At this year’s Labour Party Conference, the Education Policy Institute has partnered with AQA to hold a public panel on: ‘Evolution not revolution? The next steps for curriculum and assessment’
The Curriculum and Assessment Review presents an important opportunity to not just reform education policy but to also reduce subject content and the number of exam papers, creating more space in the curriculum. Over 7,000 responses were submitted to the review team, including from young people and parents, educators and experts, as well as employers and wider organisations with an interest in what is taught in our schools. As the review team completes its analysis of the key themes, and in advance of the final report at the end of this year, this panel will discuss and debate the proposed evolutionary approach, as well as the challenges and opportunities it brings.
In their evidence submission for the Review AQA, alongside others, suggested the current curriculum is overcrowded, leaving less room for creative subjects. England has one of the narrowest curricula in the world, and AQA has advocated for reduced specialisation for A-level students to avoid these limitations. Other debates on the potential trade-offs that the Curriculum and Assessment Review must navigate include breadth versus depth, the role of the EBacc and skills versus knowledge.
Teachers have also remarked that exams have become an endurance test for pupils, who often must complete over 30 in two to three weeks. Exams are important for assessing academic performance efficiently, fairly and reliably. However, reducing the number of exams and the amount of curriculum content would create room for schools, colleges and exam centres to teach different types of qualifications, such as on-demand digital assessments and extended project qualifications.
This timely panel will bring together policymakers, education leaders and sector experts to consider the consensus and future challenges posed by these reforms. Panellists will debate what is needed to balance the curriculum and assessment system and the potential trade-offs that could be considered in order to achieve it.
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 Labour Party.**
