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Curriculum, assessment and qualifications

NAHT is working to ensure that the curriculum supports the learning, progress and success of all pupils. NAHT supports the principle that a broad and balanced curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

NAHT is campaigning to:

Support schools to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for their pupils

Challenge the government policy, including EBacc, which may narrow the curriculum
Enable and support schools to successfully deliver statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education
Lobby for improvements to government policy which supports schools to deliver inclusive education and fulfil their responsibilities under the public sector equality duty
Support schools to deliver effective careers education for all pupils
Support schools to deliver high-quality Religious Education to all pupils
Provide guidance, materials and information to support schools in educating pupils about environmental issues.

Ensure a valid and proportionate approach to statutory assessment in primary schools

Lobby the government to reconsider the introduction of the multiplication tables check
Lobby the government to ensure changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage and Early Learning Goals are appropriate and relevant for the early years sector
Influence the development and implementation of the reception baseline assessment
Support members to implement the new statutory assessment for pupils with SEND
Identify and challenge the STA over any impact on members of the contract change to deliver statutory assessment in the primary phase
Engage with the STA to influence changes and improvements to statutory assessment including moderation and maladministration
Campaign for KS2 SPAG to be made non-statutory and oppose any additional statutory testing in the primary phase

Ensure the KS4 and KS5 qualification framework and examination system is fit for purpose

Press the government, Ofqual and exam boards to ensure that reformed qualifications, both academic and vocational, meet the needs of all pupils and schools
Explore the issue of grade reliability, identifying solutions and improvements which are supported by members and pressing the government and Ofqual for appropriate action
Inform members of the latest developments in secondary assessment through engagement with Ofqual, JCQ and awarding organisations.

Latest information and updates from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)

Latest information and updates from JCQ

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) is a membership organisation comprising the seven largest providers of qualifications in the UK offering GCSE, A level and vocationally related qualifications: AQA, CCEA, City & Guilds, Edexcel, OCR, SQA and WJEC.

JCQ undertakes a wide range of activities, such as the publishing of national GCSE and A level results in August; handling enquiries from examination officers; and publishing advice, guidance and regulations on delivering examinations, including the following:

Access arrangements, reasonable adjustments, and special consideration guidance and forms
Key exam dates and timetables
Malpractice guidance and declaration forms
Past GCE and GCSE examination papers
Post-results services.

NAHT meets with the JCQ regularly along with other unions and professional associations, and the JCQ awarding organisations.

To keep up to date with any new guidance, research or information published by JCQ, sign up to their newsletter here.

Exams and awarding qualifications in summer 2022

The government has announced that exams will go ahead in summer 2022 with a number of mitigations to account for lost learning. If exams are cancelled, qualifications will be awarded through collecting evidence to form a grade.

JCQ has published guidance on how to use advanced information for the summer 2022 exam series. Advanced information will be published no later than 7 February 2022.
JCQ has published an FAQ document related to the DfE and Ofqual's guidance on contingencies for the summer 2022 series.

VTQs in 2022

JCQ has published a guide to the special consideration process for both General and Vocational Qualifications.
Both OCR and Pearson have set out guidance on how to manage January exams, including what to do if a student is unable to attend. You can find the guidance from OCR here, and the guidance from Pearson here.

For information and guidance from specific awarding organisations please see their respective websites:

First published 22 February 2022

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