New Curriculum Reforms for Life & Work Skills

The DfE has announced a major overhaul of the national curriculum, aiming to better prepare children and young people for the modern world.

These reforms respond to the Curriculum and Assessment Review led by Professor Becky Francis and will be implemented for first teaching from September 2028.

Key Changes & Additions
 

• Core Skills Focus - Stronger emphasis on reading, writing, maths, and science, with a new statutory reading test in Year 8 and enhanced writing assessments in Year 6.
• Digital & Media Literacy - Primary pupils will learn to spot fake news and understand misinformation and disinformation online.
• Financial Education - Children will be taught money fundamentals from an early age.
• Arts & Enrichment - Arts GCSEs will be given equal status to humanities and languages. A new core enrichment entitlement will ensure access to civic engagement, arts, nature, sport, and life skills.
• Science & Technology - Schools will be expected to offer triple science GCSE as standard. A new qualification in data science and AI is being explored for 16–18-year-olds.
• Oracy Framework - A new framework will support teaching of speaking and listening skills across all key stages.
• Citizenship Education - Will become compulsory in primary schools, covering law, rights, democracy, and climate education.
• Curriculum Format - The new curriculum will be digital and machine-readable, making it easier for teachers to plan and sequence lessons.

Performance Measures & Accountability
 

The EBacc will be removed, and Progress 8 will be reformed to encourage broader subject choices.

Ofsted will review how schools meet the new enrichment benchmarks, and parents will be able to access this information via updated school profiles.

Timeline
 

The final curriculum is to be published in Spring 2027.

Implementation in schools from September 2028.

You can read the full report and DfE Press Release on the GOV.UK website.