How you use this book will depend on whether you are a parent, educator or a teacher. For teachers, you may be looking for new resources for a familiar subject, or as an educator or parent, you may need materials to support home learning. Materials that bring learning to life. Firstly, there is nothing stopping you just diving into the alphabetical list (I would) but if you prefer a more considered approach there are some guiding resources below.

Equipping yourself with what your child is likely to study for each subject is essential. For this the Oak National Academy (https://teachers.thenational.academy) has the most accessible, easy to use and understandable curriculum for each subject. You can browse by subject or by key stage. In addition, it includes the following specialist lessons: Communication and Language; Creative Arts; Early Development and Learning; Independent Living; Numeracy; Physical Development and Therapies. It is an excellent resource and would be a suitable starting point for anyone embarking on home learning.

If your child is at school, you may want to understand what your child is being taught in the classroom. For a detailed overview of the National Curriculum visit: www.gov.uk/national-curriculum. It is important to realise that the school curriculum includes both the National Curriculum and religious and sex education. The National Curriculum is defined as a set of subjects and standards used within both primary and secondary schools with the aim that all children learn the same things. However, academies and independent schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum. For academies, the aim is to teach ‘a broad and balanced’ curriculum including English, Maths and Science, along with Religious Education. It is also important to realise that the National Curriculum has variations across the four nations – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These will be covered below.

National Curriculum in England

For the National Curriculum in England, children are organised into the following key stages, i.e., year groups, with an end of year assessment by the teacher.

To find what is included in the curriculum by key stages and the programmes of study for each subject, visit: www.gov.uk/government/collections/nationalcurriculum.