Curriculum and Assessment review: Have the government heard us?

Together Trust 

Current statutory tests are too rigid and often fail to support learners who need additional help. We called for a more flexible and inclusive approach to Key Stage 1 and 2 assessments.  

Government Response 

The Government recognises that many pupils leave primary school without meeting standards in reading and maths, and this gap widens by Key Stage 4.  

However, there are no plans for major changes to the assessment system. 

Instead, they will: 

• Improve writing assessments at Key Stage 2 and keep grammar testing. 

• Introduce a new oracy framework to help pupils become confident speakers. 

• Add a statutory reading fluency and comprehension test in Year 8. 

• Require schools to assess progress in writing and maths in Year 8. 

• Consult on Progress 8 to ensure a broad curriculum, including creative subjects. 

Together Trust 

We urged the Government to give teachers more flexibility in how and when assessments are carried out, using a person-centred approach.  

We also called for formative assessments to be embedded in the curriculum, to help teachers track progress continuously, identify gaps early, and adapt teaching for students with SEND-making learning more inclusive and effective. 

Government Response 

The Government agrees that adaptive teaching and formative assessment are essential to helping pupils with different starting points make strong but will not change the overall structure of assessments (Key Stages, GCSEs, A Levels).  

Instead, they plan to: 

• Embed accessibility in new assessment designs. 

• The Government will explore ways to improve access for pupils with SEND who find the Phonics Screening Check or Multiplication Tables Check inaccessible. This includes refining access arrangements. 

• Strengthen teacher training on adaptive teaching and formative assessment, with a full review in 2027. 

• Provide evidence-led resources to help teachers adapt the curriculum for SEND learners. 

• Keep non-exam assessments where exams aren’t suitable. 

• Introduce a diagnostic test in Maths and English at Key Stage 3 to identify gaps earlier. 

• Help young people who didn’t achieve Level 2 by age 16 to do so at 16–19, targeting low prior attainers, including many with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Together Trust 

We asked for changes to the accountability system to better reflect progress and inclusion for learners with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Specifically, we called for flexible, tailored digital tools that allow schools to set meaningful targets and track progress effectively. 

Government Response 

The Government did not commit to developing digital platforms for progress tracking. Instead, they plan to provide teachers with access to Oak National Academy’s optional curriculum materials for ages 5-16. 

Together Trust 

We called for stronger accountability around Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) outcomes. Local authorities need greater scrutiny to ensure EHCPs are accurate and meaningful, and central government must provide adequate funding so councils can meet their statutory duties. 

Government Response 

The Government reiterates that EHCPs should include any necessary modifications to the National Curriculum. However, it acknowledges that many factors affecting outcomes for pupils with SEND – lie outside the scope of this review. 

Together Trust 

We called for smaller class sizes and multidisciplinary teams. At Inscape House School, classes of six students supported by four staff – including specialists like speech therapists, occupational therapists, and PBS practitioners – enable tailored interventions and continuous assessment.  

Government Response 

The Government’s response does not mention smaller class sizes or multidisciplinary teams. 

Together Trust 

Socioeconomic disadvantage can make statutory assessments even harder. Children from high-deprivation areas often have limited life experiences outside their immediate surroundings, so tests that assume broader cultural knowledge can feel alien and inaccessible. 

Government Response 

The Government highlights the need for inclusive accountability systems, tailored support, and flexibility – but says many barriers, like poverty, lie beyond the curriculum and outside the scope of this review. 

The response commits to applying a social justice lens to curriculum and assessment reforms, but structural changes, funding, and multidisciplinary support are still needed to make this vision a reality.