National Curriculum Review out

[noblegiraffe]

Recommendations by subject here:
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/curriculum-review-recommendations-by-subject

More general policy recommendations here:
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/curriculum-review-all-the-key-policy-recommendations/

Including ditching the EBacc measure and reducing volume of GCSE assessment time by 10% (good) but not bringing back a bunch of coursework (also good).

Annoyingly "Introduce diagnostic assessment for key components of maths and English to be taken during year 8 to support teachers to address students’ needs and ensure that they are well prepared to progress into key stage 4 (FYI, this is on top of the year 8 reading test the government has already pledged to introduce)
Commission the design and trialling of the test, with a view to making it mandatory if the pilots demonstrate that this is an effective approach"

God knows what that would look like in maths. An end of Y8 exam like we already do?

Biggest concern as primary is adding another subject (citizenship) without reducing any of the existing curriculum. Obviously more detail to come but we could really do with a slimmed down
curriculum that sets children up far better for ks3 and I just can’t see that coming as a result.

So much seems to be focused on improving perception for parents - curriculum choices and ofsted, rather than for schools and the pupils experiences. Something just doesn’t feel right and this priority concerns me.

Also find this statement about ks1 assessments concerning… Ensures that the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) works with DfE to refine the current non-statutory maths test at key stage 1 to reflect any updates to the maths curriculum. Alongside this, the DfE should consider ways in which it can encourage more schools to use it.

why do we need to encourage schools to use something we have only just removed?!

Completely agree, they've forgotten the actual child again.