{"id":8278,"date":"2024-07-22T13:35:22","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T12:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cornerstoneseducation.co.uk\/?p=8278"},"modified":"2024-08-22T14:03:38","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T13:03:38","slug":"labours-curriculum-review-2024-whats-going-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cornerstoneseducation.co.uk\/labours-curriculum-review-2024-whats-going-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Labour’s curriculum review 2024 \u2013 What\u2019s going on?\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Labour Party<\/a> was elected to government on 4th<\/sup> 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<\/a>. Now in power, the government has already set up an independent expert-led \u2018Curriculum and Assessment Review<\/a>\u2019 group who will undertake the review. <\/p> According to education secretary, Bridget Phillipson<\/a>, the review will \u2018build on the Government\u2019s commitment to high standards in the curriculum in England, whilst ensuring greater attention to breadth and flexibility\u2019. <\/p> But what does this mean for busy primary schools who have spent the last few years building and implementing their school curriculum? <\/p> 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 \u2018knowledge-rich syllabuses\u2019. <\/p> \u2018Build 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.\u2019<\/em> <\/p><\/blockquote> Labour Party<\/strong>, Curriculum Review 2024<\/strong><\/p> So, with that said, what can we expect from the primary curriculum review? Here are some of the emerging headlines. <\/p> In an era dominated by technology, digital literacy is no longer a luxury but a necessity. The Labour Party\u2019s curriculum review places a strong emphasis on integrating digital skills across all subjects. This includes coding, data analysis, and the safe use of technology. <\/p> 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>). <\/p> 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<\/a>, sport and drama. Acknowledging the importance of creativity and creative expression and innovation is a welcome addition, especially for the primary curriculum<\/a>. <\/p> 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. <\/p> 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. <\/p> The implementation of the Labour Party\u2019s curriculum review<\/a> 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<\/a> of reviewing a school curriculum is often overlooked and this work will undoubtedly place some strain on currently limited budgets. <\/p> Alongside the Review, the Department for Education<\/a> will make legislative changes so that all state schools, including academies, will be required to teach the national curriculum. This will support the Government\u2019s 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. <\/p> The Labour Party\u2019s 2024 curriculum review represents a bold step towards modernising the UK\u2019s education system. However, the mantra is clearly \u2018evolution not revolution\u2019 with the aim to build on the existing strengths not creating unnecessary burdens by seeking to fix things that are not broken. <\/p> 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. <\/p> 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\u2019ve got you covered. <\/p> 1. <\/strong>As changes to the curriculum emerge, our team will begin working on the curriculum<\/a> 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. <\/p> 2. <\/strong>To help staff understand any changes that are made, we\u2019ll 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. <\/p> 3. <\/strong>We\u2019ll 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. <\/p> 4. <\/strong>We promise to maintain the high quality of our curriculum, its breadth and its opportunities for creativity. We\u2019ll 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.<\/p> 5. <\/strong>We\u2019ll 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\u2019ll do this by keeping Maestro<\/a> at the cutting edge of curriculum management. <\/p>What is the purpose of the curriculum review? <\/strong><\/h2>
Enhancing digital literacy <\/strong><\/h5>
Promoting inclusivity and diversity <\/strong><\/h5>
A broader curriculum <\/strong><\/h5>
Emphasising environmental education <\/strong><\/h5>
Proposed changes in subject areas <\/strong><\/h5>
Implementation and challenges <\/strong><\/h5>
Changes in law <\/strong><\/h5>
Summary <\/strong><\/h5>
Making change easy with Cornerstones <\/strong><\/h5>
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