📢 Government Response: Curriculum and Assessment Review 📢

I am writing to inform you about the publication of the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review - Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report - GOV.UK . The report includes recommendations for reform to the curriculum and assessment system, including on:

• refreshing programmes of study for each curriculum subject,
• raising standards in oracy, reading, writing and maths from the early years and into secondary,
• preparing young people for life and careers in a changing world, and
• delivering high standards for all.

The government has responded to the report Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report: government response - GOV.UK welcoming the Review’s recommendations, thanking Professor Francis and the Panel for their work and confirming how it intends to take forward the reforms.

The executive summary of the government response provides an overview of the changes we will make – including that:

• We will create a world leading curriculum – that raises the floor for all without adding any limit to ambition or achievement. We will revitalise arts education as part of the reformed national curriculum and through high-quality support for teachers of these subjects. We will explore a new languages qualification which banks progress and motivates pupils to continue studying and reap the benefits of learning a language. This will complement existing GCSEs and A levels.
• We will deliver high standards for all – including pupils who are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, those with special educational needs or disabilities, and the most able pupils who need more stretch. We will give every child rock solid foundations in oracy, reading, writing and maths, and an improved key stage 3 that re-engages pupils and prevents their learning from stagnating in the early years of secondary school.
• We will prepare young people for life and careers in a changing world – embedding vital applied knowledge and skills in financial, media and digital literacy in the revised curriculum, and improving climate and sustainability education. We will also make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2 and will explore a new level 3 qualification in data science and AI.
• We will improve assessment, accountability and performance measures – at primary, we will improve the assessment of writing at key stage 2 so that it has a greater focus on fluent writing. At secondary we will retain the rigour of exams whilst reducing the amount of time spent in them. We will also consult on an improved version of Progress 8 that balances a strong academic core with breadth and remove the EBacc performance measure, which has hampered progress in subjects which strengthen our economy and society including the arts.
• We are determined that every child has access to a wide range of enriching activities that broaden their horizons, stretch their abilities and build wider skills - setting out a new core enrichment offer for every pupil, which delivers access to civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life skills.
• We will support our teachers to be ready for the new curriculum – providing high-quality, free digital resources through Oak National Academy, and curriculum support, including through our RISE English and maths hubs, our CPD programmes for computing, physics and languages, a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education and new PE and Sports partnerships.
• We will deliver the reforms to post-16 skills in our recent Skills White Paper – consulting on a new English and maths preparation for GCSE level 1 qualifications to consolidate students’ skills and knowledge before GCSE. We will also consult on how to streamline the confusing landscape of hundreds of qualifications at 16-19 and replace it with a clearer offer of level 2 qualifications and a simple framework of A levels, T Levels and V Levels at level 3 to give academic, technical and vocational options that are high quality and respected.

Work is now underway to deliver a new curriculum and assessment system that is ambitious for every child, rich in knowledge and strong on skills. Working closely with the sector, we are working towards a first teaching of the new curriculum from September 2028 and a phased approach to new GCSE teaching from September 2029. Proposals will be consulted on from 2026, to ensure we are capturing the important views from those most impacted.

We have a valuable opportunity to refresh the PE curriculum and clearly define its role within the broader school curriculum. In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing the anticipated timelines and key milestones for designing, drafting, consulting on, and implementing this new-look PE curriculum. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with you soon to move this exciting work forward.

Statement on Dance recommendations