Statutory guidance

National curriculum in England: primary curriculum

The national curriculum primary programmes of study and attainment targets for key stages 1 and 2.

Applies to England

Documents

National curriculum: primary curriculum

National curriculum: primary curriculum

Details

The statutory primary national curriculum, including programmes of study and attainment targets, for all subjects at key stages 1 and 2. Languages are only statutory at key stage 2.

These must be taught in all local-authority-maintained primary schools in England.

The statutory primary national curriculum is issued by law, which means you must follow it unless there is a good reason not to.

Schools are not required by law to teach the example content in [square brackets] or the content indicated as being ‘non-statutory’.

The individual programmes of study for key stages 1 and 2 are also available for each subject.

Further information about the pre-2014 primary curriculum is available on the National Archives.

Updates to this page

Published 11 September 2013
Last updated 6 May 2015 + show all updates
  1. Updated document - amended information about light in primary science, page 159.

  2. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page