National Curriculum 2.0: Media Literacy, Triple Science, and Major Education Reform.

Send us a topic important to you.The UK Government has comprehensive plans to renew the national curriculum and assessment system, aiming to prepare students for the age of AI and hyperconnectivity. Key changes include delivering a curriculum rich in knowledge and skills, with a new statutory Year 8 reading test, boosting media, digital, and financial literacy, and ensuring a triple science entitlement for all. The reforms also involve reducing GCSE exam time by 10%, revamping the Progress 8 measure, and ending the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The goal is to shift the education system from narrow to broad, championing high standards alongside student choice.Key TakeawaysThe national curriculum is being renewed to adapt to global competition, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and widespread misinformation. A revised curriculum will be published in 2027 for first teaching in 2028.There will be an increased focus on core subjects: new training for reception teachers for phonics, an improved primary writing assessment focusing on fluency, and a new statutory reading test for all pupils in Year 8.The reforms aim to boost media, digital, and financial literacy to help young people critically assess information and make informed choices about money.The government intends to revitalize arts education and introduce a new entitlement for all young people to study triple science, addressing skills gaps in digital technologies and life sciences.The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) will be abolished, and the Progress 8 and Attainment 8 measures will be consulted on and improved to balance the academic core with a broader curriculum, despite some expert advice recommending against changing Progress 8.The proposed changes include a 10% reduction in the volume of time spent in GCSE exams, which amounts to about two and a half to three hours.Source: Curriculum and Assessment ReviewVolume 774: debated on Wednesday 5 November 2025Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes daily: thebenchreport.co.ukSubscribe to our Substack Shape our next episode! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!Email us: [email protected] us on YouTube,  X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok! @benchreportUKSupport us for bonus and extended episodes + more.No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.  Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....