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On the 19th July, the new Government announced its ‘Curriculum and Assessment Review’ led by the highly-regarded education specialist, Professor Becky Francis CBE. As the Department for Education embarks on its journey, now seems an ideal moment to outline potential focal points for a review of technology infrastructure and edtech.

Key Features of the Curriculum Reform

Takeaways from the review include an ambitious curriculum reform from Key Stage one to five, as well as the introduction of mandatory national curriculum for all state schools including academies. Calling for an evolution rather than a revolution to the system, the review seeks to balance high standards with greater breadth while ensuring that the assessment system remains effective for both students and staff.

Context and Broader Discussion

Though the initial review process seeks to involve extensive consultation with experts, parents, teachers, and leaders, this is anything but a greenfield discussion. Much ink has been committed to education reform. Most recently an appeal for system change includes Labour Together's 'Broad and Bold' report, authored by another education sector heavyweight and former headteacher, Oli De Botton. Another important bellwether includes the Tony Blair Institutes recent companion paper titled "The Economic Case for AI-Enabled Education" which we covered in an earlier insight.

Insights from the House of Lords Debate

A very recent indication of possible directions for education reform came from the House of Lords debate on the Lords Select Committee report published in December 2023.

Chaired by Lord Johnson of Marylebone, the report issued 20 recommendations, 12 of which, according to the ex-Minister of State for Universities, were rejected by the previous government, leaving five to be partially accepted and three "begrudgingly" in full. How the new government will engage with these recommendations remains to be seen; however, the response by the peers in the debating chamber indicated strong signs of encouragement.

Broadening Curriculum Focus and Edtech's Role

In regard to content, the report anticipated recommendations for a broader curriculum focus to restore the standing of arts, sports, digital skills, design and technology, and career-minded-skills. During Lord Knight's contribution to the debate on this, he proposed that modern foreign languages, as well as creative skills, be taught at Key Stage one. He would go on to admit that the broadening of the curriculum to this extent would present an unenviable CPD and staffing challenge.

It's within this context that EdTech solutions, AI-powered or otherwise, are well positioned to help both accelerate the teacher training needs and help plug content gaps where acute staffing challenges are present. With a glut of language learning EdTech solutions such as Busuu already being favoured by the private sector, the solutions exist to tackle this upskilling challenge.

Beyond the hurdles of staffing and CPD, the report also highlighted that access to specialised and often expensive equipment and material was an insurmountable barrier for schools, particularly in the case of design & technology. What was not proffered in the debate were the potential solutions to this impasse. Again, this is an opportunity for the EdTech ecosystem which, with emerging technologies such as VR/AR, could reduce the costs of both current and future material requirements through virtualisation.

Reimagining Assessment Methods and Outcomes

On assessment, the debate issued calls for more uptake of onscreen and online assessments and for the striking of balance in assessment. Again, physical and material constraints were highlighted as key barriers to a systemwide overhaul of our traditional assessment methods. Disequilibrium in IT and device provision, coupled with connectivity, skills, and staffing challenges, meant that large cohort online and on-screen assessments were currently unrealistic.

As an alternative to high-stakes, end-of-year assessments, Lord Knight called for a future approach to consider the solution of learner portfolios, including micro-credentials, to act as a passport for further and higher education, as well as career development.

This proposal was echoed in the Tony Blaire Institute paper and draws on long-standing calls for self-sovereign, digital learner wallets. This poses the question as to who builds and maintains such a system, including whether distributed ledger technology has a role in securing a future portfolio approach.

Advisory Support and the Future Role of Oak National Academy

What was not highlighted in the report, was Lord Knight’s repeated call for school leaders to have access to good advice. He proposed that the government repurpose Oak National Academy to be a new "light touch BECTA". The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) was one of the first to be sacrificed in the so-called "bonfire of the quangos" in 2011. With a remit for system-wide engagement around ICT in education, BECTA not only provided timely advice for leadership but also recognised and celebrated best practice from ICT leaders.

With the future of the Department for Education's digital curriculum resource provider up in the air following the judicial review, the transition of the Oak National Academy to an advisory role is not beyond the realm of possibility.

While some called for a much bolder approach, the mood music in the room was one of heightened consciousness to an already overburdened and overstretched system. Indeed, Baroness Barren, who served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education from 2022 to 2024, called for reform to avoid the "soft bigotry of low expectations": she called for the importance of maintaining high expectations for all students and cautioned against changes that might inadvertently lower standards, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The careful expansion of curriculum content presents an opportunity to re-examine the integration of technology in education. As the review suggests a broader approach without a complete systemic overhaul, edtech can offer practical solutions to some of the identified challenges. By focusing on supporting teacher development and facilitating access to resources, technology can help schools meet new curriculum demands while maintaining high educational standards. This balanced approach allows for innovation within a familiar framework, ensuring that progress is both meaningful and manageable.

Through it's newest market programme, techUK is ready to support the new government as well as the wider education sector in getting the best out of tech. If you'd like to join us, support us and guide us on this journey, we would love to hear from you!