The eagerly awaited interim report for the Government-commissioned ‘Curriculum and Assessment Review’ landed in March 2025. The review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, has undergone the first stages of collecting and reviewing research evidence, data and feedback which included an impressive response of over 7000 opinions collected as part of a ‘Call for Evidence’. There were a number of words and phrases which resounded throughout the review, highlighting the importance of the national curriculum delivering ‘excellence for all’, high aspirations and raised standards for every pupil.
How might the current primary English curriculum be interpreted?
There are many elements of the current national curriculum which are open to interpretation. Following the introduction of this set of objectives in 2014, teachers and leaders were tasked with the opportunity to create their own reading and writing plans. In my experience, ahead of an influx of privatised schemes of learning created with the intention of supporting educators, these early days of planning for English lessons often involved printed copies of the objective strands and highlighters to match the academic terms. Diligently, myself and my colleagues would allocate the statutory requirements across the school year, landing on a text and a genre which would allow us to “tick these off”.
This was a mammoth task. It was time-consuming and stress-inducing and as a true English enthusiast, felt at odds with the holistic and purposeful way that I understood English should be taught, explored and enjoyed. In 2025, my experience of reading and writing lessons in schools is often that of a set of slides which have been downloaded from a paid lesson-planning platform, with the task of plotting the objectives across the year “done” for teachers – saving them the time of having to do this for themselves.
In what ways can these objective-driven planning experiences limit knowledge, understanding and enjoyment in English lessons?
I am a true-believer in the joy of planning. Having the time and opportunity to collaborate on learning experiences which seek to inspire pupils, value curiosity and elicit excited chatter between educators, is where I have seen joyful English opportunities come to life. Although I understand the relevance and importance of many of the requirements outlined within the strands of primary English, there is a danger of extinguishing authentic exploration when these are segregated into terms, weeks and days with little meaning.
Equally it is concerning to see teachers being handed, or directed towards, a set of pre-prepared slides (often with several complex strands of the national curriculum guidance on) to “teach” and “assess” within a 1-hour lesson slot. For educators and pupils, there can become the feeling of ‘going through the motions’ – delivering rather than teaching.
What has the Curriculum and Assessment Review highlighted which seeks to elevate the importance of excellent and equitable opportunities in English?
The identification of,
‘strong evidence that securing mastery in a subject is vital for raising standards and enabling future expertise’
is perhaps not a new concept. However, the inhibition of creating opportunities for these deeper explorations in some subjects is clearly highlighted. Citing time pressures to enable breadth of learning, my immediate thoughts turned back to the aforementioned “tick list of objectives”. The pressure felt by educators to have taught all of the content, often without an opportunity to truly explore the concepts and effects of the skills taught.
There are certainly a number of fantastic resources which are being created to support teachers in their pursuit of creating an inclusive, ambitious and relevant primary English curriculum. I believe that the most effective and meaningful of these seek to upskill educators – placing a high-value on their autonomy and professional development. Yes, pre-made slides and lesson plans will undoubtedly save teachers’ time. However, how often are these learning experiences evaluated, altered or audited in relation to how appropriate, motivating, challenging and inclusive these are for individual settings and cohorts? I would argue that doing this is potentially even more time-consuming, if engaged with at all.
The key ingredients for creating an excellent primary English curriculum for all
The aim for high and rising standards, as shared in the Review, relies on:
‘the excellent teaching of a curriculum that allows all young people to fully master the fundamental knowledge and disciplinary skills that education should provide.’
The first steps to achieving this, I believe, centre around:
1. The choice of high-quality, rich and diverse texts
“The text is expert”. A line from the Opening Doors educational book series, which uses rich, ambitious literary texts as the literal gateway to all pupils gaining an immersive, enlightening and accessible experience of the written and spoken word. All too often, text exploration can be segregated for groups of children within a classroom or materials are deemed “too hard” for sets of pupils or individuals. It is the principles, strategies and learning experiences which allow for all children to learn from, and to enjoy, a text which ensures English opportunities are equitable.
Similarly, Just Imagine centre’s ‘Take One Book’ lesson planning units do not shy away from authors or genres who at first glance may be judged as “too difficult” for a particular year group. A mindset shift away from the typical reading spines. A deliberate audit of the pedagogy around how reading and writing are taught – and how children learn. A reflection on how outcomes are recorded and progress is measured. Once these intentional considerations have been activated the rest of the lesson planning process will follow.
2. Investment in teacher professional development
With ready-made slides and resources running the risk of de-skilling educators, choosing professional learning opportunities which seek to empower, support and ignite joy and interest in planning reading and writing lessons have the capability to add long-lasting value and impact to your school’s English provision. The value placed on teacher autonomy and professional knowledge is recognised within the review:
‘The national curriculum should enable students to master high-quality and aspirational learning, no matter what their individual needs or backgrounds. It should also support teachers to use their professional expertise in designing or selecting an engaging and stretching programme of learning that best suits their needs.’
Many platforms which provide lesson planning material for English lessons are costly. Yes, they may “take care of the lessons” but where is the long-lasting impact on staff’s ability to teach English principles effectively? Investing in training which commits to staff’s professional confidence, expertise and enjoyment is what I believe will guarantee measurable impact.
3. Lesson design which supports the ‘mastery of foundational concepts’
The end of key stage 2 grammar, punctuation and spelling assessment was raised as an area which will continue to be explored in the next stage of the Review. An identification of the concern that this standalone test, ‘might lead to the teaching of textual features in isolation at the expense of a sound understanding of teaching reading and writing’ falls in-line with the “tick list” of objectives previously mentioned.
When teachers are dis-empowered to create authentic and aspirational learning experiences through the use of sub-standard texts and segregated grammar features, pupils’ ability and opportunity to really understand the beauty of the written word is reduced. Creating lessons which include regular opportunities to write, discuss, explore and reflect equip pupils with the ability to read and write for meaning.
Small steps, big impact
The next stages of the Curriculum and Assessment Review aim to continue to explore the range of issues and questions raised from the interim report, including the relevance, volume and diversity of content across subjects. The importance of equity and excellence in the learning opportunities which are intentionally curated for pupils, is a welcomed message which runs throughout. Alongside the recognition of the abilities and expertise of teaching professionals, empowering educators with the support and longevity of high-quality professional learning is key to achieving a primary English curriculum which immerses pupils in enriching and meaningful opportunities.
Ahead of the final review, which will be released in autumn 2025, evaluating your school’s text choice, professional development opportunities and English curriculum design would be encouraged to support the consideration of whether your current offering is indeed ‘fit for purpose’.
If you’d like support with reviewing your primary English curriculum, or you’re interested in tailored and practical professional development opportunities, please get in touch with me for a free consultation.
