Latest news with #EnglishBaccalaureate
The Independent
18-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Curriculum and assessment review to consider reducing number of GCSE exams
A review will consider reducing the 'volume of assessment' at GCSE following concerns about the pressure that exams can place on pupils. The interim report of the independent curriculum and assessment review has said it will consider whether the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) – a Government performance measure for schools in England – remains 'effective'. The review said it will ensure the curriculum is 'inclusive' so children can see themselves represented in their learning and to help challenge discrimination. The Labour Government launched a review of curriculum and assessment in schools and colleges – chaired by education expert Professor Becky Francis – just weeks after winning the general election in July. The interim report, published on Tuesday, sets out the areas of focus for its final report which will make recommendations in the autumn. It has said it will consider 'whether there are opportunities to reduce the overall volume of assessment at key stage 4 without compromising the reliability of results'. 'A frequently raised concern is the impact of an intensive, high-stakes assessment system on wellbeing, due to the pressure that exams can place on students,' the report said. The review's polling of young people found that half of those who completed their GCSE exams or assessments in summer 2024 found it difficult (41%) or very difficult (10%) to cope with stress during the exam period. The report added that there have also been concerns that exams – coupled with the volume of content needing to be covered and their use in accountability measures – can lead to 'teaching to the test' in some cases. It said pupils in England 'typically sit between 24 and 31 hours of exams' in Year 11, which is comparable with Singapore, but significantly more than other high-performing jurisdictions like Ireland (16 hours). But it has ruled out fundamentally changing the number of subjects that students study or are assessed on at GCSE. The review also suggested that the EBacc may 'constrain the choice of students, impacting their engagement and achievement, and limiting their access to, and the time available for, vocational and arts subjects.' The EBacc – a performance measure of schools which aims to ensure pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE – was introduced in 2010 under former education secretary Michael Gove. The review heard that the EBacc was one of two 'main barriers to achieving breadth and balance' at GCSE. The interim report said: 'The intention behind the EBacc to improve access to a comprehensive, academic curriculum for all should be acknowledged, but as the review progresses, we will also consider whether this remains the most effective means of achieving this objective.' It comes after education unions have called for the EBacc to be scrapped. In a speech to the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool on Saturday, Prof Francis suggested that teaching time for some subjects – including the arts, design and technology and computing and ICT – in schools had reduced during the GCSE years. But Prof Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) charity, told headteachers at the weekend that existing national assessments and qualifications – including standard assessment tests (Sats) in primary schools, GCSEs, A-levels and T-levels – were 'broadly working well'. The interim report from the review concluded that formal assessments are an 'important part' of primary school education. But it said it will examine how the assessment of writing in Year 6 'can be improved to support high and rising standards', and it will review concerns about the grammar, punctuation and spelling assessment. In September, Prof Francis launched a call for evidence on the curriculum and assessment system and the panel received more than 7,000 responses. The panel heard concerns about exam resits for pupils who did not secure a pass in their maths and English GCSEs 'being expected repeatedly and rapidly'. Students in England are currently funded to retake maths and/or English until they achieve at least a grade 4 – which is considered a 'standard pass'. The panel concluded that the funding policy is 'not yet fully delivering its intended purpose'. The review said the expectation for study of maths and English should remain, but 'with greater nuance in measures' to ensure that as many learners as possible can achieve positive outcomes. The interim report from the panel said the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and trends in digital information 'demand heightened media literacy and critical thinking', as well as digital skills. It added that global social and environmental challenges 'require attention to scientific and cultural knowledge and skills' in the curriculum that can equip students to meet the challenges of the future. Prof Francis said: 'I have learnt much from our data analysis and research, and from the fantastic response to our call for evidence. 'The review panel and I have a clear picture of the present state of the curriculum and assessment system. 'We have a deep understanding of where the key challenges lie and where our efforts to improve the system will see the best result in ensuring all young people are able to achieve and thrive. 'This evidence gives us confidence in embarking on the next stage of the review which will see us do further analysis on these issues, including subject content.' Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: 'Soft bigotry of low expectations is back. 'In moving away from examinations and towards coursework, qualifications will be less rigorous and less credible.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL, said: 'A number of important areas of focus have been identified for the next stage of the review. 'It is useful for there to be further consideration of the impact of performance measures, including the English Baccalaureate, on young people's choices and outcomes.' He added: 'Our hope is that the EBacc will be scrapped and more done to facilitate the studying of creative subjects that have suffered since its introduction.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'NAHT are pleased that the negative impact of the EBacc, the excessive volume of assessment from GCSEs,, the ineffective resit policy and the need for a range of vocational and technical qualifications post 16 are all acknowledged and will be subject to further exploration.' But he added that school leaders will be 'disappointed' by the lack of plans to reduce Sats tests for pupils. Mr Whiteman said: 'This is a missed opportunity to reduce the negative impacts, costs and resources required for phonics, the multiplication check and the grammar, punctuation and spelling tests, as well as the costs and time associated with these. 'Scrapping these unnecessary tests will not reduce standards.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bridget Phillipson tells critics to ‘leave London for a change' to see scale of schools crisis as reform row escalates
A war of words has erupted over Bridget Phillipson's school reforms, with the education secretary urging critics to 'try leaving London for a change'. Ms Phillipson said she was being attacked by Tory shadow ministers and 'their friends in the commentariat' all based in the capital, with many academies outside London struggling or failing altogether. She wrote in The Daily Telegraph: 'Opposition shadow ministers and their friends in the commentariat should try leaving London for a change: they'll find plenty of underperforming academies which need new answers to drive up standards in their classrooms.' It came after former education secretary Michael Gove and ex-Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman rounded on her over planned changes to academy schools and a review of the curriculum. Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Gove said Ms Phillipson's plans risked 'blighting the prospects of children and holding our economy back'. 'I am concerned that the emphasis on ambition and rigour in the education system will be diluted,' he said. Mr Gove added: 'Any attempt to divert and water down the commitment to excellence will be to surrender to the trade union-led war on knowledge at a time when the government at last begins to get it right on defence, welfare and health.' Labour's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill aims to ensure all state schools – academies and those run by councils – follow the same pay and conditions framework. Academies, which are independent of local authorities, currently have the freedom to set their own pay and conditions for staff, and some academies exceed the national pay scales for teachers. But the new bill would bring all teachers onto the same core pay and conditions framework, whether they work in a local authority-run school or an academy. It would also see academies forced to teach the national curriculum for the first time, while they would also lose the power to recruit teachers without qualifications. Ms Phillipson is also expected to publish an interim review of the English school curriculum on Tuesday morning, the Telegraph reported. Mr Gove said he was particularly concerned about the future of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which he introduced as education secretary so pupils would take a wide range of GCSEs including English, mathematics, science, a language and either geography or history. 'Any move away from an ambitious curriculum – particularly moving away from the EBacc – will only blight the prospects of children and hold our economy back,' he added. It came a day after Ms Spielman launched her own stinging attack on Ms Phillipson, accusing her of caring more about the interests of trade unions than schoolchildren. A government official hit back, saying Ms Spielman should 'spend less time criticising the reforms this government is bringing and more time reflecting on her failure at Ofsted and on a teaching profession that entirely lost confidence in her as chief inspector'. But Ms Spielman doubled down, saying: 'That's fascinating in itself because that's a union line.' Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World at One programme on Monday, Ms Spielman said: 'For over 20 years now we've had a steady policy of giving schools and academy chains quite significant levels of autonomy, balanced by strong accountability, and over that time it's very clear that the performance of the English system relative to others has been very strong. 'Indeed we have many people looking to us and visiting, wanting to learn from what's happened in England, to take into their own systems. 'So at just that point, to see a whole raft of initiatives – these academy provisions in this bill, the curriculum and assessment review, the review of teacher training standards, and several other initiatives – that seem to add up to a very significant reversal, without any analysis of what's been good and what's been less good.' Asked if the changes would damage children's education, she said: 'I think it's very likely they will add up to something that will – because the common thread running through seems to be they are about changes that are likely to please unions, that essentially put unions and union members ahead of children.' The National Education Union (NEU) has welcomed Labour's proposals, saying they would 'make a meaningful difference to the lives of staff and children', but has also vowed to push for more investment. A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Our landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill – alongside our new regional improvement teams and Ofsted reforms – delivers on our mission for every child to have a good, local school, will get high-quality teachers into every classroom, and [will] ensure that all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best talent.'
Telegraph
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Labour's school reforms will ‘blight the prospects of children', says Gove
Michael Gove has spearheaded a challenge against Bridget Phillipson 's school reforms, saying that they will 'blight the prospects of children and hold our economy back'. He is one of three former education secretaries to warn that the changes to academy schools and a review of the curriculum will have a devastating effect on the most disadvantaged children. Along with Sir Gavin Williamson and Nadhim Zahawi, Mr Gove warned that British pupils could fall down international education league tables, hampering the UK's ability to provide top-class students who can power the economy. The comments come after Amanda Spielman, the former Ofsted chief, accused the Education Secretary of putting the interests of unions ahead of children, in an article for The Telegraph. It also comes as Ms Phillipson is set to publish an interim review into the English school curriculum on Tuesday morning. Mr Gove said he was particularly worried about the future of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which he introduced as education secretary to prompt pupils to take a wide range of subjects at GCSE, including English, mathematics, science, a language and either geography or history. Last week Professor Becky Francis, chairwoman of the curriculum review, said she was concerned the EBacc may 'constrain choices' for secondary school pupils – suggesting it could be scrapped. But Mr Gove told The Telegraph that they had driven up the performance of the poorest students and contributed to a strong economy. 'As Rachel Reeves contemplates her spring statement, she will know that success in AI, technology and every important growing sector of the economy depends on excellence in science, technology and maths, and a relentless pursuit of academic achievement,' he said. 'Any move away from an ambitious curriculum – particularly moving away from EBacc – will only blight the prospects of children and hold our economy back.' 'The education system will be diluted' The former education secretary said any move away from EBaccs would be a surrender to a trade union-led war on knowledge. 'I am concerned that the emphasis on ambition and rigour in the education system will be diluted,' he said. 'The EBacc has helped to drive up the number of students taking rigorous scientific subjects as well as stretching academic courses in history, geography and modern languages. 'It has helped many students from disadvantaged backgrounds to go to top universities. 'Any attempt to divert and water down the commitment to excellence will be to surrender to the trade union-led war on knowledge at a time when the government at last begins to get it right on defence, welfare and health.' He said it was a 'tragedy' that the Education Secretary was taking a 'wrecking ball to education'. 'It is time for Bridget Phillipson to tell the Trotskyite leadership of trade unions that the future of poor children matters more than their ideology,' he added. Academies forced to teach the national curriculum The measures expected to be unveiled tomorrow come after the Children's and Wellbeing Bill returned to Parliament. On Tuesday the more controversial elements of the legislation, such as restricting the freedoms of academies – state-funded schools able to set their own pay and curriculum that are unpopular with some teaching unions – were unveiled. Under the proposed changes, academies will be forced to teach the national curriculum for the first time and lose their power to recruit expert teachers that do not have official qualifications, such as retired academics. Local authorities will be handed greater powers over admissions under the plans, which will also scrap the requirement for failing schools to be automatically converted into academies. Writing for The Telegraph, Ms Spielman called on the Education Secretary to abandon her plans 'before the damage is done'. 'It is hard to understand the motivation, beyond being seen to be different, though the new minister is clearly giving a great deal of time and attention to the desires and demands of unions,' she said. 'Children will be less well educated' Sir Gavin, education secretary from 2019 to 2021, said: 'Children from poorer backgrounds will be disadvantaged and we will consistently and readily fall down the league tables which is such a shame,' He continued: 'Future generations of children will be less well educated. 'If you speak to every employer, the most important thing is having a workforce which is well-trained and has the right skills. The outcome here is a less educated workforce. 'Bridget just seems intent on ignoring the evidence and progress that has been made and taking us back to the 1970s political education system against one that will deliver improvements in literacy and numeracy that benefit children from disadvantaged backgrounds.' The review was launched last year with a remit to 'refresh' what is taught in schools and 'breathe new life into our outdated curriculum'. SATs should not be abandoned Its terms of reference said the Department for Education aims to create a curriculum that reflects the 'diversities of our society' and help produce young people who 'appreciate the diversity' of Britain. It is understood the review will recommend that the primary school SAT tests should not be abandoned as Ms Francis is expected to conclude they help children's education. Mr Zahawi, education secretary from 2021 to 2022, said the proposed changes were 'heartbreaking'. 'The systematic destruction of England's now outstanding education system is being led by the Secretary of State,' he said. 'It is truly heartbreaking. The beneficiaries will be countries that will attract our best school leaders to build a great school system for them.' Former schools minister Nick Gibb said he was concerned that the curriculum review would recommend 'the soft bigotry of low expectation'. 'We need high expectations for all children regardless of background,' he said. 'We want our young people to be able to compete with school leavers from the best-performing countries in the world rather than giving in to trade unions. 'An economy like ours is continually striving to recruit the best-educated people. 'If that is damaged by a curriculum review which weakens content and standards, it will ultimately lead to business struggling to recruit the right people and that has got to have an impact on growth.'
The Independent
15-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
EBacc limiting pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, review chief says
A Government performance measure for schools in England may be 'limiting' pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, the lead of an independent review of curriculum and assessment said. Professor Becky Francis, chairwoman of the Government's curriculum and assessment review, said evidence suggests the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure 'may constrain choices' for secondary school pupils. Her comments follow calls from the education sector for the EBacc – a government measure which aims to ensure pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE – to be scrapped. Addressing the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool, Prof Francis set out the areas of the curriculum that the panel felt needed 'further attention'. She suggested there has been 'a trade-off between breadth and depth' in the existing curriculum offer and she added that evidence suggests the EBacc is 'impacting students' engagement and achievement'. The EBacc – a performance measure of schools which focuses on five subjects at GCSE – was introduced in 2010 under former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove. Prof Francis said existing national assessments and qualifications – including Sats, GCSEs, A-levels and T-levels – were 'broadly working well.' In July, the Labour Government announced that Prof Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), would lead their independent curriculum and assessment review. In a speech to hundreds of schools and college leaders on Saturday, Prof Francis said it was right that the national curriculum was 'refreshed' to ensure it remains 'cutting edge and fit for purpose'. She said: 'But while we have a broad offer, evidence suggests a trade-off between breadth and depth which can make it harder for pupils to master a subject fully. 'We've identified that some features of the current system make the delivery of this broad and balanced curriculum challenging. 'Responses to the call for evidence, and advocates for some subjects, suggests that the EBacc may constrain choices, impacting students' engagement and achievement, and limiting access to, and the time available for, vocational and arts subjects.' Prof Francis highlighted a slide during her speech which suggested that teaching time for some subjects – including the arts, design and technology and computing and ICT – had reduced at Key Stage 4. She said: 'We'll analyse the evidence and assess the place of performance measures within the wider accountability framework, looking at the impact on young people's choices and outcomes and the impact on institutional behaviours.' In September, Prof Francis launched a call for evidence – an eight-week consultation – seeking views on the curriculum and assessment system. Prof Francis said attention was needed in the curriculum to address the 'challenges' of the modern world – such as the rise of artificial intelligence. She added: 'Global, social and environmental challenges require attention to scientific and cultural knowledge and skills that can equip young people to meet the challenges of the future. 'Rapid social, environmental and technical change necessitates that the curriculum keeps pace, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and on sustainability and climate science. 'We know that many schools already teach such areas of knowledge within curriculum subjects, so we will map existing coverage and ensure that gaps are addressed and content brought up to date.' On Saturday, Prof Francis said the review's interim report would be ready 'exceedingly soon'. The final report from the independent curriculum and assessment review is due in the autumn.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EBacc limiting pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, review chief says
A Government performance measure for schools in England may be 'limiting' pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, the lead of an independent review of curriculum and assessment said. Professor Becky Francis, chairwoman of the Government's curriculum and assessment review, said evidence suggests the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure 'may constrain choices' for secondary school pupils. Her comments follow calls from the education sector for the EBacc – a government measure which aims to ensure pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE – to be scrapped. Addressing the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool, Prof Francis set out the areas of the curriculum that the panel felt needed 'further attention'. She suggested there has been 'a trade-off between breadth and depth' in the existing curriculum offer and she added that evidence suggests the EBacc is 'impacting students' engagement and achievement'. The EBacc – a performance measure of schools which focuses on five subjects at GCSE – was introduced in 2010 under former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove. Prof Francis said existing national assessments and qualifications – including Sats, GCSEs, A-levels and T-levels – were 'broadly working well.' In July, the Labour Government announced that Prof Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), would lead their independent curriculum and assessment review. In a speech to hundreds of schools and college leaders on Saturday, Prof Francis said it was right that the national curriculum was 'refreshed' to ensure it remains 'cutting edge and fit for purpose'. She said: 'But while we have a broad offer, evidence suggests a trade-off between breadth and depth which can make it harder for pupils to master a subject fully. 'We've identified that some features of the current system make the delivery of this broad and balanced curriculum challenging. 'Responses to the call for evidence, and advocates for some subjects, suggests that the EBacc may constrain choices, impacting students' engagement and achievement, and limiting access to, and the time available for, vocational and arts subjects.' Prof Francis highlighted a slide during her speech which suggested that teaching time for some subjects – including the arts, design and technology and computing and ICT – had reduced at Key Stage 4. She said: 'We'll analyse the evidence and assess the place of performance measures within the wider accountability framework, looking at the impact on young people's choices and outcomes and the impact on institutional behaviours.' In September, Prof Francis launched a call for evidence – an eight-week consultation – seeking views on the curriculum and assessment system. Prof Francis said attention was needed in the curriculum to address the 'challenges' of the modern world – such as the rise of artificial intelligence. She added: 'Global, social and environmental challenges require attention to scientific and cultural knowledge and skills that can equip young people to meet the challenges of the future. 'Rapid social, environmental and technical change necessitates that the curriculum keeps pace, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and on sustainability and climate science. 'We know that many schools already teach such areas of knowledge within curriculum subjects, so we will map existing coverage and ensure that gaps are addressed and content brought up to date.' On Saturday, Prof Francis said the review's interim report would be ready 'exceedingly soon'. The final report from the independent curriculum and assessment review is due in the autumn.
