Today marks the launch of the House of Lords Education for 11–16 Year Olds Select Committee’s report 'Requires improvement: urgent change for 11-16 education' on the state of 11-16 education in England. The report warns that the existing education system is too focused on academic learning and written exams, limiting opportunities for pupils to study a broad and balanced curriculum and to develop core skills.

The Chair of the Select Committee*, Jo Johnson, noted:
'The evidence we have received is compelling. Change to the education system for 11–16 year olds is urgently needed, to address an overloaded curriculum, a disproportionate exam burden and declining opportunities to study creative and technical subjects.'

The report calls for bold reform, including the immediate abandonment of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). A full version of the report can be accessed here.

Some key recommendations related to science include:

• developing and introducing a basic digital literacy qualification and a new GCSE in applied computing;
• embedding climate change and sustainability education across the key stage 3 and 4 curriculums;
• refining the Progress 8 measure to ensure that schools maintain an appropriate level of focus on the core subjects of maths, English and science, while enabling them to promote a broader range of subjects to pupils at key stage 4.

Marianne Cutler, ASE Director of Policy and Curriculum Innovation commented that:
‘We welcome this report, the compelling nature of the evidence, its recommendations and the sense of urgency portrayed.’

Our own response to this inquiry included commentary from members of our 11-19 committee on equipping all young people with the skills, motivation and confidence to progress in a digital and green economy and on the effectiveness of GCSEs in assessing the achievements of all pupils. We also provided evidence on supporting and valuing the teaching profession.

We summarised our evidence:
‘It is important to ensure that school science curricula effectively engage and prepare all young people, regardless of their circumstances, to fully participate in efforts to address climate change and sustainability challenges. However, it is evident that the current national curriculum has limitations in this regard. In order to ensure the national curriculum for science is fit for purpose and equips young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they need, it must be refined and much has been done that could inform that work. In achieving this goal, it is imperative that the teaching profession is supported and nourished more effectively throughout their individual professional learning journeys, particularly in securing subject knowledge for teaching in their early to mid-careers.’

Read our response here

Wider societal challenges

Whilst our focus is on effective and engaging science education, its concerning to read in last week’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 results that UK students’ satisfaction with life declined ‘to the extent that the UK now has the second lowest average life satisfaction of 15 year olds across all OECD countries, as noted by the Education Policy Institute’. Addressing our wider societal challenges is imperative alongside education reform.

Access the PISA reports

• All UK data
• England 
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales (in English) (in Welsh) 
• Education Policy Institute statement

*The Select Committee was appointed in January 2023 to "consider education for 11–16 year olds with reference to the skills necessary for the digital and green economy", and to make recommendations. The inquiry has therefore centred on the key stage 3 and 4 phases, which cover years 7 to 11. Over the course of the inquiry, the committee received 101 written evidence submissions, including from the ASE, and heard from 41 witnesses in 15 oral evidence sessions.