Morning, Monday, 28th April 2025
Online
This conference will consider next steps for the school curriculum and assessment in England, following the recent publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review interim report commissioned by the DfE.
Delegates will discuss how to move forward in key focus areas identified in the CAR, including ensuring high standards for all, responding to social and technological change, and pathways beyond GCSE with smooth routes to further training and employment. They will also look at how subject-specific challenges can be addressed so that the curriculum is consistently achieving depth and breadth, including issues in English and mathematics resits, writing assessments, science relevance, digital skills integration, and narrowing of the curriculum.
Discussion will look ahead to the next stage of the Review, which the interim report confirms will examine the volume of content taught at primary level, whether the EBacc is serving its purpose, and scope for cutting the amount of assessment at Key Stage 4 and GCSE whilst maintaining the current number of subjects studied at GCSE.
CAR and inspections
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess the state of the current curriculum following concerns raised in the interim report, considering whether it is meeting the needs of students and providers, and looking at the way forward for improvement, in the context of the ongoing CAR. The conference also takes place with reform to the school inspection system announced by the Secretary of State, with the aim of strengthening accountability and accelerating school improvement, and as Ofsted consults on the introduction of new school reports to replace single word judgements, alongside wider inspection reform.
Vocational and technical education
Delegates will also consider the Review in the context of the Government’s growth agenda, looking at how to ensure the curriculum is fit for future skills needs, with the interim report confirming that the second part of the Review will look at how the curriculum can keep pace with developments such as AI. The agenda will bring out latest thinking on placing an increasing focus on vocational and technical education in addition to incorporating communication, organisation and problem-solving skills to aid progression to employment.
Reform and implementation
We also expect delegates to explore next steps for fostering innovation and creativity in the curriculum, alongside future curriculum content and its breadth, with concerns from some that the current curriculum is overloaded and too narrow in scope. Those attending will look at priorities for ensuring effective implementation of the revised national curriculum in all state schools following the Review’s completion. Discussion is also expected to draw on feedback from stakeholders on priorities for the review in further areas such as embedding technology and essential digital skills into the curriculum, the role of AI in assessment, and key considerations for digital literacy.
There will also be discussion on the future volume of assessment at Key Stage 4 and GCSE, as the Review’s next stage conducts a subject by subject review of assessment volume whilst maintaining trust in the reliability of results.
Diversity, inclusion and staff support
Further sessions will focus on accessibility, equity and creating a curriculum which reflects the diversity of society and the issues it faces, ensuring all children and young people are represented. Delegates will also consider approaches to tackling existing barriers to progress and ensuring the assessment system captures the full strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of curriculum, as well as preventing undue burden on education staff, and supporting sustainable workloads.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Jon Hutchinson, Director, Teacher Development and Curriculum, Reach Foundation; and Member, Curriculum and Assessment Review Group; and Jill Duffy, Chief Executive, OCR.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- current curriculum:
- establishing its strengths and weaknesses - assessing existing qualification pathways and the way forward - supporting teachers to implement changes
- priorities for the Curriculum and Assessment Review and findings from the interim report:
- addressing existing barriers to progress and outcomes - establishing a strong foundation in core subjects of reading, writing and maths
- next steps to broaden the curriculum - embedding digital, oracy, sustainability and life skills - widening access to music, art, drama, sport and vocational education
- ensuring all young people are represented with a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of society - enabling access to the curriculum
- developing an assessment system tailored to all children and the breadth of curriculum - mitigating burden on education staff - potential cut to assessment volume at KS4
- assessing longer-term aims of the Review:
- ensuring equity and improving positive outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and students with SEND
- developing optimal structure and content of full-time vocational programmes at ages 16-19 - continuing to align with the needs of FE, HE and the labour market
- improving the coherence and flexibility of qualification pathways - building student trust in the curriculum and positive outcomes
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DfE; IfATE; DSIT; Ofsted; HoC Library; IPO; HMCTS; and the Welsh Government.
