Everything in the Curriculum Review (and why there’s no need to panic or change anything right now!)

Well, the Curriculum Review has finally landed and with it, no doubt, will come all manner of people claiming huge changes are now needed or trying to sell training and services on the back of it. But here’s the thing, you don’t need to do anything right now.  

Programmes of Study are being written right now, and a new curriculum is being recommended. But this major change is planned for 2028! It’s also worth noting that this is the 5th review of the curriculum since 1989, so this isn’t out of the ordinary, even if it might feel it if you’re new to teaching. The profession has adapted and managed every other time, now is no different, even if life in a digital age might be amplifying this review and making it seem like it’s everywhere.  

So, right now, please keep calm and don’t buy into the noise. Don’t feel pressured to buy in training or switch everything in school. It isn’t needed. All that is needed is to take some time, take in the information and if you really want to know what is in the review (for primary schools at least, as primary and early years are my area and the review doesn’t include early years), then we have a neat summary here to save you reading the full 197 pages of the final report and the 37 further pages on responses to the call for evidence.  

What’s Already Going Well? 

In line with our message to all keep calm about things, we open with what is already going well.  

• Primary education receives deserved recognition. The review highlights the “holistic ethos” of Key Stage 1, where social and emotional skills are nurtured alongside literacy and numeracy foundations.  

• Primary schools already encourage a love of learning and enable success.  

• Parents, teachers, and pupils tend to be happy in their experience of primary education.  

• The review states that evidence suggests current approaches have had a positive effect on attainment.  

• England’s pupils continue to outperform international averages in reading, maths, and science. Year 5 pupils perform significantly above the international average in reading. 

• Year 5 children have shown notable improvements in science since 2019, with maths results remaining stable (taken from international comparisons where year 5 is the year group measured). 

So, pause before we delve into the rest of the review and its recommendations. Take a moment to acknowledge the great work you are already doing. And now, let’s get into it… 

What isn’t changing? 

• The key stages will remain the same.

• The curriculum will remain largely “knowledge rich”.

• “Mastery” of core concepts will continue to be a core concept across subjects.

• Deliberately revisiting of knowledge, building on prior learning, remains an important focus.

• The “subject architecture” of the Curriculum will remain the same.

What is being focused on? 

• A curriculum for all: The review highlights that all children “should feel both included in it and represented” by the curriculum. 

• Five “life skills” areas to prepare learners for a changing world: 

1. Financial literacy 

2. Digital literacy  

3. Media literacy  

4. Climate change and sustainability  

5. Oracy 

• Horizontal coherence in the curriculum. This means links across subjects to highlight where content in one area relies on content in another, e.g., mathematical content being required simultaneously to access other parts of the curriculum, such as science or financial education. 

• A subject specific focus, which is what we’ll cover next… 

Art and design 

What’s Going Well 

• The current primary curriculum offers flexibility and autonomy, which many teachers appreciate. 

• It continues to promote creativity, exploration and enjoyment, allowing children to work with different media and develop confidence in expressing ideas visually. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Non-specialist primary teachers often lack confidence and training to deliver Art and Design effectively. 

• The Programmes of Study are seen as too broad, giving little guidance on how knowledge and skills should progress over time. 

• There is a perceived over-emphasis on drawing and painting, with limited reference to alternative media or approaches. 

 Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Provide clearer guidance on progression in artistic knowledge, techniques, and use of materials across Key Stages 1 and 2. 

• Broaden the curriculum to include sculpture, textiles, digital art, photography and design-based processes, ensuring balanced exposure to different media. 

• Develop additional support and training for non-specialist teachers to build confidence and subject knowledge. 

• Encourage the use of local artists, galleries and community projects to strengthen real-world links and cultural understanding. 

• Retain teacher autonomy and creativity while setting out essential core knowledge and skills to ensure national consistency. 

Citizenship, RHE/RSHE and PSHE 

What’s Going Well 

• When delivered well, Citizenship supports personal development and social responsibility, aligning closely with RHE and PSHE. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Citizenship at primary level is inconsistent and uneven, with wide variation between schools. 

• The non-statutory curriculum has not been updated since 2001, leading to overlap with newer RHE content and missed opportunities in key areas. 

• Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to access high-quality Citizenship teaching, meaning fewer chances to develop civic knowledge and skills. 

• The review finds strong evidence that Citizenship should become statutory from Key Stage 1 to ensure consistency and equal access for all children. 

• New statutory content should focus on a core, age-appropriate framework that complements rather than duplicates RHE. 

Recommended Primary Focus Areas 

• Financial literacy 

• Democracy and government 

• Law and rights 

• Media literacy 

• Climate education 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Make Citizenship statutory from Key Stage 1, guaranteeing equal access and consistent entitlement for all pupils. 

• Develop a single, coherent framework aligning Citizenship, RHE and PSHE to remove duplication and ensure clear boundaries. 

• Introduce a progression model showing how civic knowledge, values and participation skills build from KS1 to KS2. 

• Embed financial, digital and media literacy, along with climate and sustainability education, throughout related subjects. 

• Provide comprehensive teacher training and high-quality resources to improve confidence and consistency in delivery. 

• Ensure the framework promotes inclusion and representation, reflecting the diversity of pupils’ lives and communities. 

Relationships and Health Education (RHE) and RSHE 

What’s Going Well 

• The current framework allows flexibility, giving schools autonomy to decide when and how to teach specific topics based on pupils’ needs and local context. 

• RHE continues to play a vital role in supporting children’s wellbeing, relationships, safety, and personal development, and sits well alongside PSHE and Citizenship. 

What Needs to Improve 

• The existing statutory guidance is not organised by key stage, which can make planning and progression less clear for primary schools. 

• Schools sometimes need greater clarity on sequencing. 

• The forthcoming changes are expected to bring clearer structure and boundaries between primary RHE and secondary RSHE, ensuring consistency and age-appropriate delivery. 

 Relationships and Health Education (RHE) and RSHE – Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Organise statutory guidance by key stage, giving teachers clearer expectations and age-appropriate progression from KS1 to KS2. 

• Define core knowledge and sequencing, so schools can plan more confidently and ensure coverage without duplication. 

• Support teachers through dedicated CPD and trusted resources, particularly in handling safeguarding, relationships and online content. 

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) 

What’s Going Well 

• Many primary schools already deliver PSHE as a broader umbrella subject, embedding statutory Relationships and Health Education (RHE) within it. 

• PSHE provides valuable opportunities to teach about wellbeing, safety, relationships, personal finance and the wider world, even though it is not compulsory in state schools. 

What Needs to Improve 

• PSHE remains non-statutory in state schools, leading to inconsistencies in what pupils are taught. 

• There is confusion and overlap between PSHE, RHE/RSHE and Citizenship. 

• Some important areas of PSHE, such as personal finance and careers education, are not currently statutory for primary schools. 

• The proposed move to make Citizenship statutory at primary level (with elements of financial and media literacy, and climate education) should improve coherence and ensure all children access these essential topics. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Develop a nationally coherent framework integrating PSHE, RHE and Citizenship to remove overlap and ensure balanced coverage. 

• Clarify PSHE’s purpose and relationship to statutory subjects, ensuring schools understand where autonomy and accountability sit. 

• Include financial education and early careers learning within primary PSHE, preparing pupils for later life choices. 

• Strengthen guidance on sequencing PSHE across year groups, promoting progression in personal, social and economic understanding. 

• Ensure PSHE remains inclusive, reflecting diversity, equality and local community contexts in all materials and examples. 

• Provide CPD and model resources to build teacher confidence, especially for non-specialists or schools without a dedicated PSHE lead. 

Computing 

What’s Going Well 

• The subject helps children build logical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and digital literacy from the start of primary school. 

• Many schools are already finding ways to make Computing cross-curricular, using digital tools to enhance learning in subjects like maths, science and art. 

What Needs to Improve 

• There are concerns about inconsistent delivery across schools and unequal access to equipment and teacher expertise. 

• Digital literacy should be strengthened across the curriculum, so pupils apply Computing skills in other subjects, not just in isolated lessons. 

• The review also calls for future updates to include emerging technologies such as AI. 

Key Recommendation 

• The Government should update the Computing curriculum to clarify expectations at each key stage, ensure digital literacy is embedded across subjects, and support teachers with clearer guidance and training. 

Design and Technology (Including Cooking and Nutrition) 

What’s Going Well 

• Primary D&T, including Cooking and Nutrition, continues to play a key role in developing pupils’ understanding of materials, food, and sustainability. 

• Schools that prioritise D&T show that it can boost engagement, creativity and confidence, particularly when linked to real-world contexts. 

What Needs to Improve 

• There are concerns that access to equipment, space and specialist support varies widely between schools, affecting the quality of provision. 

Key Recommendation 

• The Government should ensure D&T remains a core part of the primary curriculum, with clear expectations for progression in designing, making and evaluating, and ensure Cooking and Nutrition continues to develop essential life skills and understanding of healthy, sustainable eating. 

English (including Drama) 

What’s Going Well 

• Primary pupils continue to perform strongly in reading. 

• The Phonics Screening Check remains a major success story, with 80% of pupils meeting the expected standard in Year 1 and 89% by Year 2. 

• The current emphasis on systematic synthetic phonics is widely praised for building solid foundations in early literacy. 

• Drama supports oracy, imagination and expressive language, helping children to understand texts and develop social and collaborative skills. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Writing and grammar lag behind reading, with only 72% meeting the expected standard in writing and 73% in grammar, punctuation and spelling. 

• The current GPS test focuses too heavily on naming grammatical terms, which many teachers feel does little to improve pupils’ writing. 

• There is a need for clearer sequencing and progression across the English curriculum, particularly between Key Stages 2 and 3, so that pupils’ literacy skills continue to develop rather than repeat. 

• Speaking, listening and Drama are not taught consistently and lack clear expectations, despite their importance for confidence and communication. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Clarify the English curriculum at each key stage to ensure reading, writing, speaking and listening progress coherently. 

• Streamline grammar content at Key Stage 2 to focus on applying grammar in writing rather than memorising terminology. 

• Replace the current GPS test with a new assessment that better evaluates writing composition and grammar in use. 

• Introduce a national oracy framework to strengthen speaking, listening and performance teaching across subjects. 

• Expand and specify Drama expectations within English at Key Stages 1 and 2, giving teachers clearer guidance on progression and skills. 

Geography 

What’s Going Well 

• The subject is now widely seen as ambitious and relevant, with clear real-world connections that help children understand global and local issues. 

• Pupils are developing strong geographical enquiry skills, with the subject helping them to think critically about the world around them. 

• Fieldwork and hands-on learning continue to be major strengths, allowing pupils to apply learning in real contexts. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Fieldwork provision is inconsistent, and not all pupils experience practical geographical enquiry, especially in disadvantaged areas. 

• The curriculum currently underrepresents climate change and sustainability, with only limited references to these issues. 

• There is a need for more contemporary and local case studies to make content inclusive and relevant to pupils’ lives. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Refine and clarify the Geography curriculum. 

• Strengthen climate education by embedding sustainability and climate change more explicitly across all key stages. 

• Reinforce the role of fieldwork. 

• Ensure geography teaching continues to connect learning to real-world issues, inspiring curiosity and a sense of responsibility for the planet. 

History 

What’s Going Well 

• The subject has become more coherent and ambitious since the 2013 reforms, which strengthened pupils’ sense of historical sequence and context. 

• The current curriculum supports pupils to build curiosity, empathy and analytical skills, all of which underpin broader literacy and critical thinking. 

What Needs to Improve 

• There is a need for stronger emphasis on how historians work, including how they use sources, construct arguments and interpret evidence. 

• Disciplinary understanding (how we know what we know about the past) needs clearer progression across Key Stages 1 to 3. 

• Teachers report that the curriculum can feel overloaded, with too much content at Key Stages 2 and unclear distinction between statutory and non-statutory material. 

• Some pupils are not exposed to diverse perspectives within British and world history, often due to lack of examples or confidence in adapting content. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Clarify the History curriculum so teachers know which parts are statutory and where flexibility exists. 

• Strengthen disciplinary skills, teaching children to think like historians by analysing evidence, questioning interpretations and understanding chronology. 

• Provide updated examples and resources that promote diversity and inclusion within historical study, while retaining core topics such as the Second World War and the Holocaust. 

• Encourage the use of local history and a wider range of sources to deepen understanding and engagement. 

Languages 

What’s Going Well 

• The 2014 introduction of primary languages is viewed as a positive and important step that has strengthened the subject’s place in the curriculum. 

• Many schools are providing engaging and creative language teaching, often using stories, songs and cultural experiences to make learning enjoyable. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Provision remains inconsistent across schools, with wide variation in which languages are taught and how much time is given to them. 

• Many non-specialist primary teachers lack confidence and training, leading to uneven quality of delivery. 

• Some pupils receive less than 30 minutes of language teaching per week, which limits progress. 

• The current curriculum is unclear about what “substantial progress in one language” means, leading to different interpretations and gaps at transition. 

• Transition between primary and secondary is a major weakness. Many secondary schools cannot continue the same language children studied at primary, forcing many to restart from scratch in Year 7. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Update the Key Stage 2 Languages curriculum to include a defined minimum core content for French, German and Spanish, covering essential phonics, vocabulary and grammar. 

• Ensure this core aligns with secondary teaching, creating a smoother progression from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3. 

• Encourage local collaboration (between primary and secondary schools, local authorities and trusts) to coordinate which language is taught, helping pupils continue their learning seamlessly. 

• Continue to value cultural understanding and real-world communication, using stories, celebrations and exchanges to make language learning meaningful. 

Mathematics 

What’s Going Well 

• England performs above many international peers in maths achievement. 

• The curriculum is highly valued by parents, teachers and pupils alike, with 76% of parents saying schools give the right level of focus to Maths. 

• The review praises the strong foundations now in place, particularly the focus on fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Too many pupils leave primary school without secure number fluency, which limits their later mathematical reasoning. 

• Evidence shows that content is sometimes introduced too quickly, leading to gaps in understanding that persist through Key Stage 2 and beyond. 

• The curriculum can feel repetitive in later years, leaving less time for deeper thinking and non-routine problem-solving. 

• Transition between Key Stages 2 and 3 remains a challenge, with too little focus on multiplicative reasoning and proportional thinking. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Re-sequence the Maths curriculum so concepts build more gradually, allowing pupils to master key ideas before moving on. 

• Prioritise number fluency at Key Stage 1, especially understanding number bonds, addition and subtraction in varied contexts. 

• Strengthen multiplicative reasoning and problem-solving at Key Stage 2, helping all pupils (including the highest attainers) apply knowledge flexibly. 

• Retain the Multiplication Tables Check in Year 4, but refine access arrangements to make it more inclusive. 

• Encourage all schools to use the non-statutory Key Stage 1 Maths test to diagnose early gaps and inform transition into Key Stage 2. 

• Maintain Maths as the first place pupils encounter mathematical ideas later applied in other subjects, such as financial literacy in Citizenship. 

Music 

What’s Going Well 

• The subject continues to enrich pupils’ creativity and cultural understanding, helping them to develop confidence, expression and teamwork. 

• Government investment in Music Hubs and the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education is a positive step towards improving access. 

• Many schools offer strong extra-curricular opportunities such as choirs, performances and instrumental groups that inspire children to continue with music beyond the classroom. 

What Needs to Improve 

• There are significant inequalities in access: pupils from wealthier backgrounds are almost three times more likely to have instrumental tuition outside school. 

• The current curriculum is too vague, lacking clear progression in musical knowledge and skills, especially for non-specialist teachers. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Revise the Key Stage 1–3 curriculum to define what children should learn more clearly. Include how pupils develop technical (playing and performing), constructive (composing), and expressive (listening and responding) skills. 

• Provide a better sequenced curriculum so that all children build secure musical understanding and are prepared for later study, regardless of background. 

• Invest in teaching and resources to make instrumental learning and music reading accessible to all pupils, not just those with external tuition. 

Physical Education (PE) and Dance 

What’s Going Well 

• Schools are encouraged to deliver at least two hours of PE per week, and most meet this expectation in primary. 

• PE supports not only physical health and fitness but also pupils’ wellbeing, confidence and teamwork skills. 

• The review recognises England’s strong tradition in competitive sport, highlighting its role in fostering mastery and motivation. 

• There’s a clear emphasis on PE’s holistic benefits, including its positive impact on learning, mental health and social development. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Quality and consistency of PE provision vary nationally, especially where schools rely on external coaches. 

• Dance, swimming, and outdoor activities are not consistently or confidently taught across schools. 

• PE can be too focused on competition, with less attention on inclusivity and lifelong participation. 

• The curriculum’s purpose and aims are vague, making planning harder for non-specialist teachers. 

• Many schools spend too little time on each sport or activity for pupils to gain real skill progression. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Refresh the purpose of PE to balance competition with inclusivity, emphasising its physical, social, cognitive and emotional benefits. 

• Clarify learning aims at each key stage, giving non-specialists clearer guidance on progression and what pupils should achieve. 

• Add more structure to the curriculum, ensuring time to build and master physical skills before moving on. 

• Improve clarity around Dance, swimming and outdoor activities, supporting teachers to plan these effectively. 

And specifically on Dance… 

What’s Going Well 

• Dance is part of the PE curriculum from Key Stage 1 to 4 and remains a popular activity with many children. 

• It builds confidence, creativity and expression, while supporting physical development and coordination. 

• Dance contributes to a broader, more inclusive PE curriculum when taught well. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Dance is often not taught to all pupils or lacks structure in how it’s delivered, especially at primary. 

• Many primary teachers lack confidence teaching dance, with over a quarter unsure how to lead movement or choreography. 

• The current curriculum lacks clarity about what pupils should know and be able to do by each key stage. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Add more specificity about Dance in the PE curriculum so teachers understand how to build skills progressively. 

• Retain the focus on movement and performance, but include more on choreography and appreciation to reflect Dance as an art form. 

Religious Education (RE) 

What’s Going Well 

• The review recognises RE as a subject that supports children’s intellectual, personal, moral and spiritual growth, while promoting respect and understanding between people of different faiths and worldviews. 

• Stakeholders strongly agree that RE plays a vital role in helping children make sense of the world, understand different perspectives, and reflect on their own beliefs. 

• The review praises RE’s role in developing empathy and community cohesion, helping pupils learn how belief systems influence life in Britain and beyond. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Despite its importance, RE provision is inconsistent across the country. Quality depends heavily on local arrangements and available resources. 

• RE is part of the basic curriculum, not the national curriculum, meaning there is no single national standard for what must be taught. 

• Many local Standing Advisory Councils on RE (SACREs) lack funding or capacity, leading to fragmented provision. 

• The legal framework for RE hasn’t been meaningfully updated since 1944, making the system outdated and overly complex. 

• As a result, some schools provide tokenistic or minimal RE, leaving gaps in children’s understanding of religion, belief and worldviews. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Move RE into the national curriculum over time, ensuring every pupil in every school has access to high-quality, consistent provision. 

• Establish an independent task and finish group — including representatives from faith, non-faith, and education sectors — to design a draft national RE curriculum. 

• Base the new curriculum on the Religious Education Council’s 2023 National Content Standard, providing clear expectations for knowledge and understanding. 

• Update the non-statutory RE guidance (last revised in 2010) to improve consistency and support teachers in the short term. 

• Ensure all pupils leave Key Stage 2 with a secure foundation in major faiths and worldviews, ready to build on this knowledge at secondary. 

Science 

What’s Going Well 

• England’s pupils perform reasonably well on international benchmarks, and the curriculum’s knowledge-rich focus is worth retaining. 

• The subject aims already emphasise core scientific knowledge and methods, giving a solid base to build on. 

What Needs to Improve 

• Primary provision is inconsistent: time, depth and sequencing vary, which creates gaps that surface at transition to Key Stage 3. 

• The primary curriculum can be uneven across the three disciplines, with missed chances to make cross-curricular links. 

• Curriculum coherence is weak: pupils often revisit topics later without deeper understanding. 

• Practical science has reduced and is not always purposeful, with too much reliance on video over hands-on work. 

• Climate science is underrepresented and some content is outdated, limiting relevance to contemporary issues. 

• Pupils need stronger preparation to evaluate scientific claims and evidence in everyday life. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

• Tighten and clarify KS1–2 Programmes of Study: set out what to teach, to what depth, and why, including essential experiences that anchor abstract ideas in real life. 

• Balance Biology, Chemistry and Physics more deliberately, and map progression so key concepts build logically from KS1 to KS2 and into KS3. 

• Define the purpose of practical work: specify when to use teacher demonstrations vs hands-on investigations, and what procedural knowledge and equipment skills children should gain. 

• Embed climate education explicitly across the disciplines, ensuring coherent treatment of causes, consequences and solutions without overloading content. 

• Strengthen cross-curricular links (e.g., maths for data handling, geography for environment) and make expectations for scientific language and evidence-use explicit. 
   

And finally, assessment… 

What’s Going Well 

• Phonics remains central at Key Stage 1, and the Phonics Screening Check (PSC) continues to be seen as an effective way to ensure early reading success. 

• Optional Key Stage 1 SATs in reading, writing and maths are still widely used, around 60% of schools continue to administer them to help identify gaps. 

• At Key Stage 2, national assessments (SATs) in English and Maths continue to serve an important role in tracking progress and supporting transition to secondary school. 

• The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is valued for ensuring pupils secure essential number fluency by Year 4. 

• The review recognises that parents, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, find Key Stage 2 assessment data helpful in understanding their child’s progress. 

What Needs to Improve 

• The Phonics Screening Check format excludes non- and pre-verbal pupils, leaving a small but important group without an equivalent measure. 

• Some children with SEND find the MTC inaccessible, meaning gaps in understanding may go unnoticed. 

• The Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS) test has encouraged overemphasis on terminology and isolated grammar drills rather than grammar in real writing. 

• Teacher assessment of writing is valued but inconsistent, with too much redrafting and uncertainty about criteria. 

• Moderation processes vary between schools, causing inconsistencies and workload pressures. 

Key Recommendations for Primary 

Key Stage 1 

• Keep the Phonics Screening Check, but create an alternative in-school assessment for non- and pre-verbal pupils to ensure progress is monitored. 

• Encourage greater take-up of optional KS1 SATs, with the DfE and Standards and Testing Agency (STA) supporting schools to use them for early identification of learning needs. 

Key Stage 2 

• Refine MTC access arrangements for pupils with SEND so all can demonstrate multiplication fluency appropriately. 

• Replace the current GPS test with a new version that retains core grammar and spelling content but adds short composition tasks, promoting applied writing skills. 

• Retain teacher-assessed writing, but improve the assessment framework to focus on fluency and purpose rather than tick-box compliance. 

• Strengthen moderation systems through clearer guidance, peer moderation, and consistent external checks to support reliability and teacher development. 

• Consider how to use KS2 results more effectively to support curriculum planning and smoother transition into Year 7. 

And that’s it! We appreciate this is a very long blog, but it is still a lot shorter than the full review, we hope it has saved you some time this week!