Monitoring

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is required to keep the national curriculum under review and advise the Secretary of State on curriculum and assessment matters.

To do this effectively we have a programme of monitoring and evaluation that makes sure our advice is soundly based and development work is informed by practical experiences.

As part of this programme, we speak to key players, hold focus groups and seminars, and undertake questionnaires. We also visit schools and colleges to speak with individual teachers and learners and to examine the curriculum in practice.

The information we gather helps us:

• learn more about subjects in schools -- their place in the curriculum and the opportunities and constraints placed on their development
• monitor curriculum planning and implementation and review the effectiveness of the resources and support available
• evaluate the impact of recent changes in subject requirements -- their effectiveness in promoting quality and raising standards, their appropriateness for pupils and their manageability for teachers
• learn more about innovation in schools and the classroom, new developments in subjects and relevant research about the curriculum and its assessment.

QCA's annual reports provide a summary of the findings from monitoring and evaluating the curriculum. Subject-specific reports can be downloaded from this page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact businesseducation@qca.org.uk.