The 12-member panel appointed to for the new Labour government has been named. Professor Becky Francis, the chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, was appointed in July to lead the review, pledged by Labour ahead of its victory in this year鈥檚 general election. Now Francis has named the remaining 11 members of the independent panel that will review both the curriculum taught in schools and the way it will be assessed. The panel includes academy trust chief executives Cassie Buchanan and Dr Vanessa Ogden, SEND consultant Gary Aubin and exams expert Professor Jo-Anne Baird. It also includes Reach Foundation curriculum director Jon Hutchinson and Funmilola Stewart, who leads on equality, diversity and inclusion across the Dixons trust and also teaches history at Dixons Trinity Academy in Bradford. Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual鈥檚 chief regulator and a former academy trust CEO, will attend review meetings as an observer, contributing to discussions, but without a decision-making role. ‘Experience and expertise’ Francis said she was 鈥渆xcited to be working with this terrific group of professional experts鈥� The review panel will 鈥渄raw on the experience and expertise of panel members with a detailed understanding of the curriculum in practice鈥�. 鈥淲e have ensured that primary, secondary and post-16 sectors are represented to give due authority and respect to the expertise of education professionals in shaping the curriculum and outcomes they deliver.鈥� She added that, alongside its call for evidence, due to launch in September, the review would 鈥渆ngage and consult with crucial stakeholder groups鈥�. 鈥淲e will work closely with education staff on the ground to produce a set of sensible, workable recommendations. 鈥淲e will consult young people and their parents to ensure that the views of children and young people are at the heart of the Review鈥檚 recommendations. 鈥淎nd we will work closely with employers to ensure that children and young people leave education ready for life and work.鈥� The review will be 鈥渄iscerning about the issues it tackles. 鈥淎nd whilst it won鈥檛 be able to address every issue linked to curriculum and assessment, I am confident that, by focusing on some key challenges, drawing on data and evidence, and listening to the views of the sector, we can develop an offer that works for young people and education professionals alike.鈥� The panel Professor Becky Francis Chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation Former director of the UCL Institute of Education Former professor at King鈥檚 College London Former director of education, Royal Society of Arts Former adviser to the Parliamentary education select committee Gary Aubin SEND consultant Author of SENDMatters blog Associate of the Education Endowment Foundation Leader of a national SEND leadership network with Whole Education Former SENDCo for a multi academy trust Professor Jo-Anne Baird Director of the University of Oxford鈥檚 Centre for Educational Assessment Former head of the University of Oxford鈥檚 department of education Held academic posts at the Institute of Education, University of London and the University of Bristol Former head of research for the AQA exam board Sir Ian Bauckham Chief regulator of Ofqual Chair of Oak National Academy Former chair of Ofqual Former CEO of Tenax Schools Trust Led government reviews of teacher training and modern foreign languages Nic Beech Vice chancellor of the University of Salford Chair of the Quality Council for UK Higher Education Commissioner, International Higher Education Commission Treasurer of Universities UK Former vice-principal at the University of St Andrews Former provost of Dundee University Former vice-chancellor of Middlesex University Cassie Buchanan CEO of the Charter Schools Education Trust Board member of Oak National Academy National leader of education Former head of Charles Dickens Primary School Previous member of DfE advisory committees on early years, teacher wellbeing and workload reduction Professor Zongyi Deng Professor of curriculum and pedagogy at the Institute of Education Faculty of Education and Society, University College London Leader of the Curriculum Subject Specialism Research Group (CSSRG) Executive editor of the Journal of Curriculum Studies (JCS) Has held faculty positions at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and the University of Hong Kong Taught in the US and China Jon Hutchinson Director of curriculum and teacher development at the Reach Foundation Former primary school teacher, A-level religious studies teacher and assistant head at Reach Academy Feltham Former visiting fellow at the Ambition Institute Regular expert advisor to the Department for Education Member of the core group which developed the Early Career Framework Party of the team that set up Oak National Academy John Laramy Principal and chief executive of Exeter College Founding director of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust Founding chair of the Exeter Specialist Mathematics School Former director of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership Former non-executive director of Pearson Education Limited National leader of further education Dr Vanessa Ogden CEO of the Mulberry Schools Trust Former headteacher of the Mulberry School for Girls Honorary Academic at the UCL Institute of Education Chair of the Fair Education Alliance and of the Unicorn Theatre Founder of Global Girl Leading Member of the DfE London regional board Member of the Commission on Religious Education National leader of education Lisa O鈥橪oughlin Principal and CEO of the Nelson and Colne College Group after 30-year career working in large FE colleges Former principal of The Manchester College Former chair of the Greater Manchester College Group, which works with colleges and the combined authority to develop a ‘collaborative 16-18 curriculum’ Funmilola Stewart Trust Leader for anti-racism and equality, diversity and inclusion across Dixons MAT Leader of the anti-racism cross cutting team at Dixons History teacher at Dixons Trinity Academy in Bradford
Paul 30 August 2024 There is a reasonable range of people across areas here but there is a real bias in some directions (i) there are far more people post=primary than primary and cannot see any EYFS representation (ii) there are a lot of people with links to UCL/IoE (iii) a significant number have links to the Oak organisation – this has produced scripted, reductive and formulaic materials and has been much criticised and (iv) links to particular academy trusts.
Polly 31 August 2024 I echo Paul鈥檚 thoughts above. It鈥檚 great they are being transparent with who is involved with reviewing the curriculum and assessment, but the panel feel very intertwined – it鈥檚 starting to feel like an 鈥渙ld boys club鈥�. There should also be current teachers from every phase involved, as well as career forecasters, educational phycologists, an expert in development and a range of SEND experts, not just one. It would be ideal (brave) to involve parents/children with lived experience too, at some stage of the review.
Phil 2 September 2024 And employers – who after all are the people that have to take the output of the education system and make it into something that is useful for the economy. We do need “education for education’s sake” to improve the minds of students, but we also need to focus on knowledge and skills that will be useful to them for the rest of their lives.
Danielle 31 August 2024 You have taken the words right out of my mouth. The bias towards ‘academy thinking’ is a concern and where is the person who will remind everyone of the huge benefits of the arts ?
Gwen Lee 2 September 2024 This is such an important task – The chance to transform our education focus. I agree with others and am disappointed by the bias towards Academies and Oak and lack of primary and EYFS practitioners. Also thought NCETM would be a great addition
2 September 2024 I鈥檓 hoping that the panel engages early in the process, with the Council for Subject Associations. It is the umbrella organisation for subject associations.
Ben 30 August 2024 Who here is representing vocational pathways? If the curriculum needs reviewing surely it鈥檚 in support of pupils who do not want to go to university and to promote the vocational skills we need to secure our students future. The system is set up to support the university debt pipeline. With many university鈥檚 on the brink of bankruptcy, we should be securing other pathways for young people like many countries already do in Europe. It鈥檚 fine to have a broad a general curriculum but we also need specialists and schools/universities are not developing them. The evidence is out there.
Robert Welch 30 August 2024 Do any of these good folk have any expertise in or experience of teaching any STEM subjects? I assume that they will seek advice from experts in the field.
Emma Grant 31 August 2024 I just wish that a group like this would write a fabulous fully resourced knowledge and skill rich curriculum, with researched implementation methods sign posted in, which we can all use, instead of teachers and heads of departments constantly writing and re-writing units, in the holidays and evenings, to achieve something better than has been in place. Would save time, money and morale – letting teachers focus and adapt to students in front of them. This would be far better than another 鈥榬eview鈥� and 鈥榝indings鈥� exercise.
2 September 2024 Hear Hear! The amount of hours spent writing subject curriculum (with no guidance other than one side of A4 – eg the Primary Art National Curriculum) that gets pulled to pieces is futile, demoralising and time-consuming.
Barry Adams 31 August 2024 Whilst I applaud the sensible inclusion of educational experts with management, SEND, inclusivity post 16 and early years backgrounds, there are a number of things that, as an experienced practitioner in an area often associated with vocational education (Design and Technology) I consider to be biased or missing. My experience of MATs has been uniformly poor, and there a number of members with heavy experience in this area. Could a Labour government be rolling over and accepting a business based model for education. Perhaps more importantly, what about the final consumers of our education ‘industry’, the employers? Lastly a thought about curriculum management and teacher training. We have consistently missed targets in recruitment. The dubious contribution of Oak Academy has been referenced in the previous comment. Will this be the curriculum of the future? Well publicised but badly executed to be deliveredby non specialists resulting in ill prepared students?
Bubs 1 September 2024 So no teachers or headteachers then. High profile folk with very limited accountability. No rank and file. No one from the chalk face. Same old same old. Tory recycled nonsense. Hope no one is expecting change. The current knight of the realm recycles. Anyone shocked?
2 September 2024 I agree with all the previous comments. This is a real missed opportunity to broaden horizons on how best to create an education system that has equity at it heart. To design a curriculum that will meet future demands which needs to involve non-traditional education organisations that have a much clearer view of the type of skills and knowledge that will be needed in 20, 30, 50 years time. This doesn’t appear like a group who will be able to turn the education system around so that it doesn’t continue to fail many of our children who are currently going through our education system in England. Hopefully, I am wrong in this assumption and the group will be able to arrive at creative ideas that will meet the needs of all pupils are met encouraging them to be successful learners rather than opting out of school. We need to create an education system that provides a safe learning haven where they can all thrive through success rather than failure and then contribute positively to the well-being of our society. Also such an error of judgement to include just the one token person of colour! It is like a throw back to the sixties.