English: Key Stages 2 to 4

Sections 3 and 4 of the 1988 Education Reform Act included English as one of the compulsory core subjects in the National Curriculum and empowered the Secretary of State to specify attainment targets, programmes of study, and assessment arrangements for English for children of compulsory school age. The English Working Group appointed to advise the Secretary of State on English reported in May and its recommendations for attainment targets, programmes of study and statements of attainment for Key Stages 2 to 4 were published in June alongside the English proposals of the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Bernadette Walsh, language adviser, Rotherham LEA, discusses the proposals.