Can children be disapplied from subjects of the National Curriculum if the school is unable to secure a specialist teacher?
No. The National Curriculum emphasises inclusion, aiming to secure learner participation and ensure appropriate opportunities for them to achieve. It is expected that the full National Curriculum will be taught to all registered pupils except where the headteacher has made the decision to disapply based on a pupils individual needs, or for the purposes of curriculum experiment. Does the headteacher need to get permission from the Department to disapply a child? Disapplications under sections 91-93 of the Education Act 2002 do not require the headteacher to obtain permission from the Department. However, disapplication under section 90 requires the submission of an application to the Secretary of State. Full details can be obtained from the guidance document Disapplication of the National Curriculum (Revised) (DfES/00224-2006BKT-EN).
