Rose Review officially abandoned

The new Government has confirmed that it will not be proceeding with Labour’s proposed new primary curriculum

Due to be implemented from September 2011, the new curriculum was based on the Review by Sir Jim Rose: the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum. Sir Jim’s Review called for learning to be organised into six areas: Understanding English, communication and languages; Mathematical understanding; Scientific and technological understanding; Human, social and environmental understanding; Understanding physical health and wellbeing, and Understanding the arts and design. Many schools had begun preparations for implementing the new curriculum.

Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, said: ‘A move away from teaching traditional subjects like history and geography could have led to an unacceptable erosion of standards in our primary schools.

‘Instead, teachers need a curriculum which helps them ensure that every child has a firm grasp of the basics and a good grounding in general knowledge, free from unnecessary prescription and bureaucracy.

‘It is vital that we return our curriculum to its intended purpose – a minimum national entitlement organised around subject disciplines.

‘Ministers have always made clear their intentions to make changes to the National Curriculum, to ensure a relentless focus on the basics and to give teachers more flexibility than the proposed primary curriculum offered. They will shortly announce their next steps.’

For now, the Department for Education has ‘advised schools that the existing primary curriculum will continue to be in force in 2011/12 and primary schools should plan on that basis.’

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