Hello everyone!
It's been quite the week in the world of education policy, and while you’ve been busy navigating school runs and homework, the government has dropped a Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report that could reshape your child’s entire school experience. Now, I know official reports can be drier than a two-day-old sponge cake, so let's cut through the jargon and look at what this all means for your kids.
But just before that, I have a new book! Have you ever been asked to help with your child's English homework and just drawn a blank? Do you struggle to define fronted adverbials, expanded noun phrases and non-restrictive clauses? This is the book for you! I've taken the ENTIRE Primary school writing curriculum and broken it down into step-by-step explanations, complete with real-world examples and even practise exercise suggestions. It's everything you need to keep up with the demands of your child's school work, and it's on sale now for less than a tenner!
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Okay, that's that out of the way, on with this week's important messages!The overall feeling from the Education Secretary is clear: the system needs an upgrade to better prepare our children for the modern world. It’s about raising standards for everyone without holding back the high achievers.
The Core Curriculum Overhaul
The biggest takeaway is a renewed focus on what are called the "strong foundations": reading, writing, and maths. This isn't entirely new, but the push is serious, as evidenced by a mandatory reading test for all 13-year-olds.
Why the new test? To ensure struggling children "don’t fall through the cracks". It's essentially an early warning system to catch pupils before they fall too far behind, helping teachers target support where it's needed most.
Beyond the basics, the curriculum is aiming for a much broader skill set:
Digital Skills, Financial and Media Literacy: Moving beyond traditional subjects to prepare children for everyday modern life.
Oracy: A greater focus on speaking and listening skills.
Science & Tech: Schools will be expected to work towards offering triple science GCSE to all students, and the government is exploring a new qualification in data science and AI for older pupils.
For the first time, the curriculum itself will be fully digital, showing how different topics connect across subjects. Think of it as a virtual map of learning!
Music, Sport, and Drama: An "Essential" Entitlement
For any parent who worries about the arts and physical education getting squeezed out by academic pressures, this part is encouraging: the report sets out an enrichment entitlement for every child.
The government explicitly states that access to music, sport, art, and drama is "essential," not just a "nice-to-have". Why? Because the evidence shows that engagement in extra-curricular activities boosts academic success and helps build vital life skills for the jobs of tomorrow.
This includes efforts to revitalise arts education and help protect PE time.
This is fantastic news because, as an old friend once told me after I'd tried to ban them, school plays, trips, and non-academic pursuits are incredibly important for a child's confidence, teamwork, and psychological well-being.
Assessment: Rigour and Balance
While the rigour of exams remains, the government is committed to reducing the total exam time at GCSE. They're also adjusting how they measure a school’s performance to balance a "strong academic core with breadth and choice". Crucially, the EBacc performance measures will be removed.
The goal is to create a curriculum that works for all pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND).
What Happens Now?
While change is coming, it won't be immediate. Teachers will have time to familiarise themselves with the new curriculum before teaching it. They’ll be supported with a range of free resources:
Optional digital resources via Oak National Academy.
Support through new RISE English and maths hubs.
New CPD programmes and National Centre for Arts and Music Education and PE and sports partnerships.
This renewed curriculum will rely on the "expertise and creativity" of the teaching staff. If you have questions or want to know more, the Education Secretary is hosting a live online event on Wednesday, November 12, at 4:15 pm.
Ultimately, this report signals a strategic shift. We should see our children engaging with a broader, more future-focused, and hopefully, more inspiring curriculum.
Until next time, take care of yourself; check in on your friends; and remember: you can do this. You're awesome!
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