Tue, 04 Nov 2025

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 Mortgages and AI to be added to the curriculum in English schools

Ministers are making the changes for children in England after a review of what is taught in schools.
The government has announced plans to modernize the national curriculum in England's schools, introducing new topics such as budgeting and mortgages. Children will also be taught how to spot fake news and disinformation, including AI-generated content. The review of the national curriculum and assessments aims to develop a "cutting edge" curriculum that addresses attainment gaps between disadvantaged students and their peers. Key changes include:
* Scrapping the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) progress measure for schools
* Removing compulsory reading tests for Year 8 pupils, instead introducing oracy skills as a core subject
* Introducing new enrichment benchmarks to offer pupils access to civic engagement, arts, culture, and life skills The government says it will take up most of the review's recommendations but has not adopted all of them. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the changes aim to "revitalise" the curriculum while maintaining a firm foundation in basics like English, maths, and reading. However, critics have expressed concerns that scrapping the EBacc could lead to fewer pupils studying languages and history at GCSE level. Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott described the changes as "education vandalism".
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