Entitlement to attainment: tensions in the National Numeracy Strategy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This article examines models of entitlement that are being encouraged through the implementation of the English National Numeracy Strategy in relation to models presented in earlier policy documents. The argument is developed that the rhetoric has moved from entitlement as access to an appropriate curriculum, through entitlement to equality of teaching experience, towards entitlement to equality of learning outcome. However, we argue that in practice models of entitlement that were differentiated as a result of perceived differences in pupils have not been replaced with models of entitlement to outcomes, but merely that later models have overlaid earlier ones. This is made evident by the mixed messages that schools and teachers are exposed to and the variety of strategies adopted in schools. We suggest this places teachers in a situation of tension: on the one hand trying to ensure all pupils reach a standard level of attainment and on the other still trying to differentiate the curriculum to meet perceived individual needs.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: