Key Findings and What You Need to Know About the Curriculum and Assessment Review
The Department for Education (DfE) has published the Curriculum and Assessment Review: Interim Report (March 2025), outlining key challenges and potential changes in primary education. This review aims to ensure high standards for all pupils, improve assessment methods, and balance depth and breadth in the curriculum.
For EYFS, KS1, and KS2 teachers, the report highlights some important developments that could impact teaching and assessment in the coming years. Below, we summarise the main takeaways and how they relate to you and your pupils.
📄 Official DfE Report: Read the full Curriculum and Assessment Review.
1. Mastery Over Coverage: Are We Teaching Too Much Too Quickly?
A major finding in the review is that teachers struggle to cover all the required content in enough depth, particularly in KS1 and KS2. The curriculum is broad, but time pressures mean some subjects are not being taught with enough depth for pupils to fully grasp key concepts.
How Mrs Mactivity Can Help:
- Our KS1 and KS2 Maths Mastery Resources provide structured learning to help pupils develop deeper understanding.
- Our Phonics and Early Reading Resources align with the updated progression of the 2021 Letters and Sounds progression, ensuring solid early literacy foundations.
2. KS2 Writing Assessment is Under Review – What Could Change?
The DfE’s report raises concerns that the KS2 writing assessment is too rigid, encouraging pupils to focus on ‘ticking boxes’ with formulaic writing rather than developing fluent writing skills.
What This Means for You:
- The KS2 writing assessment may be redesigned to support real fluency and creativity rather than formulaic responses.
- Grammar, punctuation, and spelling (GPS) tests are also under review to ensure they are meaningfully integrated into writing.
How Mrs Mactivity Can Help:
- Our KS2 Writing and SPaG Resources support writing fluency while covering essential grammar skills.
- The SPaG Scheme of Work ensures structured, engaging grammar teaching linked to actual writing practice.
3. Are Foundation Subjects Being Squeezed Out?
The review highlights that subjects like science, geography, history, and the arts are being deprioritised in KS1 and KS2 due to time pressures.
What This Means for You:
- The DfE may push for more balanced curriculum planning, ensuring these subjects get proper attention.
- More guidance may be provided on cross-curricular teaching to integrate subjects effectively.
How Mrs Mactivity Can Help:
- Our Science Scheme of Work provides structured lessons that fit within time constraints, with cross-curricular links.
- Our Geography Scheme of Work ensures meaningful exposure to key topics without overloading teachers, often with cross-curricular links.
4. Primary Assessments Are Being Reviewed – Will They Change?
- The KS2 SATs structure may be revised to better reflect real learning.
- The phonics screening check will remain but may be refined for improved alignment with real reading skills.
- There may be a shift towards formative assessment, giving teachers more flexibility to assess progress over time rather than relying solely on high-stakes tests.
- Teachers may be encouraged to use exit quizzes and mini-assessments to track pupils’ understanding.
- There could be less reliance on long written tests and more flexibility for schools to assess progress in a way that works best for their pupils.
- More support may be provided to ensure assessments are inclusive and work for pupils with SEND.
- Our schemes of work have a big focus on formative assessment, alongside end of block/unit mini-assessments, with answers and mark scheme, perfect for peer assessment.
- Our Phonics Screening Check Preparation resources ensures pupils are ready for the phonics screening check in a fun and effective way.
- We offer a range of exit tickets, quick quizzes, and retrieval practice activities to help teachers track pupil progress in a simple and effective way.
5. EYFS: What Does the Curriculum and Assessment Review Mean for Early Years?
The Curriculum and Assessment Review does not propose any major changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The report specifically states that the EYFS and the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) are outside the scope of this review. This means that the existing EYFS framework will remain in place.
However, the review does highlight the importance of ensuring a smooth transition from EYFS to KS1, particularly in areas such as early reading, phonics, and numeracy. The government continues to emphasise the importance of phonics and early language development, reinforcing the use of the phonics screening check in Year 1.
What This Means for EYFS Teachers:
- The EYFS curriculum remains unchanged, so there’s no need for immediate adjustments.
- Schools should continue to follow the EYFS framework and Reception Baseline Assessment.
- Phonics and early maths will continue to be key focus areas for transition into KS1.
- From September 2025, EYFS providers will need to implement new safeguarding measures, including updated recruitment and training policies.
Upcoming EYFS Safeguarding Changes (September 2025):
- Stronger recruitment requirements for staff working in Early Years settings.
- Paediatric First Aid (PFA) training will be mandatory for all early years trainees.
- Stricter monitoring of child absences to ensure child safety.
- Updated safeguarding training content to ensure staff are fully equipped to handle safeguarding concerns.
How Mrs Mactivity Can Help:
- Our EYFS Phonics Resources align with Phase 1 of Letters and Sounds, supporting early language development.
- We provide EYFS Maths and Early Learning Resources to help build foundational number skills.
- Our Continuous Provision Resources support play-based learning and early development across all EYFS areas.
6. Where to Read the Full Review
📄 Official Report: Read the DfE’s Curriculum and Assessment Review.
🔗 Explore Mrs Mactivity’s EYFS, KS1, and KS2 resources here: Browse Resources
📥 Download the full PDF summary of the Curriculum and Assessment Review: Click here.
If you’re looking for the best primary curriculum resources, Mrs Mactivity has you covered. Whether you need structured schemes of work, engaging lesson plans, or effective assessment tools, we provide everything you need to support your teaching.
From EYFS and KS1 phonics resources to KS2 maths mastery activities and science enquiry lessons, our expert-designed materials help children develop a deep understanding of key topics.
Join thousands of teachers already using our resources! Start your free, no-obligation trial today and see how Mrs Mactivity can support you and your school.
