How to research relevant curriculum and qualification standards

To ensure your teaching is effective and relevant, you must base it on the official standards for your subject. For academic subjects like GCSEs or A-Levels, this means going directly to the websites of the main exam boards—such as AQA, Pearson Edexcel, and OCR—to find their official 'specifications'. For younger children, you should consult the National Curriculum on the GOV.UK website. This research is the foundation of credible and successful teaching.

Where to Find the Right Information

Your first step is to identify the correct curriculum or qualification that your target learners are following. The source of this information depends entirely on the age and stage of your students.

• Primary and Secondary School (up to Year 9): The National Curriculum for England is your starting point. You can find this on the GOV.UK website. It outlines the topics and skills children are expected to learn in each subject at each Key Stage.

• GCSE and A-Level Students: You need to focus on the exam board specifications. It’s vital to know which board your student is studying with, as the content and exam styles can differ significantly. The main boards in the UK are:

  • AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance)
  • Pearson Edexcel
  • OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations)
  • WJEC (including Eduqas in England)

• Vocational or Adult Skills: If you're teaching a practical skill like coding, digital marketing, or a trade, look for the standards set by professional bodies or major awarding organisations like City & Guilds or for qualifications like BTECs (which are run by Pearson).

What to Look For in the Documents

When you find a specification document (they are usually free PDF downloads from the exam board’s website), don't be intimidated by its length. Focus on finding these key sections:

1. Subject Content: This is the list of topics you need to cover. It’s your core syllabus and the framework for your lesson planning.

2. Assessment Objectives (AOs): This is crucial for exam success. The AOs tell you exactly how students are marked. For example, AO1 might be 'recall knowledge', while AO2 is 'analyse and evaluate'. Understanding the weighting of these objectives is key to helping students get top marks.

3. Past Papers and Mark Schemes: These are the most valuable resources you can find. They show you exactly what examiners are looking for and provide perfect examples to use with your students to practice exam technique.

A Quick Tip

Start by asking your students (or their parents) which exam board they are studying with. This saves you from having to learn all of them at once. Most schools tend to stick to one or two boards for each subject, so you will quickly become familiar with the most common ones in your area.