Curriculum and assessment review calls for high standards for all children
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Recommendations for modernised, world-class curriculum, the first
changes in over a decade Proposals include a triple science
entitlement and lessons to build financial literacy and tackle
misinformation The Curriculum and Assessment
Review final report to be published on Wednesday 5
November recommends that the government foreground high
standards for all children in
a refreshed and...Request free
trial
The Curriculum and Assessment Review final report to be published on Wednesday 5 November recommends that the government foreground high standards for all children in a refreshed and modernised national curriculum that will equip young people for successful learning and successful future lives. Led by Professor Becky Francis CBE, the year-long review has culminated in a wide-ranging, detailed report, covering the primary, secondary and 16-19 phases. The Review was informed by extensive evidence, including over 7,000 responses from the public, with the evidence sifted and considered by an expert panel appointed by Professor Francis. The Review is clear that a focus on standards and a knowledge-rich curriculum should continue to be at the heart of the national curriculum, building on the hard-won successes of the last quarter of a century. The Review cautions that a high-quality curriculum should be available to all young people and that, to date, students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with additional needs have often been left behind. The new curriculum must ensure high standards and a broad and balanced curriculum for all young people. With the national curriculum last reviewed more than a decade ago, the Review's recommendations bring the curriculum up to date and attend to knowledge and skills that set young people up for future success. That includes bringing in new content focused on financial, digital and media literacy, oracy, climate change and sustainability. These provide critical knowledge and skills that young people need to navigate and thrive in the modern world. The Review also highlights the importance of time in the school curriculum beyond the national curriculum so that schools can deliver enrichment such as performances, sports, work experience and skills that bring the curriculum to life and develop young people's confidence. Amongst the specific recommendations are that the Government:
Professor Becky Francis CBE, Chair of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, said: “The national curriculum is enormously important – for young people, and for the nation. The Curriculum and Assessment Review has been an opportunity to bring our curriculum up to date, and to build on what is presently working well while fixing what isn't. It is underpinned by a huge volume of research and data analysis, and public input, including from school leaders, teachers, young people and their families, for which I am very grateful. “Ou recommendations have sought to ensure that high standards extend to all young people irrespective of background, and that barriers to opportunity are removed. My hope is that the recommendations contained in this report will take us a step closer towards ensuring that every young person has access to an excellent education by building a world-class curriculum and assessment system for all.” Sir Jon Coles, CEO of United Learning, said: “Today's Curriculum and Assessment Review provides the model for all future reviews of the national curriculum. It is a serious, evidence-based evaluation which is clear about what is working well and clear about what can be improved. Its judgements are based firmly on what will improve the education of children and young people in practice. "The Review rightly emphasises the critical importance of high standards for all in a knowledge-based curriculum and rightly emphasises the importance of a broad and balanced curriculum for all. It does not make the mistake of thinking that the national curriculum is a silver bullet which can solve every issue, but also sets out how improvements to the curriculum will contribute to improvements in the school system and to young people's preparedness for an unpredictable future. "I am pleased that the Review emphasises that the national curriculum should be a core entitlement for young people, not the whole of the school curriculum. That idea – that there are some things all children should know and understand, but that there should also be space for schools to tailor their curriculum to the needs of their community – was always a central goal of the national curriculum, but one that has never previously been achieved. "Implemented well, this Review will be an important contribution to improving education in England.” Becks Boomer-Clark, CEO of Lift Schools, said: “The Curriculum and Assessment Review has managed to get the balance right: clear ambition, professional trust, and sensible intent. Its recognition of a core entitlement for every child, with its roots firmly grounded in knowledge and high standards, combined with the freedom for teachers and schools to adapt and extend learning is both thoughtful and practical. The emphasis on equity and inclusion is especially welcome. This is an important step towards addressing the engagement challenges that many schools are facing.” Jason Elsom, Chief Executive of Parentkind, the UK's largest parent charity, said: “Parents want high standards that open doors, not high stakes that close them. This review keeps rigour at the centre and modernises the curriculum. It builds the skills children need as AI and robotics reshape how we learn, work and live. “Change is accelerating, and I welcome its plan to tackle the harms of social media and AI. Done well, it will help pupils judge information, create responsibly, and escape the technological prisons that trap too many children. It is knowledge rich, modern, and fair, and it gives every child the power to flourish amid unprecedented change.” Martin Lewis, MoneySavingExpert.com founder, who funded the first curriculum-mapped financial education textbook (via Young Money charity) and sent 400,000 copies to UK schools, said: “I've been campaigning to get financial education in all schools since 2012. We live in one of the world's most competitive consumer economies – firms spend billions on advertising, marketing and teaching staff to sell, yet we get no buyers' training. Instead, our children are sent out into a world of scams, dodgy deals and debt, without the tools to cope. "While financial education is already on the secondary school curriculum, in many it isn't compulsory, and only one in three pupils remember getting it – even though it's the single biggest subject pupils request to be taught, and the one most parents ask for. This review importantly recommends financial education must be significantly strengthened within Citizenship (and financial numeracy taught in maths) in secondary schools, and for the first time included in primary schools' curriculum too. Citizenship is a compulsory part of England's national curriculum, and the key to all this is soon all state schools will have to follow that curriculum. “Of course, even if the Government fully enacts this review, as is expected, the detail will matter. Intention's nowt without proper implementation – teacher training, resources for schools and enthusiasm. Yet right now, after all these years, I'll settle for cheering a big intention to improve things.” Notes to Editors
The Review was chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Additional members are:
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