Also, foreign languages have now been compulsory in the secondary school curriculum since 1992 and the literacy strategy means primary school children are now more familiar with the rules of grammar.

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The group adds that the draft curriculum does not mention reproduction again until the end of primary school when the guidance for teaching 10 and 11-year-olds says "they should find out about different types of reproduction, including sexual and asexual reproduction in plants, and sexual reproduction in animals".

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Mr Gove also complained about teaching materials for primary school children published by the Historical Association, a group which has criticised his curriculum plans.

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But a spokesperson said it was vital to get the basics right in primary schools and to make the curriculum relevant to older, non-academic secondary school pupils.

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Schools are considered to be falling short if fewer than 60% of pupils reach Level 4 in their national curriculum tests, known as Sats, taken at the end of primary school.

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As a free school, Pimlico Primary, which will have 420 pupils by 2019, will follow a curriculum which follows the principles of US academic, ED Hirsch.

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State schools will still have to teach national curriculum subjects, but not the detailed programmes of study, except for the last two years of primary school.

BBC: Education & Family