At the end of last year, the recommendations of England’s curriculum and assessment review were finally published. It looked at the broader curriculum, including issues such as oracy and financial education, then provided a comprehensive set of subject-specific recommendations.
This review kicks off an important couple of years for reforming and reshaping the chemistry curriculum. I think the review is a much-needed step toward a more inclusive, practical, and future-focused science education system. However, I believe we can go further still – especially in assessment where, in my eyes, the review fell short, as well as in signposting the science pathways available to young people. Major evolutionary change needs to be done with teachers gradually over time to achieve this.
Major evolutionary change needs to be done with teachers gradually over time
Last autumn, the Royal Society of Chemistry, alongside the Institute of Physics (IOP), the Association for Science Education (ASE) and the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), had the opportunity to help shape these recommendations for the sciences, and it is thanks to your engagement with our surveys and the experiences you’ve shared with us that we were able to advocate for some key changes.
Less content, more time
For several years now, your replies to our science teaching survey have shown that you feel the current chemistry curriculum is overloaded with content, with knock-on effects to student progression and time for a meaningful practical science experience, among other concerns. The review intends to address both the amount of content and the role of practical science via the new curriculum, although I believe we need to be more drastic with the reduction of content than the review’s suggestion of removing repetition. Some tough choices will need to be made, but with the recognition that all knowledge is valuable, it’s possible to build a deliverable curriculum around the fundamental concepts needed for both progression and ensuring young people are scientifically informed.
A core element of this is practical skills, which are key to students’ progression in secondary education. As such, the new curriculum should have a focus on key skills to be taught through hands-on experiences. This will give you the freedom to design engaging lessons while ensuring that your students acquire essential competencies such as observation, measurement and analysis – which reflects our own engagement with you through surveys, in addition to our policy position that recognises practical work remains essential to chemistry education.
A greener future
One of the most impactful changes is the intention to integrate climate change and sustainability throughout the curriculum. As highlighted in our Green Shoots reports, students are acutely aware of the sustainability challenges they face, and education is crucial to ensuring they are equipped to deal with these challenges and thrive in a green economy. Embedding these themes across topics means that learners see the relevance of science to the world around them and are empowered to contribute to a more sustainable future.
The fight for inclusivity is not over
We want all children to have a high-quality chemistry education – irrespective of their background. One of the key causes of inequity in education is access to separate science or combined science at GCSE, with students in wealthier areas being more likely to be able to take separate science. The review wants to provide an entitlement for all young people to take separate science if they wish, but we still foresee issues with attainment barriers, timetabling and subject-specific chemistry teacher resourcing, and generational perceptions and science capital. This feels like a missed opportunity to more radically redesign science GCSE pathways and give real opportunity to all young people.
I believe it’s important that the government really listens to those of you at the coal face and ensures that the implementation of all these recommendations – including the triple science entitlement – is realistic and achievable. You and your schools need the support and resources to bring this new curriculum to life and help deliver its promise. With the right support, these reforms can help create classrooms where every student feels inspired, informed, and empowered by science.
Our aim is for the new curriculum to be engaging and relevant
Looking ahead, we’re currently working hard on drafting the new chemistry curriculum , making sure it’s fit for the future. We’ll be looking to meet these recommendations, guided by our own updated curriculum framework on its potential design and content. Our aim is for the new curriculum to be engaging and relevant to students’ lives, with less content to give you time to explore concepts more deeply while reigniting a passion for chemistry in our young people.