Balancing Curriculum Breadth and Exam Burden

What really happens inside a national curriculum review? In this episode, James and David go beyond headlines to explore the thinking, tensions and trade-offs behind England’s Curriculum and Assessment Review - with two people who helped shape it. They’re joined by Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal and CEO of Nelson and Colne College Group, and Jon Hutchinson, Director of Curriculum and Teacher Development at the Reach Foundation - both panel members of the Curriculum & Assessment Review - who offer rare, first-hand insight into how the review was shaped and why its recommendations landed where they did. This is an honest, wide-ranging discussion about ambition, constraints, evidence, politics, and what ‘high standards for all’ actually means in practice. In this conversation, we explore: What it was like to sit on the Curriculum & Assessment Review panel - workload, process, and pressures Why the review focused on evolution rather than revolution The hidden constraints baked into the review - political, practical, and systemic Why post-16 recommendations matter more than many people realise The case for broadening pathways beyond a narrow academic route How oracy and the arts emerged as quiet winners in the final report The limits of assessment reform - and why GCSEs remain so hard to shift How evidence, professional judgement and lived experience were balanced What the review does not do - and why that has frustrated many critics This episode is essential listening for: School and college leaders Teachers and curriculum leads Policy-curious educators Anyone trying to make sense of what the review really changes - and what it doesn’t Links Curriculum and Assessment Review - Final Report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-final-report Follow Jon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-hutchinson-b3bbb568/ Follow Lisa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-o-loughlin-0637b553/ Follow David - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cameron-72061a15/ Follow James - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjamesmannion Support #repod The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean. This podcast is a labour of love, with the emphasis on both the labour and the love. If you’d like to support the podcast and convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can: Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/repod Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/repod