The recent publication of the UK Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review has opened a critical national conversation about preparing students for the modern world. The review’s central tenets—the need for a stronger focus on core skills (like oracy and literacy), a broader curriculum that values the arts and vocational routes and equipping students with digital and financial literacy—are now seen as essential for future success.
While the government plans a final revised curriculum for 2027 and first teaching in 2028, Cranleigh, by virtue of its independence, is not waiting. We are already delivering the “world-class curriculum” the review envisions, using our freedom to innovate and make sure our students are not just ready for the next decade, but are prepared to lead it.
Cultivating Core Skills and Future-Ready Qualifications
A key recommendation of the national review is the introduction of a new oracy framework to enhance speaking and listening skills. At Cranleigh, this commitment to essential, transferable skills is being structurally embedded through the Skills Builder Premium Hub. By adopting this resource framework across all ages, we will ensure that critical thinking, teamwork, and communication are explicitly taught and tracked, preparing students for the rigour of higher education and employment. This focus is further supported by the Unifrog platform, which provides detailed skills tracking and Higher Education preparation, seamlessly connecting students’ present learning with their future ambitions.
Our Intermediate Diploma for the Lower Fifth is a prime example of this innovative approach. Through work this term on the Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) programme, students are developing critical and creative skills, working on multimodal outcomes, including videos, podcasts and artistic creations alongside traditional academic reports. The development of teamwork skills is being supported too, with the option of group project work as well as opportunity for evaluation through peer review. This model directly addresses the review’s push for a broader, more inclusive curriculum that recognises and values diverse forms of achievement beyond linear, written examinations.
Embracing Breadth, Digital Literacy and Enterprise
The government review recommends a Core Enrichment Entitlement to guarantee access to sport, arts and civic engagement, as well as a new focus on digital and financial literacy. Cranleigh is delivering this now.
Our new Sixth Form Diploma goes far beyond standard A-Level provision, incorporating a wide range of enrichments, including a Level 3 Personal Training Qualification and Music Diploma options at Level 3 and 4. This is a progressive move, directly supporting the review’s goal of giving vocational and creative qualifications equal weighting to academic subjects and offering students genuine breadth. Further expansion to include Core Maths in the coming year will ensure this vital breadth continues to grow.
Crucially, in response to the review’s urgent call to address the digital shift, Cranleigh is acting decisively. Next term sees the launch of the Cranleigh AI Challenge for LV and UVI students. Designed in partnership with our International Schools, this programme is specifically tailored to equip our students with skills in AI-facilitated research, data analysis and creative communication, while also navigating the essential ethical and regulatory challenges of appropriate AI usage. This proactively addresses the call for a new, broader Computing GCSE and qualifications in Data Science and AI.
Furthermore, financial acumen is cultivated through the InvestUp challenge, a 10-Week stock market experience program. Combined with the Cran Do Challenge, which is now entering its second year for the LVI and builds essential team working and employability skills, Cranleigh is embedding enterprise and real-world application into the heart of the curriculum.
From the Foundation Diploma at Cranleigh Prep, which initiates pupils through an academic strand, a personal skills programme, SPARK enrichment programme and community and service activities right up to the Sixth Form, Cranleigh is demonstrating that the future of education is here now. The Foundation Diploma’s broad focus allows every child’s strengths and contributions to be valued. By rewarding continuous effort and participation, it encourages consistent engagement rather than last-minute exam preparation. Pupils develop future-ready skills such as leadership, collaboration and independence, while also building a personalised portfolio that celebrates their individual progress. The Diploma thus supports pupils of all abilities, offering every child the opportunity to succeed through commitment, effort and growth, thereby reflecting the whole child rather than just their performance in examinations. We are sustaining our strong focus on traditional academic attributes while simultaneously leading the way in building a comprehensive, skills-rich and future-facing curriculum that is years ahead of national development.
| Dr John Taylor |
| Director of Curriculum, Innovation & International Education |
