The Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in English) Order 1989

Made: 31st May 1989

Laid before Parliament: 31st May 1989

Coming into force–

Now therefore the Secretary of State for Education and Science, as respects England, and the Secretary of State for Wales, as respects Wales, in exercise of the powers conferred on the Secretary of State by section 4(2)(a) and (b) and (4) of the Education Reform Act 1988 hereby make the following Order in the terms of the said draft with modifications[^f00002]:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in English) Order 1989 and shall come into force in accordance with article 2.

• (2) In this Order–

• “the Document” means the document published by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office entitled “English in the National Curriculum”[^f00002];

• references to the first key stage are references to the period set out in paragraph (a) of section 3(3) of the Education Reform Act 1988; and

• references to levels of attainment are references to the levels set out in the Document in relation to each attainment target.

2

This Order shall come into force–

• (a) on 1st August 1989 in respect of pupils in the first year of the first key stage who have attained or will attain the age of five years on or before the first day of the school term beginning on or next after that date and who do not have a statement of special educational needs; and

• (b) on 1st August 1990 in respect of all other pupils in that key stage.

Specification of attainment targets and programmes of study

3

It is hereby directed that the provisions relating to attainment targets and programmes of study set out in the Document shall have effect as provided in articles 4 to 6 hereof for the purpose of specifying in relation to English–

• (a) attainment targets; and

• (b) programmes of study.

4

• (1) The attainment targets described in the Document and set out in paragraph (2) below are specified in relation to the first key stage, the levels of attainment applicable being those appropriate to the different abilities and maturities of the pupils being taught.

• (2) The attainment targets referred to in paragraph (1) above are attainment targets 1–5 at levels of attainment 1–3.

5

The programmes of study described in the Document (which relate to the attainment targets referred to in article 4 above) are specified in relation to the first key stage.

6

The examples printed in italics in the Document (which serve to illustrate the attainment targets and programmes of study therein described) do not form part of the provision made by this Order.

Signed

Kenneth Baker — Secretary of State for Education and Science — 31st May 1989

Peter Walker — Secretary of State for Wales — 30th May 1989

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Section 4(2) of the Education Reform Act 1988 places a duty on the Secretary of State to establish the National Curriculum by specifying as appropriate attainment targets, programmes of study and assessment arrangements for each of the foundation subjects.

Section 4(4) allows for such an Order, instead of containing the provisions to be made, to refer to provisions in a Document published by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office and to direct that those provisions shall have effect according to the Order.

This Order accordingly refers to “English in the National Curriculum” and provides for the attainment targets and programmes of study set out in it to have effect for the first key stage of a pupil’s compulsory schooling (that is to say, the period beginning with his becoming of compulsory school age and ending at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in his class attain the age of seven). The Document sets out three levels in respect of attainment targets to cover the full range of abilities and maturities of pupils in the first key stage.

The Order further provides that any examples printed in italics in the Document are for illustrative purposes only, and do not form part of the Order.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1988 c. 40.

[^f00002]: The modifications are to the commencement provisions.