Advice to England's primary schools on how to timetable different areas of the curriculum will not be published before next term at the earliest.

The guidelines from the curriculum quango - already long overdue - were supposed to have come out in "early summer".

BBC News Online has learnt that they are still being "actively worked on" - but will not appear before September, according to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

The revelation comes amid renewed speculation that a further review of the primary school curriculum is necessary, due to the way the recent focus on "the three Rs" has squeezed out other subjects.

Denial

The head of the schools inspectorate, Ofsted, said in his annual report that only one school in five was still able to provide a curriculum "which is broad, exciting and challenges pupils across the full range of national expectations".

The time taken by the daily numeracy and literacy lessons had led to subjects such as geography, history, the arts and practical subjects such as design and technology being squeezed.

A government committee is looking at ways the curriculum could be improved.

But officials at the Department for Education say this does not mean there are plans to move the focus away from the three Rs.

A spokeswoman said: "There are no plans to overhaul the national curriculum.

"The department are always looking to see if policies can be improved.

Where will the next Benjamin Brittain or David Puttnam come from?

Mike Moore, ATL teachers' union

"It would be irresponsible if we didn't."

Teachers' unions say the curriculum should be broader.

Mike Moore, of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said: "The national curriculum, when first introduced, quite rightly concentrated teachers' minds on literacy and numeracy, but it was at the expense of the other vital parts of a student's education.

"Unless teachers are given the chance to teach a fully enriched curriculum where will the next Benjamin Brittain or David Puttnam come from?

"Presently there is little chance for pupils to experience the creative and inventive activities that do not appear within the strict confines of the national curriculum.

"What teachers really want is to be able to make education fun and enjoyable," he said.

A spokesperson for the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said the national curriculum was overloaded.

"Literacy and numeracy take up so much of the day that all other subjects are being squeezed," she said.

"There should be a reduction in the number of subjects or in the content of subjects.

"There is no time to build on children's own interests."