1. Currriculum mutabilis

"What is official is incontestable. It undercuts the
problematical world and sell us life at a discount"

Christopher Fry ‘The Lady's Not For Burning’

Mathematics is long-lived - the results of Pythagoras, Zeno, and Euclid are as true today as they were 2500 years ago but the National Curriculum for Mathematics has proved to have a high mutation rate in its short life. W S Gilbert assures us that 'official pronouncements are invariably correct' but in this case it is not always clear in mathematical terms exactly what they mean. Taken literally they demand in places far more than could reasonably be expected of most 7-11 year olds.

These notes were written at various times over the last few years primarily for the author's benefit in an attempt to clarify the implications and intentions in some of the topics. They cover more ground, of course, than could be used directly in KS2 teaching but may provide useful background information for teachers who have not specialised in mathematics.

A tendency for pupils to regress in their understanding of Science and Mathematics during Key Stage 3 has been noted and gives rise to some concern. This may be partly due to a shortage of specialist teachers but a contributory factor is the cumulative effects of misconceptions and errors acquired during Key Stage 2 as the scope of their studies widens. Flawed concepts absorbed at an early age can become so deeply embedded as to make their subsequent diagnosis and correction difficult. It is important for future development that the simplification of material to make it accessible to pupils does not leave such errors and misconceptions, and teachers need some understanding of the wider implications even though these will not be used directly in class.

1. Use and application		4. Space and shape
2. Number		5. Data handling
3. Number representation		6. Measure