October 2024
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This conference focused on next steps for raising attainment and standards in England’s primary and secondary schools, and the future of the school curriculum.
Delegates discussed priorities for the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review launched by the Government, which will look at key challenges to achievement for young people at each key stage, with aims to deliver a broader curriculum which provides a strong foundation in the core subjects and embeds key life skills, including for the world of work.
The review chair, Professor Becky Francis, was a keynote speaker at the seminar and it was an early opportunity to discuss priorities for the Review as work begins.
We are also pleased to be albe to include a further keynote session with Sarah Yip, analyst at the National Audit Office, with the conference taking place following NAO’s report which raised concerns over whether the DfE is achieving value for money through its funding to support the attainment of disadvantaged children in England.
The conference was also an opportunity to assess key Government proposals to improve attainment included in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, announced in the King’s Speech, and practicalities for their delivery, including the proposed introduction of free breakfast clubs in every primary school with the aim of improving attendance rates, and the commitment to ensure all schools teach the national curriculum.
Further sessions explored approaches to addressing geographical disparities in attainment and the development of targeted interventions for students most at risk of falling behind. A-level results in 2024 revealed that the attainment gap between the highest and lowest achieving regions is at its largest since 2019, alongside disparities between results in the north and south of England, despite an overall rise in top grades, with GCSE results also showing regional variations.
Delegates discussed the future role of tutoring and how to effectively target interventions to support underachieving students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, learners with SEND, and those who are disproportionately likely to struggle. How schools can best increase social contact between parents and learners and drive engagement was discussed, with measures in the Bill requiring schools to cooperate with the local authority on school admissions, SEND inclusion and place planning.
Attendees also considered pupil behaviour and absenteeism following the pandemic, looking at the role and impact so far of attendance hubs introduced by DfE last year, alongside the likely impact of proposed measures to require local authorities to maintain Children Not in School registers.
Strategies for better engaging learners were examined, looking at provision of extra-curricular activities following its recently reported positive impact on attendance and outcomes in EPI’s Annual Report 2024.
Latest thinking on best practice in identifying children most at risk of falling behind in the early years was discussed, and next steps for easing transitions to primary school. Strategies were discussed for boosting language skills for children through early language interventions, and priorities for maintaining progress in literacy and raising attainment in numeracy in key stages 1 and 2.
Looking at approaches to improving disadvantaged students’ outcomes and employment prospects, the agenda brought out views on the role of HEIs and employers in engaging with schools and FE providers to aid progression, next steps for improving attainment for GCSE retakes in English and maths, and how targeted interventions can improve social mobility for learners.
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. Those that attended include officials from DfE; HoC Library; NAO; DWP; and Department for the Economy, NI.
