Developing Experts introduces KS1 knowledge organisers

Developing Experts is pleased to announce that all Key Stage 1 National Curriculum units and lessons now come with knowledge organisers and tests to help teachers assess pupils’ knowledge acquisition over a series of lessons.

With Ofsted’s 2019 framework focusing on a coherently-planned curriculum focused on knowledge and skills, as well as the three I’s (Intent, Implementation and Impact) of a curriculum, we wanted to provide teachers with a way of increasing access to knowledge and assessing the extent to which children have acquired this knowledge.

Knowledge Organisers

Each national curriculum unit for Year 1 and 2 comes with a bright, vibrant knowledge organiser which could be used as a classroom display, accessed on screen or given to children as a handout.  The knowledge organisers act as a summary of some of the key facts, information and skills that children are expected to acquire during the unit of work.  Typically, each knowledge organiser will contain a list of keywords, snappy scientific facts and images / diagrams to help children visualise and remember the information.

Knowledge Tests

Each knowledge organiser has a test linked to it, which can be taken at the end of a unit as a whole, or tasks broken up throughout the lesson series.  These have purposely been designed on Microsoft Word, so that teachers can adapt them for the children they teach if they wish to.  The tests challenge children on the information displayed on the organiser, as well as other taught information given during the lesson presentations.  

The tests have been designed with children in mind, with bright colours, pictures and space for children to write and draw on them.  There are marks suggested for each test too, whereby different percentages are equivalent to the grading system on our platform.

0 - 29% - Working Below

30 - 54% - Working Towards

55 - 79% - Expected Standard

80% + - Greater Depth

Paul Usher, Chief Content Officer said: “Developing Experts core aim is for teachers, tutors and parents to be able to teach science with confidence and ease.  The new knowledge organisers and tests are another feature added to our suite of resources to help save teachers time, and provide them with another excellent teaching resource.”

Over the next three months, we will be creating knowledge organisers and tests for Key Stage 2 and 3 units, and all will be ready and in place before the 2019/20 academic year.