 3. A child age 14 is expected to achieve level 5/6. | |
14-15 |
Key Stage 4 |
Yr 10 |
Some children take GCSE’s. |
15-16 |
Yr 11 |
Most children take GCSE’s or other national qualifications. | |
* Attainment levels for all subjects range between 1- 7 (1 being the lowest). High performing children may be awarded level 8 or exceptional performance. If children are working way above or below the expected level, the school must provide extra support. | |||
Scotland – Age 5-14 Curriculum
Refers to pupils in Primary school (years P1-P7) and years 1 & 2 of Secondary education (years S1-S2).
Level A should be attained in the course of P1-P3 by almost all pupils.
Level B should be attainable by some pupils in P3 or even earlier, but
certainly by most in P4.
Level C should be attainable in the course of P4-P6 by most pupils.
Level D should be attainable by some pupils in P5-P6 or even earlier, but
certainly by most in P7.
Level E should be attainable by some pupils in P7/S1, but certainly by most in
S2.
The Scottish Curriculum is currently going through a national review. Curriculum for Excellence is the Scottish curriculum review programme which aims to produce a streamlined educational experience for pupils from 3-18 years old.
P Scales
The P scales are differentiated performance criteria and should be used with pupils from 5-16 years of age. . They are relevant to pupils with learning difficulties and outline attainment for pupils working below level 1 of the national curriculum.
There are P scales for each subject in the national curriculum and for religious education. The P scales use 8 performance levels to illustrate the learning that leads to national curriculum level 1.
• Levels P1 to P3 show the earliest levels of general attainment with subject-focused examples.
• Levels P4 to P8 show subject related attainment.
The levels in the P scales operate independently of chronological age. Teachers should not expect pupils to reach any given level at a particular age or to progress through the levels at a pre determined rate. However, the P scale descriptors are designed to identify the kinds of progress a pupil may make over a year or key stage.
