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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.

Lit in Colour campaign

Penguin, in collaboration with The Runnymede Trust, has launched a new campaign called Lit in Colour to explore ways it can support schools with making the teaching and learning of English literature more inclusive. The project aims to help increase students' access to more books by writers of colour and those from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Campaign aims:

Commission research from The Runnymede Trust to better understand the scale of the issue and the barriers and make practical recommendations for change. You can access a full description of the research.
Offer long-term support for schools by providing tools, resources, training, book donations and author involvement to equip and empower teachers and students to make changes.
Develop alliances with experts and organisations already fighting for education reform.

External Advisory Board

NAHT is a member of the Lit in Colour External Advisory Board, represented by NAHT's president Ruth Davies. The Board aims to provide insight, thoughts and experiences and to help shape the campaign proposals and work.

Latest updates

The Lit in Colour campaign has published new free teaching resources for a range of texts for KS3 to KS5, including resources on poetry, non-fiction and fiction for KS3, resources for KS4 that support student's exam practice and a KS5 resource for English Language that develops students critical thinking and discussion skills. All resources include an extract of the selected text, videos of the author reading the extract aloud and/or talking about the text, and interactive activities. They can be downloaded for free here.

Penguin Talks is a programme of free, creative talks for young people, giving them the opportunity to both hear from, and directly question, a world-renowned thinker, writer or influential figure from the Penguin family of authors. The aim of Penguin Talks is to help equip young people for the future by introducing a new generation of readers to new ideas and perspectives, and broadening their understanding of issues that speakers feel to be particularly prevalent for this generation. You can apply to host a talk in your own school , and the full library of previous talks is available to watch online.

There are a few places left on World of Stories, a programme to equip schools with the books, materials, training and resources they need to champion reading for pleasure across the whole school, and reinvigorate their school libraries and reading spaces. If your school is based in one of our target regions, you may be eligible to take part this year – find out more and express interest in applying.

A free webinar is being held on Wednesday 30 March to support primary and secondary teachers, and library staff, to further understand the different ways they can support readers when accessing problematic texts from their collections. Participants will explore a range of methods to promote anti-racism through a study of literature and contribute to a discussion about the role that schools and libraries can play in prompting meaningful conversations about race and prejudice – find out more and sign up.

You can also access the ‘Lit in Colour’ campaign’s list of ‘Best new children's books by Black authors and illustrators'.

The full research report from Penguin Random House and the Runnymede Trust sets out the state of diversity in literature teaching from KS2 to KS5 in England. A shorter summary of the key findings from the report is also available here.

Resources

As part of the campaign, Penguin is releasing a range of free resources for all age groups. These resources will be aimed both at the English literature and language curriculum, and also to support reading for pleasure and extracurricular activity.

You can sign up for the Lit in Colour newsletter. The newsletter will share news about the campaign as well as opportunities to access practical support from Penguin, including future book donations and free teaching resources, as well as opportunities to share your views.

First published 17 May 2021

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