Youth-Led Shadow Curriculum and Assessment Review: Young People Are Calling For An End To SATs and Fewer GCSE Exams
A youth-led shadow Curriculum and Assessment Review has today (8 July) published its final report, outlining the changes that young people want to see in the new curriculum and assessments, including an end to SATs and fewer GCSE exams. Launched in November 2024 in response to the Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review, this Shadow review was chaired by NUS UK President Amira Campbell and provided a channel through which young people could share their perspectives on what is and is not working in education, and what change they wanted to see.
The final report, which comes ahead of the official Review’s conclusion this Autumn, has found that young people want curriculum reform to focus on the following 4 areas:
- Building skills and relevance to life
- Assessments, mental health and wellbeing
- Climate, sustainability and citizenship education
- Creating a more equitable and inclusive education
To help make these improvements, the report offers strong, specific, and well-evidenced recommendations for the official review. Alongside an end to SATs and fewer GCSE exams, these include:
- Introducing more “life skills” such as financial literacy and content that prepare young people to thrive in their futures.
- Introducing a national youth wellbeing measurement programme.
- Integrating solutions-centred climate change and sustainability content across all subjects and key stages.
- Making the assessment system more adaptable to support students’ needs as they arise and may shift over time.
This Shadow review involved several young panellists nominated by leading youth organisations, including The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, I have a voice, NUS, The Scout Association, SOS-UK, UK Youth, Young Citizens, National Youth Agency, The National Neurodiversity Youth Council, and Save the Children UK. Together, these organisations represent the voices of 7.5 million children and young people.
The process mirrored the official Review’s key milestones, gathering the views of thousands of children and young people through a call for evidence, school assemblies, and focus groups. These initial findings were published in an interim report in February 2025, after which the Shadow review ran a national roadshow and hosted four high-level expert roundtables with more than 50 representatives from the third-sector, academia, and policy, who helped to inform the final recommendations. The Youth Shadow Panel have had constructive and positive engagement with the official Panel, having met with members, including its Chair Professor Becky Fracis, several times.
The final report will be launched today at an event in Parliament, where MPs, Peers, civil servants, policymakers, young people, and those working in the education sector will have the opportunity to understand and engage with these recommendations, which the Shadow review hopes will be absorbed into the Government’s final report.
Lord Jim Knight, Labour Peer and former Minister for Schools and Learning, said: “This Shadow review is a clear call for change from young people who want an education system that prepares them for modern society and the challenges and opportunities within it. The current curriculum is failing future generations by inadequately addressing important topics such as climate change and media literacy – that’s why Labour is committed to reforming it.
“Students want and deserve a more inclusive, relevant, and skills-focused education. The Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review is an unmissable opportunity to make the changes young people are calling for – we must seize it.”
Toby Perkins MP, Labour MP for Chesterfield and Staveley, said: “Young people are calling out for an education fit for the future. Among this report’s suite of wide-ranging and insightful recommendations are calls to integrate climate education, connection to nature, and citizenship skills into the curriculum. Young people should be equipped with an understanding of, and skills to take action on, some of the greatest challenges that society faces.
“The Curriculum and Assessment Review and Department for Education would be wise to heed the voice of young people whose commitment to these future careers will be crucial to meet our environmental target. Change cannot happen until we get everyone on side and what better way to do that than by directly listening to young people?”
Nadia Whittome MP, Labour MP for Nottingham East, said: “The Shadow Curriculum and Assessment Review puts forward bold, thoughtful and robust recommendations that centre student wellbeing, relevance to life, sustainability, citizenship and equity. At a time when schools are underfunded, teachers are overstretched, and the curriculum is overloaded, the Youth Shadow Panel offer a vision for how we can transform education to better meet the needs for all young people, whilst supporting teachers.
“I urge the Curriculum and Assessment Review to take these recommendations seriously, ensuring education better supports young people to develop their passions and broaden their horizons.”
Amira Campbell, President of the NUS and Chair of the Shadow Curriculum and Assessment Review, said: “Young people are the ones living the realities of the current education system, we know what works and what doesn’t. This final report brings together youth voices calling for an education system that is inclusive, relevant, and focused on supportive, empowering learning, rather than emphasis on grading and ranking.
“Our recommendations are not asking for the impossible, they offer practical steps toward an education system that prepares us to thrive, not just survive. We hope the recommendations will be well-received by the Curriculum and Assessment Review panel members and that this leads to the meaningful inclusion of children and young people in future education policy decisions.”
Responding to the Youth Shadow Review, Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), said: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) welcomes the Shadow Review Panel’s recommendations and its essential work to ensuring that young people’s voices are heard on an issue that directly impacts them.
“The recommendations echo our own calls for an enriched curriculum that gives all young people the opportunity to develop essential life skills, resilience and independence, alongside core academic qualifications. We particularly welcome-the recommendationto establish an enrichment guarantee together along with a dedicated enrichment fund that ensures all young people, regardless of needs or background, can access high quality enrichment opportunities. We urge the Curriculum and Assessment Review to listen to young people and adopt the Shadow Youth Panel’s recommendations and we call on the Department for Education to implement them.”
Talia Hardie, Youth Panellist for the Shadow Curriculum and Assessment Review, said: “Through my work on the Youth Shadow Panel, I’ve spoken with students across the country and the message is clear: the curriculum must evolve. Young people are calling for an education that speaks to their realities, from the climate crisis to rising inequality.
“This report offers a thoughtful and practical roadmap for embedding sustainability across the curriculum as a core part of how and what we learn. I encourage the CAR panel to take seriously the recommendations put forward.”
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