Reforms to school curriculum 'fail to address inequality'

REFORMS to the school curriculum are a missed opportunity to combat regional inequalities, North East education leaders have warned.

- DANIEL HOLLAND Local Democracy Reporter

The Department for Education (DfE) announced that it will introduce compulsory reading tests for year 8 pupils, among a series of changes recommended by a Government-commissioned review.

Professor Becky Francis’ review has also recommended that exam volume at GCSE level be cut by at least 10% and that citizenship classes are made mandatory in primary school.

Schools North East, which represents over 1,150 schools in our region, said that the report contained welcome steps forward and that the new diagnostic assessments in Year 8 would help strengthen the transition from primary to secondary education.

However, it warned that the overhaul “leaves major gaps unaddressed” when it comes to improving outcomes for children in more deprived parts of the country.

The North East has the fewest GCSE pupils getting top grades, with only 17.8% this year receiving a grade 7 or above.