The annual curriculum and assessment review was led by Prof Becky Francis who was asked by the government to look at the Primary, Secondary and aged 16-19 stages in England. It heard more than 7,000 responses from the public, with evidence considered by an expert panel appointed by Francis, leading to the publication of its 197-page report.
The main recommendations include:
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1. Shorten gcses
The length of GCSE exams should be reduced by 10%, which could shave around three hours for each student. The review found evidence that England was an international outlier in the “excessive” length and number of exams, and argued that the exams were useless.
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2. Slim Down GCSE content
Individual GCSE subject content should be separated, particularly in history and science, to give students more time for Mandatory subjects such as PEs, CITIZENSHIP AND ADVATIONS.
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3. Scrap the English baccalaureate suite
The English Baccalaureate Suite of GCSE subjects introduced by Michael Gove, designed to get students into eight main academic or vocational subjects, should be different. The measure has long been opposed by arts and creative educators.
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4. More focused on social diversity
Strong representation should be made of “the diversity that makes up our modern society, allowing more children to see themselves in the curriculum”.
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5. Expand again
Religious education should be part of the national curriculum at all stages, taking its content out of the hands of local advisory councils. The review heard evidence that provision in many schools is “poor and does not prepare future students for life beyond school”.
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6. New Diagnostic Tests in Mathematics and English
A new diagnostic test in mathematics and English to support teachers in identifying gaps in the knowledge of students in year 8 should be introduced, to ensure that students who are successful are supported successfully. However, teaching unions oppose such a move, and the government recently proposed its own national reading tests to take place in year 8.
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7. Classes of Citizenship Citizensess
The government should introduce a measure of law to ensure that all children are taught citizenship classes in Primary School, which should include elements of financial and media literacy and climate sustainability.
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8. Review Primary Teaching and Testing
Grammar teaching and testing in Primary school should be reviewed to determine what content is fully covered in order to implement grammar.
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9. Apply computing science gcse
The current computing science gcse should be replaced by a broader computing GCSE that prepares young people “for data in digital technology”, including the use of artificial intelligence.
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10. Allow students to take ‘Triple Science’ at GCSE
The government should introduce an entitlement that allows any student to take “triple science” of individual biology, physics and chemistry courses at GCSE, rather than double science.