Requires improvement: urgent change for 11–16 education

Today the House of Lords Education for 11–16 Year Olds Committee Report of Session 2023–24  'Requires improvement: urgent change for 11–16 education' was published. The report contains insight into and recommendations on a number of challenges faced in secondary education today. 

Have a look at the report in full by accessing this link. 

committees.parliament.uk/publications/42484/documents/211201/default/

The report notes: The Committee received extensive evidence about the 11–16 system in England from pupils, teachers, school leaders, academics, exam boards, trade unions and subject associations, among others. The evidence left us in no doubt of the need for urgent action. Our conclusions recognise that the 11–16 curriculum must be revised to incorporate a greater emphasis on technical, digital and creative areas of study. We are convinced that the burden of GCSE assessment on pupils and teachers should also be eased, by reconsidering the quantity of content studied and the number of subjects assessed externally. This approach is supported by our range of recommendations.

There is a recognition of the limitations of a narrowly focussed curriculum and the likely impact of that on the pupils being educated now who will take their place in the labour market in the 2030s. There is a recognition of the impact of the assessment system on 16 year olds and that being out of proportion with the expectation that young people will remain engaged with education and training to the age of 18. 

The report contains five key recommendations:

• Reduce the amount of content in the 11–16 curriculum, particularly in GCSE subjects.
• Ensure there is an adequate set of literacy and numeracy qualifications available to pupils aged 14 to 16, focused on the application of these skills in real-world contexts. 
• Create additional pathways to support the development of pupils’ digital skills, through the introduction of both a new applied computing GCSE and a digital literacy qualification.
• Initiate a programme of reform aimed at reducing the volume and lowering the stakes of exams taken at age 16.
• Abandon the EBacc school performance measures and review the other measures in the 11–16 phase.

An interesting read in its full format and much for school leaders to consider, as well as thinking about the active role they can play in the debate by engaging with the calls for evidence.