But a leading early years practitioner and primary school head said more dramatic action than reviewing timetables was needed to revitalise Key Stages 1 and 2.
Pat Wills, national chair of Early Education, said, 'We have a wonderfully innovative Foundation Stage, and they have streamlined Key Stage 3 and introduced creative things like problem-solving. But in the middle we have Key Stages 1 and 2, which need to be made more creative and appropriate.'
Diane Rich, Early Education's chief executive, also questioned the timing of the publication of the QCA booklet, Designing and Timetabling the Primary Curriculum, which is being sent out to all 18,000 primary schools in England just as they are breaking up for the summer holidays.
The guidance is the result of collaboration with more than 50 'effective'
schools and the directors of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. It includes a range of examples of innovative practice from several schools.
A key section of the report urges schools to smooth the transition from the Foundation Stage into Key Stage 1 'by gradually establishing more formal time-tables and routines through some joint planning by reception and Year 1 teachers'.
However, Mrs Wills said, 'Lots of primary schools are having difficulty fitting the Foundation Stage with KS1. They don't dovetail together as when children reach KS1 we are already on the road to SATs.'
The QCA guidance, which was supposed to be published early last year, points out that there are no statutory time allocations for national curriculum subjects. However, the prescribed time laid down by the national strategies for literacy and numeracy means that English takes up to almost one-third (32 per cent) of the timetable and maths 21 per cent.
The guidance said English and maths are 'best taught on a daily basis and PE regularly each week. However, other subjects do not necessarily have to be taught every week, every half term, or even every term.'
