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Pupils should sit fewer GCSE exams and Michael Gove’s English baccalaureate faces being scrapped under plans to be recommended in Labour’s long-awaited curriculum review.
An interim report published on Tuesday outlining the review’s initial findings indicated Sats and other primary school assessments would survive, despite widespread objections from parents and teachers.
It will, however, recommend greater diversity and inclusion across the curriculum so all children can see themselves reflected in textbooks and lesson materials, and a new emphasis on digital and media literacy, sustainability and climate science, to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
The expert panel is also considering an increased focus on applied knowledge and skills, including finance and budgeting, employment and interview skills, problem-solving projects and public speaking, in response to demands from parents and children.
The review of the national curriculum and assessment of state schools in England was announced by the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, soon after Labour’s general election victory last summer and is at the cornerstone of the party’s education reforms. A call for evidence attracted 7,000 responses and a final report will make recommendations to ministers in the autumn.
While broadly positive about current high academic standards and the “knowledge-rich” curriculum, the review, led by Prof Becky Francis, warned the system was “not working well for all”, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs.
Phillipson said: “I welcome the important progress Becky Francis and her expert review are making to drive forward work to take the curriculum into the modern era and help deliver on the government’s plan for change.
“That means keeping what’s working and evolving what’s not. The report is clear on the importance of primary school assessment, which [is] simply non-negotiable if we are going to keep pushing standards up for every child and close the attainment gap.”
On GCSEs, the review panel says it will now look at ways of reducing the overall volume of assessment in response to concerns about the stress caused and its impact on pupils’ wellbeing, without compromising the reliability of results.
Students in England typically sit between 24 and 31 exams at the end of secondary school, which is comparable to Singapore but far in excess of most other high-performing countries.
The report will also address concerns that the volume of content in GCSEs can lead to “teaching to the test”, but there will be no reduction in the number of subjects pupils study. The panel is concerned about maths and English GCSE resits, which frequently lead to repeated failures, and it is considering “other pathways”.
Responding to the interim report, the shadow education secretary, Laura Trott, said the “soft bigotry of low expectations is back” and warned that qualifications would be “less rigorous and less credible”.
On the Ebacc – a suite of highly academic GCSE subjects introduced in 2010 by Gove when he was education secretary as a key part of school performance measures – the review was concerned that it constrained student choice and limited their access to vocational and arts subjects.
“The intention behind the Ebacc to improve access to a comprehensive, academic curriculum for all should be acknowledged, but as the review progresses, we will also consider whether this remains the most effective means of achieving this objective,” the report said.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said: “NAHT are pleased that the negative impact of the Ebacc, the excessive volume of assessment from GCSEs, the ineffective resit policy and the need for a range of vocational and technical qualifications post 16 are all acknowledged and will be subject to further exploration.”
He added however that school leaders would be disappointed by the lack of plans to reduce Sats tests for pupils.
