England's curriculum is set to undergo a significant transformation, shifting focus from exams to life skills and enrichment activities. The review, led by Prof. Becky Francis, aims to reduce the emphasis on exams and increase time for creative pursuits like plays, sports, and work experience. This shift is part of a broader effort to address the overwhelming content in the national curriculum, which is currently squeezing out essential life skills and enrichment activities. The review also calls for a reduction in the total length of GCSE exams and the course content of subjects like history and the sciences.
The government has indicated its support for several recommendations, including ending the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and revising Year 6 Sats to focus on more meaningful content. However, there is confusion and concern among school leaders regarding the acceptance of other proposals. For instance, the review suggests diagnostic tests in Year 8, but the government has already announced a new national reading test for the same year. This discrepancy highlights the challenges in aligning the curriculum with government policies.
The Department for Education's response also includes new proposals, such as 'enrichment benchmarks' that require schools to offer a wide range of activities, including civic engagement, arts, nature, sports, and life skills. These benchmarks will be inspected by Ofsted and advertised to parents through a new 'school profiles' service. Additionally, the department is exploring a new language qualification to complement existing GCSEs and A-levels.
Despite these changes, concerns remain about the adequate resourcing of schools to implement these new expectations. Many schools have already cut back on extracurricular activities due to insufficient funding. The government's commitment to climate change and sustainability in the curriculum, along with the introduction of citizenship classes in primary schools, is seen as a positive step. However, critics argue that these changes may compromise academic standards and social mobility, potentially leading to a weaker understanding of history and languages among students.
