Mathematics in the National Curriculum 1999

Although the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) carried out a radical overhaul of the curriculum, the mathematical content hardly changed. Key Stages One, Two and Three had their own Programmes of Study (PoS). Key Stage Four was now divided into Foundation and Higher. The PoS set out what students should be taught at each Key Stage and provided the basis for planning schemes of work. The Attainment Targets (ATs) set out the expected standards of students’ performance and stated the range and the expected level that the majority of students should reach.

Key Stage One: Levels 1-3; majority 2
Key Stage Two: Levels 2-5; majority 4
Key Stage Three: Levels 3-7; majority 5/6

Each of the four ATs had eight levels, now with level descriptors rather than Statements of Attainment. The descriptors were more general than previous statements and did not include all the mathematics taught and learned. They were intended to give a 'best fit' profile of a student.

For the first time, the National Curriculum considered how mathematics could contribute to learning across the curriculum and to promoting students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and key skills. Schools were asked, when planning, to consider the general teaching requirements for inclusion, use of language and use of information and communication technology that apply across the PoS.

The layout differed in that the programme of study set out two requirements:
1. Knowledge, skills and understanding - what has to be taught in the subject during the Key Stage
2. Breadth of study - the contexts, activities, areas of study and range of experiences through which the knowledge, skills and understanding should be taught.

At the start of each Key Stage, margin notes gave a summary of the main things that pupils would learn during that Key Stage.

Non-statutory information given included:
•notes giving key information that should be taken into account when teaching the subject;
•notes giving definitions of words and phrases in the programmes of study;
•suggested opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology (lCT);
•some key links with other subjects indicating connections between teaching requirements, and suggesting how a requirement in one subject can build on the requirements in another in the same key stage.

Following on from the pilot project on numeracy, further exemplification of the mathematical content and methodology was given in [i]The Framework for Teaching Mathematics[/i] which, although non statutory, provided detailed objectives for planning and teaching mathematics for pupils aged five to 11. Those schools that fully implemented the Framework would fulfil their statutory duty in relation to the National Curriculum for mathematics at Key Stages One and Two.