Review of the National Curriculum announced

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, has announced a major review of the National Curriculum in England for 5- to 16-year olds.

The review will be led by the Department for Education (DfE), supported by an Advisory Committee and Expert Panel made up of teachers, academics, and business representatives.

According to the Department for Education the current National Curriculum:

The press release goes on to state how "it is the Government's intention that the National Curriculum be slimmed down so that it properly reflects the body of essential knowledge which all children should learn and does not absorb the overwhelming majority of teaching time in schools. Individual schools should have greater freedom to construct their own programmes of study in subjects outside the National Curriculum and develop approaches to learning and study which complement it".

The principal objectives for the review are to:

In order to allow schools time to manage the transition to the new curriculum effectively, the new Programmes of Study for English, mathematics, science, and physical education will be introduced in maintained schools from 2013, with Programmes of Study for other subjects coming into force the following year. The review will also advise on how the new curriculum should be phased in for each key stage.

As part of this review process the DfE has issued a call for evidence so that you can give your input to the discussion at this early stage, and they want to hear your opinions and evidence about the National Curriculum. More information, including the consultation document and details of how to participate, are given on the Call for Evidence website.

The full announcement and additional information can be found on the DfE website.