Our Submission to the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s Call for Evidence
Earlier this autumn, the Government launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, led by Professor Becky Francis. The review aims to examine the current National Curriculum and identify areas for change to ‘ensure the curriculum balances ambition, excellence, relevance, flexibility, and inclusivity for all children and young people.’ It also seeks to ensure that all young people leave compulsory education ready for life and work.
To share our insights and expertise, we submitted a response to the Call for Evidence, outlining our views—supported by evidence—on the changes needed to the National Curriculum. We consulted a range of educators from schools and colleges within our network, as well as our Youth Council, and drew on our data, research, and external reports.
The key improvements to the curriculum that we hope to see are:
- Careers education, including work experience, embedded within and throughout the statutory curriculum.
- All subjects should link learning to careers, demonstrating how knowledge and skills taught apply to life, work, and potential career and qualification pathways.
- Careers, employability, and life skills and knowledge should be taught within subjects (e.g., CV and application writing, interview and presentation skills in English; financial management, pay, and tax in mathematics).
- The curriculum must offer opportunities for pupils to reflect on, and engage in, their career development, helping them understand their talents, explore opportunities, and identify the skills needed to achieve their aspirations.
- The curriculum should reset the balance between skills and knowledge, with students applying the knowledge they have learned to skill practice and understand how these skills apply to life and work (e.g., problem-solving, teamwork).
- All young people must have genuine access to a range of subjects and pathways.
In our submission, we also raised concerns about work experience being excluded from the review’s scope. This omission overlooks a key element of the review’s purpose: ensuring the curriculum prepares children and young people for life and work after compulsory education. Work experience should be embedded within comprehensive careers provision as a vital component of the educational offer. Moreover, to create a fairer education system, work experience is an essential tool for narrowing the disadvantage gap.
High-quality careers provision must not be left to chance. All young people should be entitled to careers education as part of a broad, balanced curriculum that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for further education, training, and employment. We are pleased that a review is taking place; we hope our evidence is carefully considered and that any changes to the curriculum lead to meaningful improvements, offering every young person fair life chances.
Read our full submission to the Call for Evidence here.
Written by Nina Charalambous, Senior Policy Advisor
