Education (Amendment of the Curriculum Requirements for Fourth Key Stage) (England) Order 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends section 85 of the Education Act 2002 by substituting new provisions in respect of the requirements for the fourth key stage of the National Curriculum for England. This Order applies only to England.

The effect of the Order is to make the following changes to the National Curriculum requirements for the fourth key stage. The Order—

(a) removes “design and technology” and “modern foreign language” from the compulsory foundation subjects;

(b) introduces a requirement for work-related learning within the curriculum;

(c) introduces a new category of entitlement areas, being arts, design and technology, humanities and modern foreign languages;

(d) specifies the subjects falling within each of the entitlement areas;

(e) gives a pupil in the fourth key stage an entitlement to follow one course of study in a subject within each of the entitlement areas;

(f) requires the local education authority, the governing body and the head teacher to have regard to guidance issued by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority relating to the provision of entitlement subjects and work related learning;

(g) removes the requirement to specify attainment targets and assessment arrangements in relation to each of the core and other foundation subjects.

The Order makes transitional provisions in respect of pupils who at the date of the coming into effect of the Order are already in the fourth key stage.