The Government will work to reduce GCSE exam time by two-and-a-half to three hours for the average student, following a curriculum review that deemed the current exam volume ‘excessive’. The final report of the curriculum and assessment review, commissioned by the  Labour Party last year, suggested that the Government should reduce the volume of exams at key stage 4 by 10%.

The review also proposed new maths and English tests to be taken during Year 8 to help teachers identify learning gaps early, mandatory citizenship in primary schools, and a revamp of the key stage 2 test of grammar, punctuation and spelling.

In response, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed it would accept the review’s recommendation to scrap the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure introduced by Michael Gove, and would introduce a statutory entitlement for all GCSE pupils to study triple science.

Curriculum review leader Professor Becky Francis told reporters: “We are an international outlier in the number of exams and the volume of exams we have aged 16, only Singapore is anywhere near us.” She added: “So we do want to try and bring that down.

“It’s a very intense and elongated time, as anyone who’s been a parent of GCSE-age pupils knows, but we don’t want to trade standards and reliability.” The report itself also said: “The amount of time that young people spend in exams at key stage 4 has become excessive.”

The DfE said it would collaborate with regulator Ofqual and exam boards to cut GCSE exam duration whilst ensuring qualifications remain credible. The Government plan to unveil the revised national curriculum by spring 2027, with implementation scheduled for first teaching from September 2028.

The EBacc – a school performance metric designed to guarantee pupils study English, maths, science, a humanities subject, and a language at GCSE – was launched in 2010 under then-Education Secretary Mr Gove.

“It is clear that the (EBacc) performance measures have to some degree unnecessarily constrained students’ choices,” the review’s final report said. “This has affected their engagement and achievement, and limited their access to, and the time available for, arts and vocational subjects.”

However, Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott accused the Government of ‘educational vandalism’, warning the reforms would result in fewer pupils studying history and languages beyond age 14.

A reformed grammar, punctuation and spelling assessment at primary level should concentrate on pupils successfully implementing grammar in their writing, rather than requiring them to memorise grammar structures such as fronted adverbials, the review also suggested.

Amidst this, the department said it would instruct the Standards and Testing Agency to modify the test to better reflect practical application of grammar and punctuation. NAHT school leaders’ union general secretary Paul Whiteman welcomed this, but said it is ‘immensely disappointing that the opportunity has been missed to reduce unnecessary primary school tests’.

The DfE additionally announced it would overhaul Progress 8, which evaluates schools based on pupils’ advancement from the conclusion of key stage 2 through to their GCSEs. Citizenship would become mandatory in primary education to guarantee all children receive instruction in financial and media literacy, democratic processes and governance, alongside climate education access.

Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio welcomed the review’s recommendations to reduce GCSE time, scrap the EBacc and for key stage 2 test reform.

In its response, the DfE also confirmed it would replace the current computer science GCSE, explore the possibility of a new 16-18 data science and AI qualification and a new language qualification to sit alongside GCSE and A-level.

It has already announced the introduction of a statutory reading test in Year 8 and will further outline an entitlement to enrichment activities designed to ensure all children can access the arts, nature, the outdoors, sport, and the development of broader life skills.

The Government will release a set of enrichment benchmarks for schools, and Ofsted inspectors will assess whether these standards are being fulfilled.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It has been over a decade since the national curriculum was updated, and it’s more crucial than ever that young people are equipped to face the challenges of today, so they can seize the exciting opportunities that life has to offer.”

The review also recommended new level 1 English and maths qualifications for lower-attaining 16 to 19-year-olds, aimed at helping them prepare to resit their GCSEs. This measure has already been announced in the Government’s Post-16 and Skills White Paper.

Professor Francis had told a school trust leaders’ conference in October that a more nuanced approach was needed to English and maths resits for post-16 students, ‘rather than an inflexible approach’.

In July 2024, just weeks after winning the general election, the government initiated the review of curriculum and assessment in schools and colleges.

A panel of experts reviewed various evidence, including over 7,000 public responses.