Curriculum and Assessment Review: what private tutors should plan for

The government commissioned Professor Becky Francis CBE to chair the review.

Useful context for the review’s authority, but not a live syllabus change.

The final report and government response were published.

Start separating review recommendations from government commitments and consultation areas.

EBacc headline and additional measures are due to be removed from key stage 4 performance measures published in autumn 2026.

This is an accountability point for schools, not a reason to change exam-preparation content.

The revised national curriculum is expected to be published.

Plan time to compare revised programmes of study with current lesson resources.

The new national curriculum is planned for first teaching in England.

Expect stronger family questions about curriculum alignment, especially at KS3 and early GCSE planning stages.

Updated GCSEs in national curriculum subjects and religious studies are expected to begin first teaching in phases.

Do not advertise revised-spec support until DfE, Ofqual and exam boards publish subject detail.

Corresponding AS and A levels are expected to follow as the cohort moves into 16 to 19 study.

Post-16 tutors should monitor computing, data, AI, English and maths pathway updates without claiming confirmed specifications too early.

Planned England rollout: revised curriculum in 2027, first teaching in 2028.

Prepare to review lesson maps in 2027, but keep current programmes and specifications for present pupils.

Planned Year 8 reading test covering fluency and comprehension; schools are also expected to assess writing and maths progress with high-quality tools. The Department for Education says school-level Year 8 reading results will not be published.

Strengthen KS3 diagnostics, reading fluency, comprehension, writing structure and maths reasoning. Do not call writing and maths new national tests.

New primary and secondary frameworks are planned to support speaking, listening, reading and writing across subjects.

Build explain-aloud tasks, structured discussion and subject vocabulary into lessons where appropriate.

The response links media literacy to English and citizenship, and financial education to maths and citizenship.

Use text-evaluation, bias, argument and everyday-money examples as durable skills, while avoiding claims that current GCSE papers already include new requirements.

The government plans a broader GCSE Computing to succeed GCSE Computer Science and will explore a new level 3 qualification in data science and AI. Details are not yet a live specification.

Monitor subject content and qualification updates. Teach durable data, programming, digital literacy and AI concepts only where they fit current course needs.

The Department for Education supports a future policy to “introduce a triple science entitlement” and says DfE will work with schools first.

Prepare for more separate-science questions, but do not say triple science is already mandatory for every pupil or school.

DfE says it will work with Ofqual and awarding organisations to “reduce examination time by on average 2.5-3 hours” for the average student taking eight or nine GCSEs. Department for Education.

Keep current paper timings for current cohorts. Watch for future subject-specific assessment decisions.

The government will develop and consult on an improved model that “balances a strong academic core with breadth and student choice”. Department for Education.

Explain that this is school accountability, not a private-tuition syllabus. Treat subject-choice implications as provisional.

V Levels and new level 1 English and maths qualifications are consultation-linked, and the data science and AI qualification remains exploratory.

Support current A level, T Level, GCSE resit and vocational needs. Wait for confirmed design detail before making programme claims.

A statutory Year 8 reading test covering fluency and comprehension is planned.

Expect more focus on fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and subject-reading strategies before GCSE courses begin.

Schools are expected to assess Year 8 writing progress, and English reform is expected to place more weight on writing clearly and critically.

Use sentence control, paragraphing, grammar in context, argument structure and editing as cross-subject skills.

The response points to stronger sequencing from key stages 1 to 3, Year 8 maths progress checks and continued focus on GCSE maths outcomes.

Prioritise number confidence, reasoning, non-routine problem solving, mental arithmetic and gap-finding before higher GCSE content.

Primary and secondary frameworks are planned to support speaking and listening alongside reading and writing.

Ask pupils to explain methods, summarise arguments aloud, rehearse answers and use precise subject vocabulary.

The response connects English and citizenship with evaluating texts, arguments, persuasion and misinformation.

Use careful source evaluation, rhetorical analysis and argument comparison in English, humanities and citizenship-related support.

Financial education is expected to be strengthened through maths and citizenship, including practical concepts such as interest.

Everyday-money contexts can strengthen percentage, ratio, interest and problem-solving work without drifting away from current course aims.

Year 8 reading, writing progress and the secondary oracy, reading and writing framework.

Build a short diagnostic routine for fluency, comprehension, sentence control and explanation.

Future English programme and GCSE updates around critical reading, wider texts, media literacy and clear communication.

Keep current specifications first, but strengthen transferable analysis, argument and writing-control habits.

Key stage 1 to 3 sequencing, Year 8 maths progress expectations and future GCSE subject-content review.

Make gap diagnosis explicit and spend more time on reasoning, mental arithmetic and method explanation.

Triple science entitlement, practical work, climate-change content and possible streamlining of duplicate content.

Prepare KS3 and GCSE science resources that build conceptual links across biology, chemistry and physics.

The move from GCSE Computer Science to broader GCSE Computing, and exploratory level 3 data science and AI work.

Refresh data, programming, digital literacy and AI-awareness examples, but label future qualification detail as unconfirmed.

Progress 8 and Attainment 8 proposals that aim to keep an academic core while recognising humanities, creative subjects and languages.

Expect subject-choice conversations to become more nuanced, but avoid advising pupils solely from proposed accountability changes.

V Levels, level 1 English and maths qualifications, AS and A level updates, and possible data science and AI qualification development.

Keep current qualification aims clear while building adaptable English, maths, data and study-skills support.