Life at school

2. Curriculum

The statutory curriculum for maintained schools includes:

  • The National Curriculum (ages 5-16)
  • Religious education (ages 5-18)
  • Sex education (ages 11-18)

The National Curriculum

The current National Curriculum is set out in:

Further information is available on the Department for Education website (2014 National Curriculum).

Religious education

Religious education is compulsory for all pupils registered in maintained schools up to the age of 18.

Maintained schools must follow their locally agreed syllabus. Maintained schools must also provide a daily act of collective worship that should be broadly Christian, unless the school has been granted a determination to conduct collective worship of another faith.

Sex education

Sex and relationships education is compulsory for all pupils registered in maintained secondary schools.

Maintained schools should have regard to Department for Education guidance when providing sex and relationship guidance:

Primary schools do not have to teach sex and relationships education, but must have a policy on whether to do so.

Publishing school information online

Maintained schools must publish curriculum and other information on their websites as follows, as set out on the Legislation website.

Academies and the National Curriculum

Academies do not have to teach the National Curriculum. However, they must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, mathematics, science and religious education.

They do not have to follow the locally agreed syllabus for religious education but can devise their own.

They must also provide a daily act of collective worship that should be broadly Christian unless the school has been granted a determination to conduct collective worship of another faith.

Testing and assessment

All schools must also comply with statutory duties on testing and assessment, as set out on the Department for Education website.