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1. How the scrapping of national curriculum levels may affect you
We’re going to be discussing national curriculum levels and how scrapping them affects you,
your child and your students.
So, national curriculum level indicators were officially scrapped in September 2014. In case you are
not familiar, a child in the UK would have expected to have been at least at level 4 by the end of
year 6. So why have the government chosen to abandon the use of national curriculum levels? The
main reason is because the system of levels was said to be too "complicated and difficult to
understand, especially for parents". Instead of using national curriculum levels, schools will be
expected to implement their own assessment frameworks. Teachers will be encouraged to move
towards age related expectations. Tests will still be taken by pupils at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2
(year 2 and 6) but the proposed marking criteria is likely to be based on an average point scoring
system.
We’re going to break down what the change implies for you as a parent, teacher, student,
school and others who may also be affected.
You the parent
A survey of 405 primary school subject leaders found that a third of parents agreed with the
government that levels were not useful and too complicated to be meaningful. National curriculum
levels did not correspond to school years, for example in year 4 pupils were not expected to be at
level 4, and this was seen as particularly confusing. The positive effect of the change could be that
parents may be encouraged to learn more about their child’s school assessment system and therefore

2. gain a better understanding of what their child is learning. Having said that, it could be terribly
confusing and time consuming for parents to learn about an individual schools way of assessing
pupils. Parents who want to learn how their child is performing compared to other pupils nationally
will be really challenged, above average might mean different things in different schools or in
different localities. Parents who like to support their child’s learning at home may also find it
difficult to find resources that are suitable for their child’s ability.
You the teacher
In the same survey of 405 primary schools, 92 per cent of teachers thought that national curriculum
levels were a useful way for teachers to monitor, track and assess progress. Many teachers organise
their own resources and learning materials according to national curriculum levels, which makes it
easier to teach Joe Blogs in year 8 at level 5 the same thing as Mary Jane in Year 11 also at level 5.
The burden of schools recreating an assessment framework, no longer supported by level
descriptions which match the new national curriculum, is likely to fall upon teachers, thus
increasing workload and fatigue. Alternatively, teachers may be encouraged to be more creative in
the way they teach certain topics in order to reach the school’s own perception of attainment. In
addition to this, many secondary teachers were dissatisfied with the levels given to pupils by
primary schools, and often conducted their own preliminary tests at the beginning of year 7. It is
true however that most professionals have a professional discourse which allows an easier flow of
communication, understanding and knowledge. Many teachers will feel that the national curriculum
levels were a part of their professional discourse, making their job easier and more rewarding,
helping to recognise their expertise as both valued and valuable.
You the student
It could be argued that national curriculum levels reduced students to a number, through which they
became defined and possibly limited by. Confidence is important when fostering a healthy
relationship with Maths Worksheets, and children who are already deemed as below the expected
national curriculum level, it could be argued, were at a disadvantage. On the other hand, targets do
give pupils (and indeed all people) something to work towards. If each school defines their targets
and expectations differently, it may become confusing for students when they move from primary to
secondary school, or if they change schools. Age related expectations could be pressurising and
demoralising for children.
You the school
According to a survey by the British Educational Suppliers Association, only one in six primary
schools have stopped using national curriculum levels. Comparing how a school's pupils are
performing against other pupils in other schools locally and nationally might be more difficult
without national curriculum levels, which were also used to rank schools in league tables. Although
Key Stage 1, 2 and GCSE tests are still in place nationally, comparing a pupil in between these key
stages might become trickier. In addition, schools may find it more difficult to know what to
demonstrate for Ofsted inspectors. Dealing with the transition of pupils from primary to secondary
school might also be challenged as schools are forced to analyse multiple frameworks.
Others who it might also affect
A widely disregarded category who are overlooked in the debate about the effects of scrapping
national curriculum levels are textbook authors, resource developers, websites, organisations and
institutions who specialise in developing learning materials. Indeed Cazoom Maths falls under this
category. Levels have been shown to be a very useful way to organise learning material. It is not

3. difficult for anyone to understand that level 1 is easier than level 2 and that level 5 is easier than
level 6. National curriculum levels allowed anyone who writes or publishes learning materials to
categorise different topics into ability classes, making it easier for teachers, parents and students to
decide whether it is suitable for the learner. In other words, national curriculum levels made it easier
to provide effective, differentiated material through a common language used to determine what is
appropriate for the learner. Here at Cazoom Maths we will continue to use levels from 1 to 10 so
that it is easier for you to select appropriate resources. The table below will help you to understand
which levels correspond to the age and ability of the pupil at hand. We use the terms light, medium,
and quick to indicate the pace at which the worksheet progresses through the topic, and therefore
the pace at which it should be dictated.
Whether you are a parent, teacher, student or school leader, you may have your own opinion about
the effect of the government abandonment of national curriculum levels. How does it affect you,
your child or your students? Join the discussion below.
Chevaune Chambers
Leader Coordinator
Cazoom Maths
UK School Year Age Light Medium Quick
Year 1-6 Level 1 Level 1 Level 2
Year 2-7 Level 1 Level 2 Level 2
Year 3-8 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Year 4-9 Level 1/2 Level 3 Level 4
Year 5-10 Level 1/2 Level 3 Level 4/5
Year 6-11 Level 1/2/3 Level 4 Level 5
Year 7-12 Level 1/2/3 Level 4 Level 5/6
Year 8-13 Level 1/2/3/4 Level 5 Level 6/7
Year 9-14 Level 1/2/3/4/5 Level 6 Level 7/8
Year 10-15 Level 1/2/3/4/5 Level 6 Level 7/8/9
Year 11-16 Level 1/2/3/4/5/6 Level 7 Level 8/9/10