Gender pathways partnership response to the government Curriculum and Assessment Review

Our response

We welcome the focus on inclusion, and designing a curriculum that works for all young people, in the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

The review rightly identifies several differences between demographic groups in subject uptake. This includes the gender divide in computer science. The need to engage pupils through inclusive examples of individuals working in and contributing to STEM in the science curriculum was noted.

We also welcome the government’s acknowledgement that the curriculum must be updated to reflect our modern society and diverse communities. However, it is important that, in the wider context of inclusion, we don’t lose sight of the inequities some groups of young people face. We must find ways to address these for all groups, such as girls.

We know that far fewer girls than boys choose to do a computing GCSE, with the same holding true for physics at A levels. We are therefore pleased to see the government looking to address systemic barriers to rake part in, for example, the computing curriculum.

There is a long way to go to make all STEM subjects more accessible to all young people. 

We ask that government works with the Gender pathways partnership to make sure the curriculum and assessment system appeals to all, including girls. This includes the teaching of physics, computing and design & technology, all feeder subjects for engineering and technology.

We urge the government to adopt the recommendations from the review, particularly for STEM subjects. This includes integrating good quality practical learning in the design of the new curriculum. This is underlined by the Science Education Tracker, which highlights the importance of hands-on learning to engage a wider range of pupils in the sciences.