Article 7 Attainment targets, programmes of study and assessment arrangements

Northern Ireland

(1)

The Department may by order specify—

(a)

in relation to a listed contributory subject—

(i)

such attainment targets; and

(ii)

such programmes of study,

as it considers appropriate for that subject; and

(b)

in relation to a compulsory contributory subject in which pupils are required under Article 6(3) to be assessed, such assessment arrangements as it considers appropriate for that subject.

F1(2)

It shall be the duty of the Department so to exercise the powers conferred by paragraph (1) as—

(a)

to set in place as soon as is practicableF2 in relation to key stages 1, 2 and 3

(i)

attainment targets and programmes of study in relation to all the compulsory contributory subjects;

(ii)

assessment arrangements in relation to all the compulsory contributory subjects in which pupils are required under Article 6(3) to be assessed;

(aa)

to set in place as soon as is practicable in relation to key stage 4—

(i)

programmes of study in relation to all the compulsory contributory subjects;

(ii)

assessment arrangements in relation to all the compulsory contributory subjects in which pupils are required under Article 6(3) to be assessed;

(b)

to revise any existing attainment targets, programmes of study or assessment arrangements whenever it considers it necessary or appropriate to do so.

(3)

In this Part—

(a)

“attainment targets” means the knowledge, skills and understanding which pupils of diﬀerent abilities and maturities are expected to have by the end of each key stage;

(b)

“programmes of study” means the matters, skills and processes which are required to be taught to pupils of diﬀerent abilities and maturities during each key stage;

(c)

“assessment arrangements”

(i)

in relation to subjects taught to pupils in key stage 1,2 or 3, means the arrangements for assessing pupils at or near the end of each key stage for the purpose of ascertaining what they have achieved in relation to the attainment targets for that key stage;

(ii)

in relation to subjects taught to pupils in key stage 4, means the arrangements for assessing pupils at or near the end of key stage 4 for the purpose of ascertaining what they have achieved in that key stage.

(4)

An order made under paragraph (1) may not require—

(a)

that any particular period or periods of time should be allocated during any key stage to the teaching of any programme of study or any matter, skill or process forming part of it; or

(b)

that provision of any particular kind should be made in school timetables for the periods to be allocated to such teaching during any such stage.

F3(5)

An order under paragraph (1)(a) may, instead of containing the provisions to be made, refer to provisions in a document published as specified in the order and direct that those provisions are to have effect or, as the case may be, are to have effect as amended by the order.

F4(6)

An order under paragraph (1)(b) may, instead of containing the provision to be made, refer to provisions in an approved document and direct that those provisions are to have effect or, as the case may be, are to have effect as amended by the order.

(7)

In paragraph (6) “approved document” means a document which has been—

(a)

prepared by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment ( “the Council”);

(b)

approved by the Department; and

(c)

published by the Council.

(8)

It shall be the duty of the Council to send to the Board of Governors of every grant-aided school which appears to the Council to be affected a copy of every document published by it under paragraph (7)(c).

(9)

An order under paragraph (1)(b) may impose such duties on the Boards of Governors and principals of grant-aided schools as appear to the Department to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of implementing the assessment arrangements specified by the order.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: prosp.insertion by 1993 NI 12
F2: 1996 NI 1
F3: 1998 NI 13
F4: 1998 NI 13

Notes on Part III

Textual amendments

F1: Pt. III repealed (1.8.2006) by Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1915 (N.I. 11)), arts. 1(2), 44(2), Sch. 3 Pt. 1