The National Curriculum for England sets out a clear, full and statutory entitlement to learning for all pupils up to the age of 16. It determines the content of what will be taught and sets attainment targets for learning. It also determines how performance will be assessed and reported. While this is not in any way statutory in other countries other than England, the quality of the curriculum and the learning experiences make this a curriculum that is valued and respected world-wide.

An effective curriculum gives teachers, pupils, parents, employers and the wider community a clear and shared understanding of the skills and knowledge that young people will gain at school. The National Curriculum of England is regularly reviewed to ensure that it continues to meet the changing needs of pupils and society.

For each subject and for each key stage, programmes of study set out what pupils should be taught, and attainment targets set out the expected standards of pupils' performance. It is for schools to choose how they organise their school curriculum to include the programmes of study.

The programmes of study set out what pupils should be taught in each subject at each key stage, and provide the basis for planning schemes of work. The national frameworks for teaching literacy and mathematics published by the DfES, and the exemplar schemes of work jointly published by the DfES and QCA, show how the programmes of study and the attainment targets can be translated into practical, manageable teaching plans.