Subject Knowledge: Ensure Familiarity With Relevant Frameworks And The Curriculum
*Useful information for trainee teachers, but not ECTs, as you will already be familiar with these documents
We are going to show you examples of key documents that you need to become familiar with for your interview, depending on the age group and subject, that you will be teaching.
Early Learning Goals – EYFS Interviewees
As an EYFS interviewee, to ensure that you have the best chance of succeeding on the day of your interview, you should familiarise yourself with the Early Learning Goals document.
This document is made up of 17 Early Learning Goals (ELGs), which are spread across the 17 Areas of Learning and Development. These are the statutory targets that children should achieve at the end of their reception year. They will be working towards these goals throughout their time in EYFS.
EYFS Statutory Framework – EYFS Interviewees
You should also familiarise yourself with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework document.
The EYFS Framework as set out by the Department of Education which does the following:
– Includes early years qualification requirements and standards
– Sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well
– Ensures that children are kept healthy and safe
– Ensures that children have the knowledge and skills that they need to start school
What the Early Learning Goals document and EYFS Framework do not do is specify exactly how these targets or standards should be attained – for example:
– The types of activities that you are expected to set
– The resources that you should provide for your pupils
– How often you should teach a topic or the order in which the lessons should be taught
Instead, this is outlined by a school’s curriculum map for that subject or a scheme of work.
National Curriculum – KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 Interviewees
If you are preparing for an interview for a position where you will be teaching Key Stage 1, 2, 3 or 4, you should familiarise yourself with the National Curriculum.
These documents define the programmes of study and attainment targets for nearly all subjects at Key Stages 1 and 2 (primary) and Key Stages 3 and 4 (secondary). The primary aim of these documents is to ensure consistent content and standards in education across England. Furthermore, they serve as a guide to determine the knowledge, skills, and understanding that your pupils need to develop in the subjects and topics that you will teach them.
Religious Education – KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 Interviewees
If you are preparing for an interview for an RE position at either Key stages 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, please refer to the Local Agreed Syllabus that your interview school uses for RE, as well as your department’s advice. For KS4 and KS5 RE, please also refer to your exam board’s guidance notes.
Religious Education has been altogether missed out from the primary and secondary National Curriculum, yet the Department for Education has stated that all state schools must teach religious education as a statutory requirement. Therefore, in the large majority of UK schools, RE must be taught in accordance with the local agreed syllabus.
What is a Local Agreed Syllabus for RE?
Just as the National Curriculum identifies the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils should acquire in almost every subject, an Agreed Local Syllabus for RE will outline what a teacher should teach in RE. An example of an agreed syllabus is ‘Learning Together through Faiths and Beliefs’, which is used by schools in Lewisham Borough, London. Again, an Agreed Syllabus will usually not detail how RE is to be taught.
Curriculum Maps – KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 Interviewees
Curriculum maps and documents will be used by your interview school across Primary (KS1 and KS2) and Secondary (KS3, KS4 and KS5). You may wish to familiarise yourself with these documents for the age group/s and subject/s that you are teaching prior to your interview. We’ll now take a look at what these are.
A subject leader or head of department will have developed a curriculum map or curriculum document specific to their subject area, ensuring that the topics covered and the learning outcomes align with the National Curriculum.
The purpose of the document will be to outline HOW the knowledge, understanding, and skills that pupils need to acquire are to be taught to pupils, enabling teachers to plan and sequence their lessons with greater confidence and effectively deliver all subject content.
Scheme of Work – KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4 and KS5 Interviewees
A primary or secondary school may also use a scheme of work for a subject. A scheme of work is a plan that, similarly to a curriuclum map, will put the National Curriculum outcomes into greater context and map out when and how content is to be covered over a specific period of time. A scheme of work will often exist alongside a curriculum map for a subject and may provide even greater detail for teachers as to what to teach when. A scheme of work may be free or it may be purchased by a school.
You can see in the above example (click the picture) that the White Rose scheme of work makes direct links to the National Curriculum.
This is a clear indication that the scheme is adhering to the National Curriculum statutory requirements and it helps teachers to be able to understand what their learning objectives should be for each lesson.
GCSE and A-level Syllabus and Guidance Notes – KS4 and KS5 Interviewees
If you are preparing for an interview for a Key Stage 4 or Key Stage 5 interview, please take a look at the GCSE or A-Level syllabus, along with the subject-specific guidance notes that your interview school uses for the subject that you will be teaching.
There are 4 exam boards that are able to award GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in England:
– AQA
– OCR
– Pearson
– WJEC Eduqas
Guidance can vary widely between exam boards and school settings.
If you are unsure as to which exam syllabus your interview school uses, please check your interview school’s website, contact Grad2Teach or your interview school directly, if you are an ECT.
As mentioned previously, please also refer to the curriculum map and scheme of work that your interview school uses for your subject that you will be teaching.