Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy Syllabus

Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy in Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   The National Curriculum and Statutory Framework

   5 topics

   • Structure of the National Curriculum and the four key stages
     • Core and foundation subjects
     • EYFS Statutory Framework and the prime and specific areas
   • Programmes of study and attainment expectations
   • The Early Years Foundation Stage and the Early Learning Goals
   • Statutory assessment points: phonics screening, end of KS2, GCSE
   • Academy freedoms and the broad and balanced curriculum
2. 2

   Subject and Curriculum Knowledge

   4 topics

   • Secure subject knowledge and addressing gaps in own knowledge
   • Pedagogical content knowledge: how to teach a subject effectively
   • Sequencing the curriculum to build cumulatively over time
     • Identifying powerful knowledge and core concepts
     • Logical ordering of components toward composite outcomes
   • Promoting the value of scholarship and a love of the subject
3. 3

   Literacy, Reading and Oracy Across the Curriculum

   5 topics

   • Systematic synthetic phonics and the teaching of early reading
   • Developing reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary
   • Disciplinary and subject-specific literacy
   • Promoting high-quality talk and academic oracy
   • Modelling high standards of spoken and written English
4. 4

   Curriculum Planning and Lesson Design

   5 topics

   • Long-, medium- and short-term planning
   • Specifying clear learning intentions and success criteria
   • Activating prior knowledge and structured exposition
     • Clear explanations and modelling
     • Effective questioning to deepen and check understanding
   • Guided and independent practice
   • Selecting and using high-quality teaching resources

Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy flashcards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

21 of 50 cards from the Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the four key stages of the English National Curriculum and which year groups and ages do they cover?

   Key Stage 1 = Years 1–2 (ages 5–7); Key Stage 2 = Years 3–6 (ages 7–11); Key Stage 3 = Years 7–9 (ages 11–14); Key Stage 4 = Years 10–11 (ages 14–16).

2. Which subjects make up the National Curriculum 'core' subjects, and what are they at every key stage?

   The three core subjects are English, Mathematics and Science. They are compulsory at all four key stages.

3. Distinguish between 'core' and 'foundation' subjects in the National Curriculum.

   Core subjects (English, Maths, Science) carry the greatest statutory weight and are taught at all key stages. Foundation subjects (e.g. art and design, computing, design and technology, geography, history, languages, music, PE, citizenship) are also statutory but at specified key stages.

4. What is a 'programme of study' in the National Curriculum?

   A programme of study sets out the statutory matters, skills and processes (the subject content) that must be taught in each subject at each key stage.

5. What replaced National Curriculum levels for reporting attainment after the 2014 curriculum reforms?

   Levels were abolished; schools now report against age-related 'attainment targets' / end-of-key-stage expectations, with each school designing its own assessment system to show whether pupils meet expected standards.

6. What does an 'attainment target' specify in the current National Curriculum?

   It states that, by the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

7. What is the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and which age range does it cover?

   The EYFS is the statutory framework setting standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to age 5 (to the end of the Reception year).

8. List the three prime areas of learning in the EYFS.

   Communication and language; Physical development; and Personal, social and emotional development.

9. List the four specific areas of learning in the EYFS.

   Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the world; and Expressive arts and design.

10. What are the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) in the EYFS?

    The ELGs define the level of development children are expected to have attained by the end of the Reception year (end of EYFS), across the seven areas of learning.

11. What is the EYFS Profile and when is it completed?

    A statutory summative assessment completed in the final term of the year in which a child turns 5 (end of Reception), judging each child against the Early Learning Goals as 'expected' or 'emerging'.

12. What is the Phonics Screening Check, who takes it, and when?

    A short statutory assessment of decoding using synthetic phonics, taken by pupils at the end of Year 1 (age 6); pupils who do not meet the threshold re-take it in Year 2.

13. Roughly how many words are in the Phonics Screening Check and what is special about some of them?

    It contains 40 words: a mix of real words and pseudo-words ('alien'/nonsense words) designed to test decoding skill rather than memory of known vocabulary.

14. What statutory assessments occur at the end of Key Stage 2?

    National Curriculum tests (SATs) in English reading, English grammar/punctuation/spelling, and Mathematics, plus a teacher assessment of writing, taken in Year 6.

15. What does GCSE stand for and at what point is it taken?

    General Certificate of Secondary Education; the main statutory qualification taken at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11, age 16).

16. What grading scale replaced A*–G for reformed GCSEs in England, and which is highest?

    A numerical 9–1 scale, where 9 is the highest grade and 1 the lowest; grade 4 is a 'standard pass' and grade 5 a 'strong pass'.

17. What freedoms do academies have regarding the National Curriculum?

    Academies and free schools are not legally required to follow the National Curriculum, but must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, maths, science and religious education.

18. What is meant by a 'broad and balanced' curriculum?

    A curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life, covering a wide range of subjects without narrowing prematurely.

19. Why is secure subject knowledge considered essential for effective teaching?

    Teachers with deep, accurate subject knowledge can explain ideas clearly, anticipate misconceptions, ask probing questions, choose strong examples and respond flexibly to pupils' difficulties.

20. What should a teacher do upon identifying gaps in their own subject knowledge?

    Proactively address them through subject reading, subject-specific CPD, working with subject experts/mentors, and studying high-quality curriculum materials before teaching the content.

21. Define 'pedagogical content knowledge' (PCK), a term coined by Lee Shulman.

    The blend of subject knowledge and pedagogy: knowing how to represent and formulate a specific subject so it is comprehensible to learners, including the best analogies, examples, explanations and awareness of common misconceptions.

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