House of Lords Committee calls for reform of accountability measures in schools

In February 2023 a select committee in the Lords opened its inquiry into education for 11-16 year olds in England. This week its report, ‘Requires improvement: urgent change for 11–16 education’, was published.

The inquiry heard from a wide range of witnesses, including subject associations, Multi-Academy Trusts, exam boards, academics, education unions and teachers as well as Ofqual, Ofsted and then-schools minister Nick Gibb.

The report highlights the importance of creative subjects in schools and beyond and the devastating impact government policy has had on them, particularly at GCSE level. The committee’s findings and recommendations regarding government accountability measures, including the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and Progress 8, support One Dance UK’s long-established concerns and calls for reform.

The report’s recommendations for the government include:

• A review of the national curriculum’s status to make sure that all mainstream, state-funded schools are teaching a genuinely broad and balanced curriculum throughout a three-year key stage 3
• Withdrawal of the EBacc subject categorisation, EBacc entry and EBacc average point score accountability measures, and removal of references to the EBacc in the Ofsted inspection handbook
• A review of current headline accountability measures, particularly Progress 8, in light of evidence that the existing measures fail to support schools to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum

One Dance UK welcomes the report and is committed to continuing to work towards fair access to high-quality dance education and training for all young people as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.