The 12-member panel appointed to review the curriculum and assessment for the new Labour government has been named.
Professor Becky Francis, the chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, was appointed in July to lead the review, pledged by Labour ahead of its victory in this year’s general election.
Now Francis has named the remaining 11 members of the independent panel that will review both the curriculum up to 19, and the way it will be assessed.
The panel includes Lisa O’Loughlin, principal and CEO of Nelson and Colne College Group and John Laramy, principal and CEO of Exeter College. They are the only two leaders representing further education on the review panel.
Alongside O’Loughlin and Laramy will be academy trust chief executives Cassie Buchanan and Dr Vanessa Ogden, SEND consultant Gary Aubin and exams expert Professor Jo-Anne Baird.
It also includes Funmilola Stewart, who leads on equality, diversity and inclusion across the Dixons trust and also teaches history at Dixons Trinity Academy in Bradford.
Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual’s chief regulator and a former academy trust CEO, will attend review meetings as an observer, contributing to discussions, but without a decision-making role.
Bauckham had called on the review to ‘look at’ and ‘reach a conclusion’ on the government’s policy on post-16 GCSE English and maths resits.
‘Experience and expertise’
Francis said she was “excited to be working with this terrific group of professional experts”
The review panel will “draw on the experience and expertise of panel members with a detailed understanding of the curriculum in practice”.
“We have ensured that primary, secondary and post-16 sectors are represented to give due authority and respect to the expertise of education professionals in shaping the curriculum and outcomes they deliver.”
She added that, alongside its call for evidence, due to launch in September, the review would “engage and consult with crucial stakeholder groups”.
“We will work closely with education staff on the ground to produce a set of sensible, workable recommendations.
“We will consult young people and their parents to ensure that the views of children and young people are at the heart of the Review’s recommendations.
“And we will work closely with employers to ensure that children and young people leave education ready for life and work.”
The review will be “discerning about the issues it tackles.
“And whilst it won’t be able to address every issue linked to curriculum and assessment, I am confident that, by focusing on some key challenges, drawing on data and evidence, and listening to the views of the sector, we can develop an offer that works for young people and education professionals alike.”
The panel
Professor Becky Francis
Chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation
Former director of the UCL Institute of Education
Former professor at King’s College London
Former director of education, Royal Society of Arts
Former adviser to the Parliamentary education select committee
Lisa O’Loughlin
Principal and CEO of the Nelson and Colne College Group
Former principal of The Manchester College
Former chair of the Greater Manchester College Group, which works with colleges and the combined authority to develop a ‘collaborative 16-18 curriculum’
John Laramy
Principal and chief executive of Exeter College
National leader of further education
Founding chair of the Exeter Specialist Mathematics School
Former director of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership
Former non-executive director of Pearson Education
Gary Aubin
SEND consultant
Author of SENDMatters blog
Associate of the Education Endowment Foundation
Leader of a national SEND leadership network with Whole Education
Former SENDCo for a multi academy trust
Professor Jo-Anne Baird
Director of the University of Oxford’s Centre for Educational Assessment
Former head of the University of Oxford’s department of education
Held academic posts at the Institute of Education, University of London and the University of Bristol
Former head of research for the AQA exam board
Professor Nic Beech
Vice chancellor of the University of Salford
Chair of the Quality Council for UK Higher Education
Treasurer of Universities UK
Former provost of Dundee University
Former vice-chancellor of Middlesex University
Cassie Buchanan
CEO of the Charter Schools Education Trust
Board member of Oak National Academy
National leader of education
Former head of Charles Dickens Primary School
Previous member of DfE advisory committees on early years, teacher wellbeing and workload reduction
Professor Zongyi Deng
Professor of curriculum and pedagogy at the Institute of Education Faculty of Education and Society, University College London
Leader of the Curriculum Subject Specialism Research Group (CSSRG)
Executive editor of the Journal of Curriculum Studies (JCS)
Has held faculty positions at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and the University of Hong Kong
Jon Hutchinson
Director of curriculum and teacher development at the Reach Foundation
Former primary school teacher, A-level religious studies teacher and assistant head at Reach Academy Feltham
Former visiting fellow at the Ambition Institute
Regular expert advisor to the Department for Education
Dr Vanessa Ogden
CEO of the Mulberry Schools Trust
Former headteacher of the Mulberry School for Girls
Honorary Academic at the UCL Institute of Education
Chair of the Fair Education Alliance and of the Unicorn Theatre
Founder of Global Girl Leading
Member of the Commission on Religious Education
National leader of education
Funmilola Stewart
Trust Leader for anti-racism and equality, diversity and inclusion across Dixons MAT
Leader of the anti-racism cross cutting team at Dixons
History teacher at Dixons Trinity Academy in Bradford
Sir Ian Bauckham (observer)
Chief regulator of Ofqual
Chair of Oak National Academy
Former chair of Ofqual
Former CEO of Tenax Schools Trust
Led government reviews of teacher training and modern foreign languages
Nothing changes if nothing changes!
It would have been useful to have less focus on academic theorists and add in somebody from an independent learning provider and someone with a solid inspection background.
Is there any representation from non-academy local authority maintained schools? There appears not to be and this is an important omission.