The Labour Party was elected to government on 4th July 2024. Even before they were elected, it was clear from their manifesto that there was going to be a review of the national curriculum. Now in power, the government has already set up an independent expert-led ‘Curriculum and Assessment Review’ group who will undertake the review.
According to education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, the review will ‘build on the Government’s commitment to high standards in the curriculum in England, whilst ensuring greater attention to breadth and flexibility’.
But what does this mean for busy primary schools who have spent the last few years building and implementing their school curriculum?
What is the purpose of the curriculum review?
The main aim of the curriculum review, Labour says, is to modernise the school curriculum. For those of us who have been in education a long time, this sounds annoyingly familiar. Have we not already had enough curriculum reviews already? Perhaps. Promisingly, there does not appear to be an appetite to throw the baby out with the bath water, but to build on the success of ‘knowledge-rich syllabuses’.
‘Build on the hard work of teachers who have brought their subjects alive with knowledge-rich syllabuses, to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive, and innovative.’
Labour Party, Curriculum Review 2024
So, with that said, what can we expect from the primary curriculum review? Here are some of the emerging headlines.
Enhancing digital literacy
In an era dominated by technology, digital literacy is no longer a luxury but a necessity. The Labour Party’s curriculum review places a strong emphasis on integrating digital skills across all subjects. This includes coding, data analysis, and the safe use of technology.
Promoting inclusivity and diversity
The review seeks to make the curriculum more inclusive and reflective of the diverse society in the UK. This involves revising the content to include a broader range of perspectives, particularly those of marginalised communities. It also focuses on creating a more supportive environment for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
A broader curriculum
The government recognises that some curriculum narrowing has occurred and that many children and young people have missed out on subjects such as music, art, sport and drama. Acknowledging the importance of creativity and creative expression and innovation is a welcome addition, especially for the primary curriculum.
Emphasising environmental education
With climate change being one of the most pressing issues of our time, the curriculum review includes a robust environmental education component. The review would hope to address issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, and the impact of human activities on the planet, to help foster a generation of environmentally conscious individuals.
Proposed changes in subject areas
The review advocates for a stronger emphasis on STEM subjects, recognising their importance in the global economy. This includes updating the curriculum to reflect current scientific advancements and integrating practical experiments and projects to enhance experiential learning. In humanities and social sciences, the Labour Party aims to broaden the scope of topics covered. This includes a greater focus on global history, critical thinking, and ethical issues.
Implementation and challenges
The implementation of the Labour Party’s curriculum review will undoubtedly come with challenges for primary schools. These challenges will include teacher expertise, teacher workload, managing the transition to the new curriculum, and ensuring that all schools have the resources and finances to succeed. The cost of reviewing a school curriculum is often overlooked and this work will undoubtedly place some strain on currently limited budgets.
Changes in law
Alongside the Review, the Department for Education will make legislative changes so that all state schools, including academies, will be required to teach the national curriculum. This will support the Government’s ambition that every child receives a rich and broad curriculum, taught by excellent teachers wherever they are in the country, to set them up with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the future.
Summary
The Labour Party’s 2024 curriculum review represents a bold step towards modernising the UK’s education system. However, the mantra is clearly ‘evolution not revolution’ with the aim to build on the existing strengths not creating unnecessary burdens by seeking to fix things that are not broken.
The Review Group will publish an interim report in the New Year setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. They will publish the final review with recommendations in Autumn 2025.
Making change easy with Cornerstones
If you are already a Cornerstones customer or would like to find out how we can help your school through the curriculum review, take a look at the following points to see how we’ve got you covered.
1. As changes to the curriculum emerge, our team will begin working on the curriculum to bring it in line with any new requirements. All you have to do is keep up to date with how things are changing, by reading any communications we send you.
2. To help staff understand any changes that are made, we’ll run a series of training webinars that you and your staff can attend free of charge. We will also continue to offer free online advice and guidance and be there via LiveChat for those daily challenges and when you need immediate support.
3. We’ll make any changes to the content of our curriculum as required. For example, we are currently reviewing our history curriculum to ensure it has more diversity and creativity. Due to be released September 2025.
4. We promise to maintain the high quality of our curriculum, its breadth and its opportunities for creativity. We’ll maintain the opportunities for speaking, listening, role-play and continue to provide all the resources you need to bring the curriculum to life in your classroom.
5. We’ll continue to offer you the tech and tools you need to manage any curriculum change and allow you to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your curriculum implementation. We’ll do this by keeping Maestro at the cutting edge of curriculum management.
