In response to the news that the Department for Education is launching its wide-ranging Curriculum and Assessment Review, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, NAHT said:

“NAHT welcome the government’s confirmation that it will be launching a formal review of curriculum and assessment in schools. We congratulate Becky Francis on her appointment as chair and look forward to being closely involved in the review process.

“We are pleased to see they are committed to properly engaging with the profession as part of this work. This is a refreshing change from the approach of the previous government which consistently failed to engage and involve those expected to deliver their policies.

“It is now a decade since the current national curriculum was launched and the world has changed a great deal in that period.  It is time to review how well it now meets the needs of children and young people and where improvements can be made.

“One of the most important tasks for the review will be to identify where curriculum content can be reduced. We have long argued that the current curriculum, including qualification specifications at KS4 and 5, is simply too full and there is insufficient lesson time to cover all of that content.  This is an ideal opportunity to see where it can be made more manageable and so support the improvement of teaching and learning, as well as the enjoyment and engagement of pupils in their learning. What is certainly true is that new content cannot be added unless existing content is removed.

“School leaders are clear that reform of the statutory assessment system is required. It does not meet the needs of pupils, parents or schools and is simply an expensive accountability tool for government. We would strongly urge the review to start by looking to reduce the number of statutory assessments in primary schools.

“Similarly, the current qualification system does not meet the needs of all learners and the aim of the review should be to ensure that all students have the opportunity to access and achieve meaningful qualifications across a full range of academic and vocational subjects using a variety of assessment methods.

“NAHT have clear ideas and solutions on these that we look forward to contributing to the review.

“By considering both curriculum and assessment, this review has an extremely ambitious remit, and it will be important that a holistic view is taken with careful consideration of how any changes will impact schools, balancing the need for reform with consideration for the demands such changes will place on schools and school leaders.”