English
Driving forward positive change in the English curriculum
Join our conversations on the future of English
Today, we’ve shared a summary of key points from our call for evidence submission as part of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, where we set out our recommendations for how meaningful change can be brought about.
One of our central areas of focus is GCSE English, where we’ve outlined our recommendations for reforming the subject to better prepare students for future study and for the workplace.
Our recommendations include:
- a broader range of literary text types and time periods, with a requirement for more diverse content
- a wider range of non-literary texts – multimodal, digital, media, written and spoken
- re-balancing the focus on both written and spoken English with explicit teaching of, and recognition for, spoken language knowledge and skills
- a changed approach to developing writing skills (drafting, crafting and editing), to encourage a greater focus on writing in authentic contexts
- removal of undue repetition and excessive content and/or assessment
- increased opportunities for creative engagement.
Over the coming weeks and months, we look forward to sharing more detail and continuing work with other sector experts, partners, educators and learners to further develop and bring these recommendations to life.
If you’d like to be part of our conversations on the future of English, let us know and we'll keep you up to date with our programme of events, forums, insights gathering and more throughout 2025.
Subject advisor
Clare Haviland
English
Subject updates
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April 2026 teaching English update
Dear Colleagues
Many of you will currently be taking a break, but I hope you find some ideas in my April update to help you with the practical tasks ahead as well as inspiration for your teaching at the start of the summer term.
What’s in the April teaching English update?
• Signing Shakespeare: opening the world of Shakespeare to every learner
• Coursework/SLE submission reminders
• Summer term GCSE networks
• British Library A level: Fairy Tales Study Day – Angela Carter
• ActiveLearn to ActiveHub
• Exam Practice Assistant for GCSE English Language 2.0
• English and Media Centre Close Reading Competition 2026
• Hot Poets Take Over: poetry, creativity, hope and science -
March 2026 teaching English update
What's in the March 2026 teaching English update?
📖 World Book Day 2026
Ideas and inspiration to get everyone reading — and keep that momentum going.
🎓 Colleges Week (2–6 March)
Celebrating the impact of colleges, the learners, and the teachers behind the learning.
🏛️ Policy and SEND
The DfE white paper 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving' and the SEND consultation.
🤖 Cool new tool for 2.0
Support students to move beyond feature spotting and into confident AO2 analysis.
🧠 Exam equity and neurodiversity
Help shape fairer exams by contributing to research into exam equity for neurodivergent students.
⏳ Assessment reminders – 10 weeks to go
Key changes to submitting coursework and SLE marks, grades and samples.
🔍 Updated AI guidance
Clearer expectations on what’s allowed — and what isn’t — for coursework and the SLE.
🌱 Entry Level Certificate (ELC)
Could you be using ELC as a stepping stone alongside GCSE English?
✅ GCSE English exemplars
Exemplars from the November 2025 exam series to support mocks marking.
📘 A level English Language
An updated concepts and issues guide to clarify what you need to teach.
🎧 Recorded training
Professional development you can access anytime, anywhere.
🤝 English qualifications support
The quickest ways to get expert help when you need it.