Dangerous Diet: How exam rations endanger a broad and balanced curriculum

Over the past few years there has been growing alarm among education commentators that our obsession with exam performance is having a harmful effect on the broader school curriculum. Up until now, however, there has been little attempt to gauge if teachers and parents share those concerns.

This report, which includes surveys commissioned with YouGov and opinion pieces from leading educationalists, is an attempt to plug that gap in our knowledge. It will help readers understand what schools can do to implement a balanced curriculum at Key Stage 3, supported by assessments that help to lay the foundations for learning.

It looks at:

• Whether teachers think exam pressures are leading schools to narrow the curriculum
• The ‘costs’ to children of teaching a more restrictive curriculum
• Some easy and effective strategies other schools are implementing at Key Stage 3
• What good assessment at Key Stage 3 looks like