I’ve taken a couple of days to reflect before sharing my thoughts on the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review. It’s an important piece of work with a lot to take in, and as someone deeply invested in maths education, several points really stood out to me.
“We must promote high aspirations and raise standards for the significant group of young people for whom the current system creates barriers. In this way, we can ensure the best life chances for all young people, irrespective of their background.”
This struck a real chord. Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about helping all students succeed, whatever their background or upbringing. We’ve seen great progress in education over recent years, but there are still far too many young people for whom the system simply doesn’t work.
Every statistic in that report represents a real student — a young person with real hopes, real dreams and real aspirations. It’s our job to give them the best possible chance of achieving those within a system that truly supports them. Any steps towards breaking down the barriers that exist are steps in the right direction.
“Develops a programme of work to provide evidence-led guidance on curriculum and pedagogical adaptation (as well as exemplification) for children and young people with SEND, including those in specialist provision, who experience various barriers to accessing the curriculum.”
It’s encouraging to see SEND considerations built in from the start rather than added later as an afterthought. That mindset, inclusion by design, not by adjustment, is what real equity looks like in practice.
“It is important that we recognise the significant progress made in Maths education in England over recent decades, and that our recommendations maintain and build on the many strengths detailed in this report.”
I was also pleased to see recognition of the progress we’ve already made. It’s easy to focus solely on the challenges, but there’s been a huge amount of improvement and innovation in maths teaching over the years. Acknowledging those strengths while being honest about what still needs to change strikes a healthy balance.
“Retains the amount and type of content in the Key Stage 1 to 3 curriculum, but re-sequences it so that topics are introduced in such a way that pupils can master them deeply, with opportunities for more complex problem-solving in each area, and reduce repetition in later years.”
This point really resonated with me. Early in my career, I remember teaching ratio to a Year 8 class without realising they’d already covered it in primary school. Some students remembered it and flew ahead; others didn’t and felt they were failing again. Repeating topics without building true understanding can widen the gap and damage confidence. Restructuring the curriculum so students learn in a more coherent sequence feels like a crucial step forward.
Of course, there are still many questions to be answered. But overall, this review feels like a positive move towards a system that serves every learner better.
For the teachers reading this: it’s worth remembering that these are still only recommendations. There’s no need to rush into changes until we see how things develop. For now, it’s a good opportunity to pause, reflect and think about what these ideas might mean for our classrooms in the future.
Progress takes time, but this feels like a thoughtful and hopeful direction for education in England.
