At this year’s Conservative Party Conference, the Education Policy Institute has partnered with AQA to hold a public panel on: ‘The Curriculum and Assessment Review: Would subtracting content add value to maths?’
In a world of rapid technological change, being secure in foundational subjects such as maths remains pivotal. Millions of adults in England have low numeracy skills – a number that’s been stubbornly high for a long time. Indeed, the OECD has estimated that 10 million people in the UK are financially illiterate, and that the UK ranks in the bottom half of OECD countries when it comes to financial literacy. These present key challenges for the Curriculum and Assessment Review as it finalises its response.
On a practical level, the consensus is that the curriculum is currently too overcrowded. Children are often rushed through content without developing proper knowledge of fundamental topics. In their evidence submission to the Review, AQA proposed reducing the amount of content in maths without reducing standards, however, it also recognised that there is more that can be done to equip young people with ‘real life numeracy skills’ through a numeracy qualification that would sit alongside Maths GCSE.
As part of the Review, support for learners who do not achieve the required standard in maths at GCSE is also being considered, to ensure they do so by age 18. The Review’s interim findings highlighted that the quality of provision is currently highly varied for this group, which includes a disproportionate number of young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Come along to this panel to hear from policymakers, school leaders and education stakeholders who will consider what is needed from the curriculum and assessment system to raise standards and ensure every child is supported to excel in their maths education and what the impact might be if content is reduced . The panel will also consider what more is needed from education policy to deliver the ‘real world’ maths everyone needs to succeed in adult life.
Speakers will be announced in due course.
** Note: This event will take place in the conference secure zone. To access the secure zone you will need to obtain a pass directly from the Conservative Party.**
