Curriculum and Assessment Review: What Changes for Your Child, and When
The Curriculum and Assessment Review is the biggest rewrite of what children in England learn in more than a decade. The government's response, published on 5 November 2025, sets a new national curriculum to be taught from September 2028, updated GCSEs from 2029 with 2.5 to 3 hours less exam time, a new reading test for every Year 8 pupil, and the end of the EBacc as a school performance measure. This page sets out each change by stage of school, the dates that matter, and which year groups will feel them.
Published: the final report and the government response, both on 5 November 2025.
New national curriculum: published by spring 2027, taught from September 2028.
GCSEs: updated in two phases, first taught from 2029 and 2030, with exam time cut by 2.5 to 3 hours on average.
EBacc: headline and additional EBacc measures removed from the 2025 to 2026 Key Stage 4 results published in autumn 2026.
Year 8: a new statutory reading test for every pupil, covering fluency and comprehension.
What the review was
The Curriculum and Assessment Review was an independent look at what children in England are taught from the start of primary school to age 18 and how they are assessed. It was chaired by Professor Becky Francis and reported in November 2025, more than 10 years after the national curriculum was last rewritten. The government accepted most of its recommendations the same day. The changes apply to schools in England only; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own curricula.
The response keeps the existing structure: the same key stages, the same core subjects, GCSEs at 16, and A levels and T Levels after that. What changes is the content of each subject, the amount of exam time, the way secondary schools are measured, and a new set of qualifications after 16.
Changes in primary school
- Grammar. The government says some grammar is being taught "in isolation rather than for the purpose of being used effectively in writing", and names fronted adverbials and the subjunctive. It will review the grammar content in the primary curriculum, and the Standards and Testing Agency will review the Key Stage 2 grammar, punctuation and spelling test. Some of the harder concepts may move into Key Stage 3.
- Writing. Assessment of writing at Key Stage 2 will put more weight on fluent writing.
- Citizenship. Citizenship will become a statutory subject at Key Stages 1 and 2 "at the earliest opportunity". At present it is only compulsory in secondary schools.
- Oracy. A new framework will help primary teachers make sure children are confident speakers and listeners by the end of Year 6.
- Phonics. The target is for 90% of children to meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. About 80% did in 2024 to 2025. Our page on the phonics screening check explains how it works.
The SATs themselves are not being scrapped, and the times tables check stays: the response says its timed format is important to what it measures. Any changes to Key Stage 2 tests will be phased so that children have learned the new curriculum before they are tested on it. The 2027 SATs run as normal.
Changes in secondary school
- A Year 8 reading test. Every pupil will sit a new statutory national assessment of reading fluency and comprehension in Year 8. Schools will also be expected to check progress in writing and maths in Year 8, using tests they choose.
- Less exam time at GCSE. Working with Ofqual and the exam boards, the government will cut the time pupils spend in GCSE exams by 2.5 to 3 hours on average. The review called the current volume excessive. Exams stay the main form of assessment.
- Computing. The computer science GCSE will be replaced with a broader GCSE in computing, and AI and digital literacy will be taught from a young age. A new post-16 qualification in data science and AI is being explored.
- Triple science. The government backs an entitlement to triple science for pupils who can benefit. It will work with schools on staffing first, before making the entitlement statutory.
- Climate and media literacy. Science will cover the greenhouse effect, emissions, fossil fuels and deforestation more explicitly, and financial, media and digital literacy will be built into the relevant subjects.
- Religious education. RE is not being added to the national curriculum yet. The government says it will only consult on a draft RE curriculum if faith, non-faith and school groups reach a shared position.
The end of the EBacc measure
The English Baccalaureate counted how many pupils took GCSEs in English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. Critics said it squeezed out arts and technical subjects. The government is removing the EBacc headline and additional measures from secondary school performance tables, starting with the 2025 to 2026 results published in autumn 2026.
Progress 8 and Attainment 8 stay, but the government will consult on a new version. Its proposal keeps the English and maths rules, gives two slots to science subjects and four "breadth" slots, at least two of which must come from two of three groups: humanities, creative subjects and languages. Schools will keep the EBacc subjects; what changes is how schools are judged. If you compare secondary schools, our explainer on Progress 8 and Attainment 8 sets out what the current scores mean.
After 16: V Levels
The government wants to replace hundreds of overlapping post-16 qualifications with a simpler choice at level 3: A levels, T Levels and new V Levels, which are vocational qualifications that can be taken alongside A levels. Students who have not passed GCSE English or maths will be offered new preparation qualifications before resitting. Updated A levels follow the GCSEs, first taught in 2031 and 2032.
What it means for your child
| Child's year group in September 2026 | What they will see |
|---|---|
| Reception to Year 4 | The new national curriculum from September 2028, and any reformed Key Stage 2 tests once they have been taught the new content. |
| Year 5 to Year 7 | The new Key Stage 3 curriculum from September 2028. Today's Year 7 start Year 10 in September 2029, so they are the first year group who could take updated GCSEs, in the phase 1 subjects. |
| Year 8 and above | Mostly today's GCSEs and A levels. The EBacc change affects how schools are ranked, not what your child sits. |
The table is a rough guide: which GCSE subjects fall in the 2029 phase and which in 2030 has not been finalised, and the government planned to consult on draft programmes of study and the first group of GCSEs before publishing the final curriculum. Check with your child's school, which will plan the changeover, and see our guide to choosing a school for questions worth asking at open evenings.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the new national curriculum start?
The government aims to publish the final revised national curriculum by spring 2027, and schools will teach it from September 2028. It applies to every key stage at once rather than being phased in.
Are SATs being scrapped?
No. Key Stage 2 SATs and the Year 4 multiplication tables check stay. The grammar, punctuation and spelling test is being reviewed, and writing assessment will focus more on fluent writing. Any changes will be phased in after pupils have learned the new curriculum.
Is the EBacc being scrapped?
The EBacc headline and additional measures are being removed from school performance tables, starting with 2025 to 2026 results published in autumn 2026. Pupils can still take the same subjects; schools are just no longer measured on that combination.
How much shorter will GCSE exams be?
The government has committed to reducing the time pupils spend in GCSE exams by 2.5 to 3 hours on average, working with Ofqual and the exam boards. The cut comes with the updated GCSEs, first taught from 2029.
What is the new Year 8 test?
A statutory national assessment of reading fluency and comprehension that every Year 8 pupil will sit. Schools will also be expected to assess writing and maths progress in Year 8, choosing their own tests.
Does the review apply in Wales or Scotland?
No. The Curriculum and Assessment Review covers England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own curricula and qualifications.
Sources: Department for Education, Curriculum and Assessment Review final report: government response (5 November 2025, updated 10 December 2025). Checked 15 October 2026. Back to the Schools Insight homepage.