Dear LAGB members,

You may be aware of the Department for Education's call for evidence for their Curriculum and Assessment Review [links below]. Among other objectives, it seeks to deliver "a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work" and "a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented".

The Committee for Linguistics in Education (CLiE), jointly sponsored by LAGB and BAAL, is preparing a response. Our question to you is: How can/should Linguistics inform or feature in UK schools, and what evidence supports your view?

NB: expertise and personal experience are accepted as evidence, in addition to published studies.

Please contact Yuni Kim (yuni.kim@surrey.ac.uk) by 5pm next Thursday 7 November with any linguistics-informed input on the questions (for the full list, see link below), including but not limited to:

12-15. In the current curriculum, assessment system and qualification pathways, are there any barriers or enablers to improving attainment, progress, access or participation for specific groups of learners/pupils (in terms of socioeconomic status, disability, race, ethnicity, gender, etc.)? 

16. To what extent does the content of the national curriculum at primary level (key stages 1 and 2) enable pupils to gain an excellent foundation in English? Are there ways in which the content could change to better support this aim?

18. To what extent does the content of the English national curriculum at secondary level (key stages 3 and 4) equip pupils with the knowledge and skills they need for life and further study? Are there ways in which the content could change to better support this aim? 

22. Are there particular curriculum or qualifications subjects where: a. there is too much content; not enough content, or content is missing; b. the content is out-of-date; c. the content is unhelpfully sequenced (for example to support good curriculum design or pedagogy); d. there is a need for greater flexibility (for example to provide the space for teachers to develop and adapt content)? 

41. Are there particular GCSE subjects where changes could be made to the qualification content and/or assessment that would be beneficial for pupils’ learning?  

49. How can we improve learners’ understanding of how the different programmes and qualifications on offer [at ages 16-19, e.g., A levels] will prepare them for university, employment (including apprenticeships) and/or further technical study?

53. How could technology be used to improve how we deliver the curriculum, assessment and qualifications in England? 

Given the short time frame (sorry), a few lines is fine; or pointers to papers even if you do not have the full reference, possible evidence types even if you cannot think of a concrete example; anything that could help the working group to draft and edit their response.  Please think about your research, your own experiences with school students and/or university students, talks you have been to, things you have heard people say... Your first "obvious" thoughts may not be someone else's obvious thoughts, and all input is valued and appreciated.

Thank you!

Links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review

https://consult.education.gov.uk/curriculum-and-assessment-team/curriculum-and-assessment-review-call-for-evidence/

FULL QUESTION LIST (p14 onwards): https://consult.education.gov.uk/curriculum-and-assessment-team/curriculum-and-assessment-review-call-for-evidence/supporting_documents/Curriculum%20and%20Assessment%20Review%20%20Call%20for%20Evidence.pdf