TO BE PUBLISHED May 2025
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This conference will consider next steps for the school curriculum in England, following the expected publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review interim report.
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess the state of the current curriculum and whether it is meeting the needs of students and providers, looking at the way forward for improvement, taking place in the context of the ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review. It also takes place with reform to the school accountability system recently 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 report cards to replace single word judgements, alongside wider inspection reform.
Delegates will also consider the Review in the context of the Government’s growth agenda, assessing how to ensure the curriculum is fit for future skills needs, and discussing latest thinking on placing an increasing focus on vocational and technical education.
We also expect delegates to explore next steps for fostering innovation and creativity in the curriculum, with a focus on priorities for ensuring effective implementation of the national curriculum in all state schools following the Review’s completion.
Further sessions will focus on accessibility and equity, including creating a curriculum which reflects the diversity of society and the issues it faces, ensuring all children and young people are represented in the curriculum. 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.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, areas for discussion include:
- current curriculum: establishing its strengths and weaknesses - assessing existing qualification pathways and the way forward
- priorities for the Curriculum and Assessment Review and findings from the interim report:
- establishing a strong foundation in core subjects of reading, writing and maths
- steps to broaden the curriculum and widening access to music, art, drama, sport and vocational education
- embedding digital, oracy and life skills into the curriculum
- 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 that captures the strengths of all children and the breadth of curriculum - preventing undue burden on education staff - supporting sustainable workloads
- 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 labour market needs and delivering positive outcomes for learners
- improving the coherence and flexibility of qualification pathways
