All maintained schools must follow the National Curriculum. If you're a special school, find out more about how curriculum requirements apply to your setting.
Key Stage 3 (KS3) requirements
Pupils in KS3 are expected to learn these core and foundation subjects (click the links to see the programmes of study):
Core subjects
Foundation subjects
- Art and design
- Citizenship
- Computing (there's also DfE guidance on teaching online safety within this and other subjects)
- Design and technology
- Modern foreign languages
- Geography
- History
- Music
- Physical education (PE)
Key Stage 4 (KS4) requirements
Pupils in KS4 are expected to learn the core subjects listed above, along with:
- Citizenship
- Computing
- PE
(Click the relevant links above to see the programmes of study.)
The rest of the curriculum is broken into 4 entitlement areas which are not compulsory after the age of 14. However, all pupils have a statutory entitlement to be able to study a subject in each area.
The arts (comprising art and design, music, dance, drama and media arts) Design and
