ABSTRACT
MUCH OF THIS CHAPTER and the next repeats the Level 2 book literacy and numeracy chapters with some tweaking for consideration by a Level 3 candidate. Both English and mathematics are fundamental to all that pupils need to do in school and for an adult to function in today’s world. They are needed in order to understand and function in most other areas of the curriculum. Even practical and performance areas need them in order to attain the higher levels. Both subjects have been under the spotlight for the last ten years with the publication and dissemination of the strategy materials into schools. The aim has been to raise the standards of literacy and numeracy which were considered very low once national tests became the norm. The NC attainment target levels at Level 4 are considered the basic minimum need, and many children were not attaining that. So, national strategies were launched based on the known evidence for best practice. You need to know how these are interpreted in your school. The strategies have raised standards but there is still work to do. All the materials mentioned in this chapter unless separately referenced are available on the strategies website www.nationalstrategiescpd.org.uk or www.standards.dfes.gov.uk. The Primary Framework is predominantly web-based and both TAs and teachers need to be competent and confident in their use of the computer and the internet and in particular to be able to navigate the Primary Framework site.
