Keeping the curriculum under review

QCA is required to keep the curriculum under review in order to build a modern, world-class curriculum that inspires and challenges all learners and prepares them for the future.

To do this effectively evidence is considered by our monitoring programme that makes sure our our work is soundly based and informed by practical experience.

Informing the secondary curriculum review

In 2006/7 our monitoring focused on:

• the aims of the curriculum
• the key stage 3 programmes of study
• skills in the curriculum
• assessment.

Findings supported and informed our secondary curriculum review work and gave us a better understanding of how:

• each subject sees itself contributing to the aims of the curriculum
• personal, learning and thinking skills are embedded in the curriculum
• schools use formative, as opposed to summative, assessment.

Findings also informed the proposals published in the secondary curriculum review in February 2007 and our thinking about assessment issues.

QCA is currently consulting on the secondary curriculum review until 30 April 2007. To contribute to the consultation, visit www.qca.org.uk/secondarycurriculumreview.

An engaging new format

These website pages replace the previous hard copy, annual statements with outcomes from specific issues compared across subjects, and include in-depth graphical comparisons across subjects and online questionnaires.

They will be regularly updated with in-depth probes on current issues, including homework, healthy eating and modern foreign languages. These probes are in response to headteachers, teachers, parents, learners, local authorities and other organisations' concerns about keeping abreast of current developments and contributing more quickly.

We will continue to speak to stakeholders though focus groups and seminars, speak to teachers and learners through visits to schools and colleges, and examine the curriculum in practice.

We encourage you to contribute your views. We are particularly keen to hear if you have specific issues that you think we should consider, or if you have examples of good practice that you would like to contribute.