Mathematics in the National Curriculum 1995

In 1993 Sir Ron Dearing, Chairman of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA), reviewed the whole national curriculum and made recommendations on slimming down the curriculum, and improving its administration. The revised curriculum which was implemented from August 1995 was not to be altered for five years. He further recommended that the national tests should be simplified without sacrificing validity or reliability. For each Key Stage, Programmes of Study (PoS) set out what students should be taught and attainment targets set out the expected standards of students' performance.

At the end of Key Stages One, Two and Three, standards of students' performance were set out in eight level descriptions. At Key Stage Four, public examinations were the main means of assessing attainment in the National Curriculum.

The level descriptors were reduced from ten to eight and the expectations for the end of each Key Stage were amended, giving the range the great majority of pupils should be in.

Key Stage One: Levels 1 to 3
Key Stage Two: Levels 2 to 5
Key Stage Three: Levels 3 to 7

Level eight was available for very able students and, to help teachers differentiate exceptional performance at Key Stage Three, a description above level eight was provided.

Each PoS was prefaced by an overarching statement emphasising the need to make connections between the different areas of mathematics, to develop mathematical language and to set reasoning and skills in applying mathematics in the context of the other areas of mathematics. The PoS for Key Stages Three and Four were combined. Further material was provided for Key Stage Four.

Strands in the Attainment Targets which ran through the Key Stages. Not all strands featured at all Key Stages.

[b]AT1 Using and applying mathematics[/b]
Making and monitoring decisions to solve problems
Developing mathematical language and communication
Developing mathematical reasoning

[b]AT2 Number[/b]
Developing an understanding of place value and extending the number system
Understanding relationships between numbers and developing methods of computation
Solving numerical problems
Classifying, representing and interpreting data (Key Stage One)

[b]AT2 Algebra[/b]
Understanding and using functional relationships
Understanding and using equations and formulae (Key Stages Three and Four)

[b]AT3 Shape, space and measures[/b]
Understanding and using patterns and properties of shape
Understanding and using properties of position and movement (transformation Key Stages Three and Four)
Understanding and using Measures

[b]AT4 Handling data[/b]
Collecting, representing and interpreting data
Estimating and calculating the probabilities of events.