The national curriculum is the starting point for planning a school curriculum that meets the specific needs of new arrivals.

One of the four main purposes of the national curriculum is to establish pupils’ entitlement ‘irrespective of social background, culture, race, gender, differences in ability and disabilities’.

Meeting the needs of all pupils is one of the greatest challenges facing schools.

‘Some of these pupils experience barriers to learning as a result of their ethnicity, social group, race or culture. Research has proved that children from lower socio-economic backgrounds and/or specific ethnic and social groups are more likely to underachieve at school. This may lead to disaffection, low self-esteem, marginalisation by others and, in some cases, formal exclusion from school’ (Transforming secondary education, DfES, 2001).

Inclusion is one of the four statutory general requirements of the national curriculum. The inclusion statement in the national curriculum describes schools' responsibility to provide a curriculum that meets the specific needs of individuals and groups of pupils.

To ensure their curriculum is inclusive, schools and teachers must:

• set suitable learning challenges
• respond to pupils' diverse learning needs
• overcome potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.

The new arrivals home page of this site shows how these principles are fundamental to the inclusion of pupils newly arrived from overseas.
The 'Whole-school issues', 'Teaching and learning' and 'Subjects' areas of this site offer guidance on how this might be achieved.

Developing the school curriculum

The curriculum cannot remain static. The inclusion statement promotes a flexible approach to teaching.

By responding to the changing needs of their pupils, teachers can:

• maintain high expectations for all pupils
• ensure progression in teaching and learning
• engage their pupils and demand their active participation.

The 'Modifying and adapting the curriculum area of this site provides further detailed guidance to teachers on flexible approaches.