The problem
The content and approach of what we assess is too narrow, focusing predominantly on knowledge acquisition and written, time-bound exams rather than a wider portfolio of skills, experiences and competencies. This bleeds into our curriculum where the current emphasis on factual recall, over deep thinking, is restrictive. Teachers are spending a disproportionate amount of time preparing students for high-stakes exams and this is squeezing out time for students to develop team-working, creative problem solving and communication skills.
At Edge, we have long called for reform of our curriculum and assessment model. And we are not the only ones calling for change – recent commissions such as the Rethinking Assessment movement, Independent Assessment Commission, Times Education Commission, House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee, and the House of Lords 11-16 Education Committee have also called for change.
The churn in political leadership within education is notorious and we have seen a shortness of policy memory in the sector. More than anything, we urge policy makers to build on lessons of the past and to apply these lessons to current policy-making.
Here are the steps we can take:
- A clear, long-term strategy - The education sector has experienced significant churn over the years. So more than anything, we need a clear cross-party 15-year strategy, such as the one recommended by the Foundation for Education Development, to invest in our human capital and give individuals the skills they need for life and the world of work. This strategy needs to learn lessons from the past and collectively plan for change over decades rather than the lifetime of a single parliament or ministerial post.
- Commit to deliver a Young Person’s Entitlement, as recommended by Youth Employment UK’s Commission on Level 2 and 3 Pathways, to ensure that every young person can access the pathway that best suits their interests and talents. This should include a choice of both general and technical subjects, a core curriculum covering the key knowledge and skills to succeed in life and work, and opportunities for enrichment. This framework should be supported by high-quality CEIAG and Real World Learning.
- Developing a curriculum that brings learning to life, links it to the real world and allows students to gain knowledge whilst also developing skills such as creativity, problem solving, teamwork and leadership. These can be measured against a universal skills framework, such as the one developed by Skills Builder Partnership. These can be further developed through interdisciplinary learning. We feel that a baccalaureate programme would be best suited to deliver this broad curriculum.
- Weave enrichment opportunities into the curriculum and capture wider interests in a digital learner profile - Build the cultural capital of all young people and create an entitlement for every young person to a broader range of enrichment opportunities including curated artistic, dramatic, cultural and sporting opportunities. Our 2023 report, The perspectives of learners – How are schools developing employability skills? found that employability skills are often developed through extracurricular activities, but time for this was restricted in Key Stage 4 and beyond as the focus turns towards preparing for external exams. These wider experiences could be captured in a digital learner profile which highlights learner’s formal qualifications, but also their personal interests, independent projects, work experience, evidence of creativity and collaboration and achievements outside of school
- Embed careers advice as part of the curriculum by building on the Gatsby Benchmarks and work of the Careers Enterprise Company to create a statutory entitlement for all young people to workplace experience and a range of pathways.
- Bring out the best in teaching – with support and more freedom for teachers to plan and collaborate. This should include clear career development, more training in new teaching approaches and opportunities to work directly with employers, including through externships.
- Introduce multimodal assessment - Progress does not have to be measured primarily through time-bound written exams. We would include a greater variety of coursework, oral presentations, extended investigation and multiple-choice assessment. These changes would need to be incorporated into teacher Continuing Professional Development and Initial Teacher Training so that educators feel equipped to own and drive these shifts. Rethinking Assessment has been leading the charge in exploring the benefits of multimodal assessment.
