Empowered Teachers

Children learn best when knowledge is taught cumulatively: when what they learn today builds on what they learnt yesterday. Core Knowledge UK recognises that every school and community is different, and each pupil and teacher has individual interests and strengths. The Core Knowledge Sequence UK is a cumulative and content-rich outline of the skills and content to cover in the arts, humanities and sciences in Years 1 to 6. It forms the backbone of the Core Knowledge UK curriculum, which helps students create connections and see the rich and varied perspectives provided by each discipline.

The Sequence UK gives guidance on what to teach but is non-prescriptive in implementation. Therefore, educators have the freedom to use their professional judgement to decide how to make the Core Knowledge UK curriculum come alive in their individual classrooms while using a variety of instructional methods. This curriculum can be used alongside the National Curriculum or as the sole backbone of a school's curriculum. It is not meant to outline the whole of the school curriculum; rather, it offers specific guidelines to teach knowledge that can reasonably be expected to make up about half of any school's curriculum, leaving ample room for local requirements and emphases.

When schools implement Core Knowledge UK, the core of a school's curriculum is coherent within and across school year groups. The Core Knowledge UK curriculum facilitates pupils' sequenced learning from grade to grade so that teachers know what knowledge and skills their pupils bring to the class at the beginning of the year. Core Knowledge UK teachers have clear expectations of what to cover with their class, and they understand its significance for following years. For example, a topic on the geography of the Mediterranean in Year 2 is taught alongside a literature topic on the mythology of Ancient Greece. Cumulatively these form a foundation for another topic on Athens and the beginnings of democracy.

The Sequence UK is effective in offering pupils a solid foundation of learning that encourages steady academic growth as they construct their knowledge, develop their cultural literacy and deepen their critical thinking skills year after year. Core Knowledge UK helps educators to engage students, build their language competency, use assessment to drive instruction, scaffold instruction to meet individual needs, and provide targeted feedback to students to further shape their learning.

You can find out more about the What Your Year 1 Child Needs to Know resource book and purchase it. You can also learn about implementing Core Knowledge UK in your school and register for updates on the publication of subsequent volumes and classroom activities.