The government has this morning published its call for evidence for its wide-ranging review of the curriculum. We already have an explainer of how the review will work (you can read that here), so the below is more specific to the call for evidence. 1. It’s an 8-week consultation The call for evidence opens today and runs until November 22. That鈥檚 eight weeks to have your say. You can fill in the . The review has 鈥渄eliberately kept questions as open as possible, and welcome responses from all those interested: young people and their parents, teachers, lecturers, education leaders, subject experts, researchers, employers and others鈥. 2. Reports next year, but could be waiting for changes An interim report will be published in 鈥渆arly鈥 2025. It will 鈥渟et out the review鈥檚 interim findings and confirm key areas for further work鈥. A final report and recommendations will come in Autumn 2025. But what happens after that? Review chair Becky Francis suggested it could be a mixed bag. Some more straight forward changes, for instance, could be put forward in the first report, and brought in the following year. Government has committed to give schools a year notice for any major curriculum and assessment reforms. However she did say any bigger and more complicated reforms could require further reviews or consultations, and may not even happen in this parliament, which ends in 2029. And, as Francis has previously said, where 鈥渘ew content is added, existing content will need to be removed to make space鈥. 3. SEND, forgotten third are priorities 鈥 The review makes clear there are lots of good things about the current system. It鈥檚 evolution, not revolution. Francis described the review as a 鈥渞efresh鈥. However, the review states there are 鈥減arts of the system that require improvement鈥 鈥 particularly so for pupils with additional needs and those from poorer backgrounds. 鈥淭he reality is that we continue to fail the third of our young people who do not achieve five GCSEs at grade 4 or above age 16, a disproportionate number of whom are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds,鈥 Francis said. 鈥淭here is therefore a need to review the existing curriculum and assessment frameworks to ensure that they are fit for purpose for the next quarter of a century. 鈥淭he Review will take stock of successes, weaknesses and opportunities, to provide a curriculum that exemplifies excellence; secures the knowledge and skills young people will need in their future lives; enriches and motivates learning; and adapts to the changing needs of the environment they will navigate.鈥 4. 鈥 鈥榬educing鈥 exams burden on the cards 鈥 The review also lists some other potential outcomes. That includes to – 鈥淎lleviate some of the pressure and constraints on learners and educators鈥 – 鈥淩educe the assessment burden where feasible and appropriate, while continuing to recognise the socially progressive benefits of public examinations鈥. Views are being sought, for instance, on whether the 鈥渙verall volume of assessments impacts the wellbeing and ability of all young people to progress to the next stage of their education鈥. – 鈥淪upport professional expertise; address longstanding challenges in providing meaningful, rigorous and high-value pathways for all students at 16 to 19鈥 – 鈥淢ake sure the curriculum is inclusive and accessible for all young people and address injustices and unintended consequences鈥 The review may also offer commentary on the impact of accountability on the curriculum and assessment system. 鈥淚t may wish to recommend how changes to curriculum and assessment should interact with accountability measures.鈥 5. 鈥 but wary of 鈥榰nintended consequences鈥 Francis told Schools Week one of the biggest challenges would be to ensure the review reforms 鈥渄o no harm. We know how easy it is to precipitate unintended consequences, particularly around accountability and performance measures. 鈥淪o that’s something that I have to tread very carefully with.鈥 The Review document states it will seek to 鈥渋dentify the most significant and pressing issues facing curriculum and assessment鈥, but 鈥渨ill focus on addressing these without destabilising the system, making changes where things are working well, or where there is insufficient evidence to warrant change鈥. 鈥淚n short, we seek to bring about evolution, not revolution.鈥 The review will also not seek to 鈥渞emove well respected and valued qualifications like A-levels, GCSEs and T-levels鈥. 6. Subject declines 鈥榤ore nuanced than we thought鈥 Alongside the call for evidence, the government has published a study of curriculum subject trends over time to 鈥渁id our evidence-led conversation as we consider curriculum breadth and balance鈥. The blog stats it shows a 鈥渕ore nuanced picture than is often assumed鈥. Trends include 鈥淪ignificantly higher numbers鈥 of youngsters taking maths A-level A 鈥渟light鈥 decline in arts subjects at A-level, but more significant declines in other areas such as English While art and design 鈥渃ontinues to thrive鈥 at GCSE, other arts subjects had declined 鈥 notably drama, and to a lesser extent music. But design and technology 鈥渟tands out as the subject that has fared worst over time鈥 However, any conclusions are 鈥渃omplicated鈥 by vocational qualifications 鈥 taken by 43 per cent of youngsters at key stage 4. For instance, while the proportion of pupils taking music GCSE fell by 7 per cent in 2016, to 5 per cent in 2022, there has been an increase in entries to technical awards in music from 1 per cent to 3 per cent over the same period. This was mirrored in drama, media and PE too. But citizenship continues to have 鈥渧ery low uptake鈥, and computing has seen a 鈥渟ignificant reduction鈥 since the computing GCSE was introduced and alternative qualifications withdrawn, especially for girls Meanwhile, looking at teaching time per subject shows it has expanded for maths and English, but there is pressure on other subjects like PE, sex education and citizenship 鈥 which have declined.