A Parents’ Guide to Understanding Your Child’s Curriculum

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If you’re a parent, you may feel overwhelmed at times with everything you’re supposed to know and understand about your child, particularly when it comes to their education. I have teamed up with a prep school in Kent to help parents understand their child’s curriculum a little better.

The National Curriculum is split into five Key Stages, depending on the age of your child. During each Key Stage, your child will complete exams to assess their progression and whether or not they are meeting national targets. The teacher will know what these targets are and will cover the topics in their lessons to prepare their students. The Key Stages are categorised as follows:

• Key Stage 1: Aged 5-7, Years 1-2
• Key Stage 2: Aged 7-11, Years 3-6
• Key Stage 3: Aged 11-14, Years 7-9
• Key Stage 4: Aged 14-16, Years 10-11, GCSEs
• Key Stage 5: Aged 16-19, Years 12-13, A Levels

The key objective of the curriculum is to guarantee an equal and consistent level of education across the board, to give all students in the country the best possible standard, as they deserve. During each of the key stages there are specific subjects that are compulsory, known as core subjects. Each school will tailor their curriculum as they wish, while sticking to the markers set by the National Curriculum.

To help your child get the best out of their education, you could speak to their teacher and ask for a basic outline of the curriculum and what they plan to cover in lessons over the course of the school year. You can then explore the topics outside of school and be prepared with the correct study guides and books.  If you do not have the time to help your child with their studies, or you’re not academically inclined, you may want to think about hiring a private tutor to support them and act as an additional mentor.