Evolution or revolution: Rethinking the primary curriculum

A recent radio discussion on education reform with headteachers Tom Rogerson and Rebecca Leek struck a chord. With the government’s review of assessment and curriculum underway, the programme highlighted the call for radical reform from seven former education secretaries across the political divide.  

So often the all-important early years of education are sidelined by discussions of exam systems and transition to work. However, it’s the first eight years of a child’s life – when brain development is most significant – that lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning. Having seen the ebb and flow of policies and initiatives over the last 25 years of teaching in the UK and internationally, I feel now is the time to ask fundamental questions about how we educate our youngest learners. 

Why do we teach? 

Many of today’s classroom practices were shaped by the Industrial Revolution, when education was designed to prepare children for a hierarchical, conformist workforce. Rows of children seated passively, absorbing knowledge dictated by an authoritative figure at the front of the classroom, are relics of this era. 

Today, the education pendulum has swung too far in favour of testing. A preoccupation with preparation for the next stage means young children face a plethora of standardised tests, such as SATs, throughout primary school, narrowing the curriculum by directing too much teaching towards preparing for assessments. This narrow focus continues with a GCSE curriculum discredited by many educationalists, including the Rethinking Assessment group. Like SATs, GCSEs are too restrictive and fail to nurture 21^st century skills increasingly valued by employers, such as flexibility, resilience, and analytical and creative thinking. 

What do we teach? 

The National Curriculum in England was last reformed in 2014, but its roots lie further back. Much of the content is outdated, failing to reflect the latest developments in science and technology. An overemphasis on reading, writing and maths has marginalised ‘non-core’ subjects such as the arts and is stifling young people’s creativity. 

There is much to learn from overseas, combining the best of the National Curriculum with global pedagogies to create a meaningful and engaging educational experience. We need a curriculum that focuses on concepts and skills that encourage curiosity, critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections. Embracing inquiry-based approaches would ensure that what we teach is not only academically rigorous, but also culturally responsive and globally minded, preparing our children to thrive in an interconnected world. 

How do we teach?  

Too often, students are confined to traditional classrooms, with four walls and teacher-led instruction. Nature, play and hands-on exploration are relegated to the periphery of learning as occasional outdoor lessons or extracurricular activities, despite evidence of their importance. We can do better. A study by international child development researcher Dr Jacqueline Harding highlights how play forges neural pathways vital for growth. The findings challenge the traditional distinction between play and learning, emphasising play's foundational role in early childhood development. Children thrive in environments that spark curiosity, awe and wonder. 

Topics such as World War II, the Celts and Romans are rightly embedded in the history curriculum, as they provide valuable insights into human experiences and societal evolution. However, they are taught in a way that fails to engage learners and develop deep, transferable understanding. At Bedales Pre-prep, an inquiry-based approach places children at the heart of their learning experience, so they can explore such topics in a hands-on, integrated way. A recent Year 3 study of the Celts, for example, involved investigating the period through the lens of sustainability, and framing the question: Did the Celts live sustainably, and what can we learn from them today? Children built roundhouses in the school grounds to understand settlement patterns, dyed fabrics with foraged berries to practise traditional crafts, and visited a blacksmith to learn about symbolic tools. Growing and reseeding vegetables connected historical practices to today’s sustainability challenges, moving far beyond assessment-focused methods seen in traditional classrooms. 

Rethinking primary education 

Young learners are natural storytellers, scientists and creators, yet rigid templates and uniformity too often suppress their innate creativity. Teaching the present perfect tense to 7-year-olds, for example, has little value if children can’t use language to tell stories or express ideas. What we often see instead are whole class outputs that look strikingly similar - textbook examples of conformity over creativity. 

Children aren’t passive vessels to fill with knowledge; they are active, social beings who thrive on collaboration and discovery. To truly revolutionise primary education, we must move from decades of talk to decisive action – rethinking how we teach, the environments we create and the relationships we nurture.  

If we can design classrooms that capture a child’s interest and instil passion and wonder, we’ll see not just an evolution in our curriculum, but a transformation in how children learn, grow and thrive. I agree with the former education ministers: the time for radical change is now.