The Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in Science) Order 1991

Statutory Instruments

1991 No. 2897

EDUCATION, ENGLAND AND WALES

The Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in Science) Order 1991

Made

19th December 1991

Laid before Parliament

20th December 1991

Coming into force

articles 1 and 2

1st August 1992

except for articles 1 and 2, in accordance with articles 3 to 6

Whereas the National Curriculum Council, after due consultation, submitted to the Secretary of State and published its report on a proposal to make this Order which he had referred to it, in accordance with subsections (2) to (4) of section 20 of the Education Reform Act 1988(1);

And whereas the Secretary of State had given notice of the said proposal to the Curriculum Council for Wales and to all other persons with whom consultation appeared to him desirable, in accordance with subsection (2) of section 21 of the said Act;

And whereas the Secretary of State, in accordance with subsection (5) of the said section 20, and subsection (3) of the said section 21, duly published a draft of this Order and the other documents mentioned in those subsections and sent copies of them to the said Councils and to each of the persons consulted by them, and allowed a period of not less than one month for the submission of evidence and representations;

And whereas that period has now expired:

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 sections 4(2)(a) and (b) and (4) and 232(5) of the Education Reform Act 1988 hereby make the following Order in the terms of the said draft with modifications:(2):

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in Science) Order 1991.

(2) This article and article 2 shall come into force on 1st August 1992 and all other provisions of this Order in accordance with articles 3 to 6.

(3) In this Order–

“the Document” means the document published by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office entitled “Science in the National Curriculum (1991)”(3);

references to the first, second, third and fourth key stages are references to the periods set out in paragraphs (a) to (d) respectively of section 3(3) of the Education Reform Act 1988;

references to levels of attainment are references to the levels set out in the Document in relation to each attainment target; and

references to ranges of levels of attainment are references to the range of levels of attainment specified for pupils of different abilities and maturities in relation to the key stage in question.

2.  The Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in Science) Order 1989(4) is revoked.

3.  The provisions of this Order relating to the first key stage shall come into force on 1st August 1992 in respect of all pupils in that key stage.

4.  The provisions of this Order relating to the second key stage shall come into force–

(a) on 1st August 1992 in respect of pupils in the first three years of that key stage; and

(b) on 1st August 1993 in respect of all other pupils.

5.  The provisions of this Order relating to the third key stage shall come into force on 1st August 1992 in respect of all pupils in that key stage.

6.  The provisions of this Order relating to the fourth key stage shall come into force–

(a) on 1st August 1992 in respect of pupils in the first year of that key stage; and

(b) on 1st August 1993 in respect of all other pupils.

Specification of attainment targets and programmes of study

7.  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 8 to 10 hereof for the purposes of specifying in relation to science–

(a) attainment targets; and

(b) programmes of study.

8.—(1) Schedule 1 has effect in accordance with paragraph (2) for specifying the attainment targets (including the ranges of levels of attainment) for each key stage.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3) the attainment targets set out in the Document and described in column 2 of Schedule 1 to this Order are specified in relation to the key stages set out beside them in column 1 of that Schedule, the levels applicable being those appropriate to the different abilities and maturities of the pupils being taught.

(3) The attainment targets specified for a pupil in the fourth key stage are, according to the programme of study followed by the pupil, either those referred to as Double Science or those referred to as Single Science in column 2 of Schedule 1, the levels applicable being those appropriate to the different abilities and maturities of the pupils being taught.

9.—(1) Schedule 2 has effect in accordance with paragraph (2) for specifying the programmes of study for each key stage.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3) the programmes of study set out in the Document and described in column 2 of Schedule 2 to this Order are specified in relation to the key stages set out beside them in column 1 of that Schedule.

(3) The programme of study specified for a pupil in the fourth key stage is either that referred to as Double Science or that referred to as Single Science in column 2 of Schedule 2.

10.  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.

Article 8

SCHEDULE 1 SPECIFICATION OF ATTAINMENT TARGETS

(1)	(2)
Key stages	Attainment targets
First key stage	Attainment targets 1–4; levels 1–3 where specified in the Document.
Second key stage	Attainment targets 1–4; levels 2–5 where specified in the Document.
Third key stage	Attainment targets 1–4; levels 3–7 where specified in the Document.
Fourth key stage	Either Double Science or Single Science contained in the Document; levels 4–10 where specified in the Document.

Article 9

SCHEDULE 2 SPECIFICATION OF PROGRAMMES OF STUDY

(1)	(2)
Key stages	Programmes of study
First key stage	As set out in the Document.
Second key stage	As set out in the Document.
Third key stage	As set out in the Document.
Fourth key stage	Double Science or Single Science as out in the Document.

Kenneth Clarke

Secretary of State for Education and Science

19th December 1991

David Hunt

Secretary of State for Wales

19th December 1991

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 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 revokes the Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in Science) Order 1989 and refers to a new Document entitled “Science in the National Curriculum (1991)”. The Order provides for the attainment targets and programmes of study set out in the Document to have effect for the four key stages of a pupil’s compulsory schooling. The number of attainment targets described in the Document is reduced from the number described in the previous Document.

In the fourth key stage, the school may offer the pupil the option of following either Double Science (formerly known as Model A) or Single Science (formerly known as Model B). The attainment targets in Single Science cover a narrower range of science knowledge, skills and understanding than that presented for Double Science.

The Document sets out ten levels in respect of attainment targets to cover the full range of abilities and maturities of pupils of compulsory school age; the Order accordingly specifies as part of each attainment target the appropriate range of attainment levels for each 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.

(1)

1988 c. 40.

(2)

Minor drafting amendments have been made to articles 1, 8 and 9.

(3)

ISBN 0 11 270786 6.

(4)

S.I. 1989/309.