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The Curriculum and Assessment Review: Understand, Prepare and Stay Ahead

Bringing practical support to schools and teachers

The Curriculum and Assessment Review sets out ways to make the curriculum more manageable and strengthen the knowledge and skills that help students succeed. It echoes what teachers and school leaders have told us: change needs to be gradual, realistic, and useful in the classroom.

We’ve turned the Review’s insights into practical support – including subject summaries, deep dive webinars for English, Maths and Science and teacher panels – so your staff can stay informed, plan confidently, and continue delivering strong outcomes.

What does the Review mean for my school?

There are no immediate changes – but the Review will shape teaching and learning over time. Our subject summaries give your teams clear, practical guidance to support planning and prioritisation – without adding to workload.

You’ll find the subject summaries at the bottom of this page.

Practical support and free CPD

To help your staff stay ahead, don’t miss:

Webinars in English, Maths and Science – learn practical takeaways you can implement straight away.
Teacher panels – a trusted forum where your staff can share feedback, answer subject-specific questions, and help shape the future of qualifications. Join the teacher panel

These opportunities are designed to save time, add value, and support professional development, so teachers can focus on teaching and learning while staying fully informed.

Have your say

Teacher panels give your staff a direct route to influence the development of qualifications. Encourage your team to join – it’s a chance to share expertise, shape support, and contribute to decisions that affect classrooms nationally.

Sign up for a teacher panel

Next steps for school leaders

No immediate action required.
Share subject summaries, teacher panels and webinars with your staff to guide planning and professional development.
Stay informed with updates – we'll tell you when there’s meaningful guidance or changes.

Subject summaries

Understand the proposed updates for each subject.

GCSE English

We welcome the focus on strengthening coherence, clarity and inclusivity across the English curriculum, particularly in the following areas:

GCSE English Language: a renewed focus on subject discipline and purpose, with a broader range of text types to explore
GCSE English Literature: a commitment to diversity of text choices and inclusion of more representative texts and authors
Clarity of progression: ensuring clear sequencing through all key stages
Distinction from literacy and oracy frameworks: differentiating English as a subject from literacy, oracy, and reading skills frameworks
Reversing the decline in A-level entries: supporting more students to continue with English beyond GCSE.

More specifically, we appreciate the commitment to:

GCSE English Language identity: ensuring the qualification has a clearer sense of identity, with a focus on the nature and expression of language
Broadened text types: including critical analysis of multi-modal and ephemeral texts
Distinct Language and Literature content: creating a clear distinction between the two subjects.
Inclusive literary heritage: embracing a wider, more diverse range of texts without replacing canonical works or increasing content volume
Grammar and writing continuity: reviewing continuity from KS2 to KS3 to improve transitions and ensure students can write with confidence and fluency
Early identification of learning gaps: introducing a diagnostic test to help schools identify and address learning gaps so all students can access the curriculum.

Science

Reduced and refreshed content: GCSE Science is being refreshed to support deeper learning and boost student engagement, reflecting teacher feedback.
Stronger climate focus: Climate and environmental science will be integrated more meaningfully, helping learners make connections across subjects.
Triple Science support: The government plans to introduce a student entitlement to Triple Science. We’ll continue to support schools during this transition, whatever your current model.
Practical science will have a clear purpose: The review calls for practical work that reinforces scientific concepts and sparks curiosity. We agree this is important and will continue to work with you to champion practical skills through our support offer and purposefully designed assessment.
Clear progression: Transitions from KS3 to GCSE and A-level are expected to become smoother, with content sequenced around core scientific concepts. We support this approach and recommend refining and sequencing curriculum across key stages.
Assessment evolution: Exams remain central, but some subjects may see shorter exam times. Any changes will remain clear, fair, and accessible for all learners.

History

Building on strengths: Updates keep what works best while aiming to make the subject more engaging to teach and learn.
More manageable: Streamlined content and reduced prescribed volume aim to make it easier to teach and more accessible for students.
Clearer connections: Reviewing how components interact helps teachers and students make meaningful links across topics.
Stronger skills focus: Assessment objectives are reviewed to encourage understanding and application, rather than rote learning.
Engaging, diverse content: Specifications include multiple perspectives – local, British, and global – to keep learning relevant and engaging.
Real-world sources: Using diverse sources and interpretations to deepen student engagement and understanding.

GCSE Geography

Contemporary and inclusive content: Proposed updates aim to make GCSE Geography more contemporary and inclusive, removing unnecessary repetition.

Stronger disciplinary understanding: Changes will support better understanding of how geographers think and work, including key concepts such as place, space and interconnection.
Embedded climate change and sustainability: Recommendations build on the national curriculum to further embed climate change and sustainability education across the subject.
Valuing fieldwork: Fieldwork will remain integral at KS4, with clearer expectations for effective delivery that deepen enquiry and understanding.
Smooth progression: Updates aim to support a more seamless transition to A-level Geography, helping students prepare for further study.

GCSE Religious Studies

Curriculum reform: Inclusion of Religious Education in the national curriculum aims to support careful sector-wide collaboration.
Future qualification development: Once the impact on GCSE subject content criteria is understood, a qualification will be developed to support students’ progression in this important subject.
Balanced assessment framework: Including GCSE Religious Studies in the humanities slot for Progress 8 and Attainment 8 supports a balance between a strong academic core, breadth, and student choice.

Dance

Clarifying pathways: Updates aim to make Dance’s status as both part of PE and a standalone GCSE clearer, helping teachers and students understand progression routes.
Highlighting creativity: GCSE Dance will better reflect the artistic and creative dimensions of the subject, not just physical activity.
Inclusive and balanced assessment: Assessment structures will be reviewed to improve inclusivity, representation, and the balance between performance, choreography, and theoretical study.
Managing workload: The volume of assessment at KS4, particularly in practical arts subjects like Dance, will be addressed to make it more manageable for teachers and students.

Drama

Standalone qualification: GCSE Drama will continue as a standalone subject, with updates to ensure it is up to date, inclusive, and aligned with the creative and reflective nature of the discipline.
Managing assessment workload: The Review highlights the high volume of assessment across KS4, which impacts creative subjects by reducing time for exploration and rehearsal.
Fostering skills development: The qualification should encourage creative and critical engagement, ensuring students can develop performance, devising, and reflective skills rather than focusing narrowly on final examinations.
Supporting progression: Changes to subject content and assessment balance will help prepare students for further study and careers in drama and theatre.

Music

Promoting inclusive access: Updates aim to support participation for all students – including those from disadvantaged backgrounds or schools with limited resources – and provide clear progression routes beyond school.

Reflecting the discipline: Qualification content and assessment will better represent the three pillars of musical understanding – technical, constructive, and expressive.
Managing assessment workload: The high volume of assessment at KS4 will be reviewed – allowing more time for practical and creative work.
Clarifying purpose and structure: GCSE Music and Technical Awards will be reviewed together to ensure each has a clear and distinct purpose, with content and assessment aligned to these aims.
Supporting teaching and learning: Recommendations include optimising investment in music education – strengthening instrument teaching and music literacy to ensure equitable access and progression.

Maths

Supporting every learner: Give students greater access to success at post-16 with the introduction of the new pre-GCSE qualification.
Bridging learning gaps: Teachers will gain clearer insight into KS3 learning gaps and target support earlier through a new Year 8 assessment.
Reduced assessment time: Students and teachers will have more time for meaningful learning, as shorter assessments ease pressure and streamline delivery.
Focusing on understanding: Students will be recognised for genuine mathematical thinking – not memorisation – through a review of the formula sheet.
Clearer progression: Students to move more confidently from GCSE to A-level Maths, Further Maths and STEM subjects as updates aim to create a smoother pathway.

Art & Design

Encouraging a broad curriculum: Students will have more opportunities to study a wider range of GCSE subjects, including the arts.
Maintaining rigour and accessibility: Arts subjects will continue to be purposeful, rigorous, and accessible for all learners, supporting a broad and balanced qualifications portfolio at KS4.
Clearer expectations for coursework: Working with Ofqual and awarding organisations, we will clarify the volume and range of coursework for GCSE Art and Design, making it easier for teachers to plan and students to manage.

Citizenship

Building on what works: Although the CAR doesn’t make specific recommendations for GCSE Citizenship, we’re focusing on areas highlighted across KS1–4 to ensure smooth progression and practical support for teachers.
Supporting active, thoughtful citizens: The increased focus on Citizenship helps students develop the knowledge and skills they need to become engaged and responsible members of society.
Clearer guidance for teaching: We will work with Ofqual to ensure the purpose and content of GCSE Citizenship are clear and specific, making planning and delivery simpler for teachers.
Building essential skills: Updates will strengthen coverage of financial and media literacy, climate education, law and rights, and democracy and government.
Existing support: Teachers can continue to use our Climate Change booklet alongside the current GCSE Citizenship teaching guide to support classroom delivery.

GCSE MFL

Encouraging access through Progress 8: Teachers in the languages community will be aware of the planned removal of the EBacc performance measure. The consultation on Progress 8 aims to continue supporting opportunities for students to study languages and engage with a broad curriculum.
Promoting languages from primary: Strengthening the primary curriculum helps teachers build a clear pathway into secondary, supporting students’ ongoing language learning and future success.
Flexible recognition of achievement: Exploration of a new flexible qualification will give teachers tools to recognise students’ achievements on demand, helping to celebrate progress and engagement in languages and we look forward to working with DfE on this.

Design & Technology

Developing design capability: Embedding sustainability throughout the curriculum, including how to achieve sustainable solutions to design challenges
Preparing students for real-world contexts: Explicitly teaching social responsibility and inclusive design principles.
Strengthening critical decision-making: Students will develop practical and analytical skills, particularly around material selection and resource use.
Hands-on experience remains central: Learners will apply their learning in meaningful ways through practical work that continues to be integral.
Supporting Food and Nutrition: Students will build life skills and be prepared for future careers in the food sector through the continued identity of GCSE Food and Nutrition.

Computer Science/Computing

Refreshing the curriculum: Greater clarity about what should be taught at each key stage will help students build essential digital literacy for life and work.
Introducing artificial intelligence: New content on AI will prepare students for future digital opportunities.
GCSE Computer Science becomes GCSE Computing: The qualification will broaden to widen its appeal, introducing AI and the effective, critical use and creation of technology to meet society’s needs, while retaining core computer science principles such as programming and algorithms.
Aligned digital content: Digital skills taught in other subjects will be coordinated with the Computing curriculum to ensure coherence for teachers and students.
Future-level qualifications: Work is underway to explore new Level 3 qualifications in data science and AI, helping students meet future needs. We will share more as the detail emerges.

GCSE PE

Clearer content focus: The GCSE content will be reviewed to ensure it stands apart from the KS4 PE curriculum, with a stronger focus on sports science, performance, and pathways into further study or careers in the sports industry.
A more inclusive activity list: The GCSE activity list will be reviewed to ensure it’s accessible and inclusive – particularly for students with special educational needs.

Need guidance or have questions?

We’re here to support your school every step of the way. Get in touch with your Account Manager for advice, resources, or practical guidance.