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Following The Introduction Of Sat Examinations In These Key Stages, The ...

Following the introduction of SAT examinations in these key stages, the national curriculum associates each key stage with a level of attainment similar to those used in assessing progress in SAT's (NCaction, 2007):
Levels 1 3 covered during KS1, with an attainment target of level 2.
Levels 2 5 covered during KS2 level 4.
Levels 3 7 covered during KS3 level 5/6.
It will immediately be note that there is a good deal of overlap between key stages 2 and 3. Levels 3, 4 and 5 apply to both key stages, and the attainment level target for the end of key stage 3 is the same as the top attainment level at key stage 2. This is commented on in section 2.2.
For the purposes of comparison, figure 1 shows the standards required to achieve the target attainment level in Design and Technology for each key stage. The information contained in this table is based on material quoted in NCaction (2007) from the national curriculum, and is a summary of this material. The attainment at key stage 3 is a continuation of that at key stage 2, so all of the requirements for the latter still apply to the former.
From figure 1, it is clear that the development from key stage 2 to key stage 3 anticipates the commitment of increased time and resources to DT in key stage 3. There is a focus on increasing the depth of pupils' knowledge, but also on expanding key skills work in literacy (proposing and evaluating projects) numeracy (some aspects of planning and implementation) and ICT (as a research and presentation tool). In addition, the move to key stage 3 involves encouraging individuals to take more responsibility for their own work, and allows some freedom in pupils' expression of their own opinions and views.
This mirrors the rationale behind current management strategies for the general primary secondary transition, in that the aim is to encourage personal growth and independence as well as an increase in skill levels. But how is such growth to be achieved? Nicholls and Gardner (1999) focus on this in the introduction to their book which discusses moving between key stages, and they identify three key principles. Firstly, that the transition should be continuous to prevent disruption of the learning process; secondly, that primary and secondary schools must work together to achieve this continuity and thirdly that schools must recognise the stresses that transitions impose on pupils, and take steps to minimise them as far as possible.
Figure 1: Comparison of skills needed to attain Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 target levels:
Description of Skill
Attainment at Key Stage 2
(level 4) involves:
Attainment at Key Stage 3
(level 6) involves:

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