Curriculum and Assessment Review Calls for High Standards

• Recommendations for a 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 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: 

• Refreshes each national curriculum subject area, applying principles to ensure each is ambitious, up to date, well sequenced, clear and balances depth and breadth. 
• Improves attention to key areas of applied knowledge and skill, including digital and financial literacy, a greater focus on media literacy skills that help young people guard against misinformation, and greater attention to climate science. The Review also recommends a stronger focus on young people’s speaking skills so that they can communicate with confidence. 
• As part of this, Citizenship should be made mandatory in primary schools, to ensure important content including financial literacy, digital literacy, and tackling misinformation, is taught to every child. 
• Takes steps to support children’s writing, includingre-focusing the primary schooling test of grammar, punctuation and spellingon successful practical application rather than children having to memorise grammar constructs such as fronted adverbials.  
• Introduces new diagnostic tests of key elements of Maths and English to be taken during Year 8 to support teachers to identify and address students’ needs well ahead of them starting GCSEs. 
• Introduces an entitlement for all young people to be able to study Triple Science – currently only 13% of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds take Triple Science, compared to 28% of those not disadvantaged. Yet Triple Science is shown to be an important gateway to further study of STEM. 
• Reduce the overall volume of exams that students take at 16 by at least 10%. The DfE should work with Ofqual to determine, subject by subject, where reductions in the number or length of exam papers can be introduced whilst retaining the same level of confidence in grading. 
• Removes the EBacc performance measure to address constraints on pupil choice, especially the arts and vocational subjects, whilst retaining Progress 8 to ensure that all young people access a broad and balanced curriculum. 
• Introduces V Levels to sit alongside A Level and T Levels. V Levels should have employer, further/higher education credibility and be designed for longevity. V Levels should be regulated by Ofqual, and content should be linked to occupational standards at a broad, sector level.  
• Improves the success rates for English and Maths at post-16 for those not securing a Grade 4 or above. At present, a majority make no grade progress. The Review recommends introducing new level 1 stepped qualifications for Maths and English Language at 16-19 for the lowest attainers, so that students can make progress towards achieving level 2 in these GCSEs during 16-19 study. A one-year qualification, they should put students in a strong position to be successful in resitting the GCSE the following year.  
• Builds greater accessibility into the design of qualifications, including the new V Levels. Consideration should also be given to the accessibility of the Phonics Screening Check and Multiplication Tables Check in primary school so that children with SEND are able to participate in these important check points. 

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.” 

Sector Reaction

Chair of the Education Committee Helen Hayes MP said:

“I’d like to thank Professor Becky Francis and her panel for their thoughtful and evidence-based work on the Curriculum and Assessment Review. 

“The Review’s recommendations represent important reforms of the current curriculum and assessment framework, and in responding to the Review it is vital that the Government sets out how teachers, school leaders and support staff will be provided with the resources they need to implement the reforms in full, along with clear timescales for implementation. 

“I welcome the proposed changes to the curriculum which are designed to ensure access to a greater breadth of subjects including within science and the arts, and that children and young people leave school with the skills they need to succeed in the modern world, particularly the focus on citizenship, digital and media literacy, climate science, oracy and enrichment.

“The Government is working to deliver education reform through a range of different mechanisms and timescales, with the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Further Education and Skills White Paper already published, a new Ofsted framework about to be implemented and the Schools White Paper and SEND reform yet to come.  It is important that the Government establishes a clear overall vision for education and that all of the different components of reform, including the Curriculum and Assessment Review work coherently together.

“I am concerned that in a number of areas, the Government’s approach differs from Professor Francis’s independent, evidence-based recommendations, and it is important that they set out why this is the case and their own evidence that they have relied on in reaching a different conclusion.

“Finally, although the Curriculum and Assessment Review argues persuasively for additional maths and English assessments in Year 8 (Key Stage 3), the thought of sitting more tests will likely cause anxiety for some children and parents. The Government must demonstrate clearly how this would be an inclusive, diagnostic test that would purely be used by schools to identify children who could benefit from extra support – not another method of scrutinising school staff or pupils, of which there are already many.

“My committee looks forward to undertaking detailed scrutiny of the Review and the Government’s response in due course.”

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, 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.” 

David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges said: 

“This report has the tough job of making recommendations to improve the education system while not overloading it with change, which will distract teachers and lecturers from helping children and young people to succeed. 

“We all want to see every child make a successful transition to adulthood and active citizenship and ultimately to become adults with a love for and a confidence in learning, because the world they are entering is fast-changing and will require people to train and re-train across their lives. To achieve that, we need a curriculum and assessment system that motivates, inspires and engages children and young people and helps them learn relevant skills, knowledge and abilities for the modern world.

“I welcome the ambition to raise standards and broaden opportunity, particularly the renewed focus on oracy, reading, writing and maths. These are the foundations that underpin success in education, life and work, and too many young people still arrive at college at the age of 16 without the basics they need to fulfil their potential, the confidence to learn and the motivation to engage.

“The new Year 8 reading test and strengthened writing assessments are promising steps, but they must be part of a wider effort to support those who fall behind, not simply identify them. We know that the “lost years” at the start of secondary school are critical, especially for working-class young people, and we must ensure that interventions are timely, targeted and effective. Schools also need to be incentivised and resourced to help children catch up, rather than being sidelined.

“I am pleased to see the recognition of the value of enrichment and extra-curricular activity. Every young person deserves access to sport, arts, civic engagement, social action and life skills and we want to see that entitlement properly funded and embedded in 16-19 study programmes. Colleges already do a great deal in this space, often with limited resources, and this commitment must be matched by investment.

“The report has important recommendations for the government, schools and colleges. We must now all work together to improve the system and the experience for children and young people. 

“Ultimately, the only real test for the report is how quickly and how far it closes the unacceptable and unfair attainment and outcome gaps between those children from lesser and better-off backgrounds. Those gaps have been persistent and consistent at every stage of learning, and we must find ways to close them.”

Robert West, CBI Head of Education & Skills Policy, said:

“A curriculum that better reflects the skills needed in today’s and tomorrow’s workplaces – whether through stronger vocational routes, improved careers guidance, or broader life skills – is vital for ensuring young people are ready to thrive in the world of work. We look forward to working with government and educators to help shape a system that delivers for learners and the economy alike.”

Impetus CEO Susannah Hardyman MBE said:

“Disengagement from school, stagnating attainment, and chronically high rates of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) are among the most pressing challenges facing the education system today – and we’re pleased the Curriculum and Assessment Review is tackling these challenges head-on. These proposed reforms are especially critical for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, who face worse outcomes at every stage in the journey from school to work to a fulfilling life. 

“A few recommendations stand out as particularly promising: the introduction of an oracy framework, which evidence shows can boost attainment by six months and improve employment prospects, as well as the review’s emphasis on supporting the fragile primary-to-secondary transition where so many young people begin to disengage from school. If young people are not engaged in school, they cannot attain their GCSEs, especially in English and maths, which are the single greatest protective factor against becoming NEET in adulthood.  

“While there is much to celebrate in today’s announcements, we would have liked to see more on essential skills like teamwork and problem-solving. These skills were recommended by Labour’s Council of Skills Advisors, and we know that they are vital for young people to find and stay in work. With nearly a million young people currently NEET, any curriculum ‘fit for the future’ must blend both technical and essential skills as a priority.”  

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“The curriculum and assessment review has delivered on its promise of evolution rather than revolution with a sensible, evidence-based set of reforms. We’re pleased to see recommendations which will modernise the curriculum for a changing world without creating an unmanageable burden on an education workforce which is already under great strain.

“However, delivering a great curriculum also requires sufficient funding and teachers, and the government must step up to the plate and ensure that schools and colleges have the resources they need. This is not currently the case and the government only last week signalled an even tighter financial squeeze on schools in evidence to the pay review body where it made clear that it will not fund the full costs of national teacher pay awards over the next three years.

“We see that the Education Secretary has now randomly announced that a new set of enrichment benchmarks will be added to the many expectations over which schools are judged without a word about how this will be resourced. The stark reality is that many schools have had to cut back extracurricular activities because government funding is so desperately inadequate.

“We welcome the curriculum and assessment review’s recommendations to reform key stage 2 tests, scrap the English Baccalaureate performance measure, and reduce the excessive amount of time students spend sitting GCSE exams. We have called for reforms in these areas for a number of years.

“We agree with the proposed entitlement for every student to be able to study triple science. There is, however, a significant practical issue which needs to be overcome to enable all schools to be able to deliver this expectation. Many schools are struggling with severe difficulties in recruiting subject specialist science teachers. This is particularly the case in physics where postgraduate recruitment into initial teacher training is dire. We look forward to discussing with the government how we will ensure we have enough subject teachers to deliver this expectation.

“The recommendation on making citizenship mandatory in primary schools also requires careful consideration over how this would be resourced and accommodated within busy timetables.

“We welcome the review’s recommendation on proposed maths and English tests in Year 8 being diagnostic rather than a test which ends up being used as an accountability measure to judge schools. This should be something that is about helping to support young people in these vital subjects. It should not be used as yet another way to beat schools over the head.

“However, we are confused by the fact that the government has already announced plans for a mandatory Year 8 reading test before the outcome of the curriculum and assessment review, and we do not agree with its plans to share the results of these tests with Ofsted.”

Dr Sam Parrett CBE, CEO and Group Principal, London South East Colleges (part of Elevare Civic Education Group), said:

“Much is being said about the Curriculum & Assessment Review today and overall, I am feeling really encouraged by its pragmatic tone.

“As a starting point, the Ebacc headline is welcome, with the review acknowledging that breadth matters. The Ebacc has not delivered in terms of supporting schools to deliver a broad & balanced curriculum. While we know that academic foundation remains crucial, our children and young people need space to pursue creative, technical and applied routes.

“I’m pleased to see recognition of the need for greater flexibility in the curriculum to support schools and colleges with SEND reforms and the inclusion agenda. I hope this understanding will also be reflected in the inspection process, aligning with these principles.

“We see how important this flexibility is in our own special and alternative provisions, which offer a wide range of vocational subjects at KS3 and 4 – from motor vehicle and construction, to beauty and barista qualifications – alongside core academic subjects.  These options successfully support pupils into further education and fulfilling employment.

“And it is this focus on progression that is so important. As CEO of an Education Group that offers provision from EYFS through to further and higher education at all levels, I’ve argued for a long time that post-16 shouldn’t be an island – so it is great to see that this review makes it clear we are all part of a wider system and network of providers, working together to ensure that every young person can access the right pathway to adulthood and independence.

“Schools, college, universities, apprenticeships, employers…we all work in one system, not separate worlds. The key question that should always be asked, well before children and young people reach each transition point, is ‘what next?’.

“I would question, for example, whether more testing in primary school and new reading and maths tests at KS3 will, on their own, improve outcomes (and may indeed end up increasing pressure on teachers and pupils).

“However, if these reforms are to be part of genuine drive to identify pupils who have learning gaps and need additional support – and, crucially, schools are then provided with the necessary resources to address these needs and enable them to progress, then the value is much clearer.

“Curriculum reform can only succeed if it genuinely connects to progression and destinations. With the positive link in the review to the Post-16 Skills White Paper, it does feel that this is the direction of travel, which for me is a welcome step forward.

“I look forward to seeing more detail emerge and hope the sector can positively influence decisions going forward. Together we must ensure that our children and young people remain at the heart of every reform.”

Stephen Evans, chief executive of Learning and Work Institute, said:

“The Curriculum and Assessment Review is right to recognise the need for vocational pathways for 16-19 year olds alongside A and T Levels, and to keep the requirement to study English and maths up to level 2 but seek ways to make it work better. Making a success of this requires the right resources for further education, more action to expand apprenticeships which are low by international standards, and work with employers on demand for and use of skills. The Government will also need to think about the implications for adult education.”