Curriculum and Assessment Review

Baroness Caine of Kentish Town Excerpts

Thursday 26th March 2026 Grand Committee

[Baroness Caine of Kentish Town (Lab)]

My Lords, developing a cutting-edge curriculum to equip children and young people with the essential knowledge and skills which will enable them to adapt and thrive in the world and workplace of the future was a key purpose of this review. Media literacy and digital literacy were two of the top five issues raised by young people and stakeholders in the review process. The definition of media literacy used in this review was

“understanding and engaging critically with the message conveyed through different media channels, including AI”.

However, Ofcom, the body charged with the responsibility for monitoring and overseeing the delivery of media literacy in the UK, uses this definition in its three-year strategy on it:

“the ability to use, understand and create media and communications”

in a variety of contexts. The difference is apparent.

Using and studying creative media content was absent from the consideration of the curriculum review. Why was it missed out? Is it part of the arts? Yes, and the review did deep dives into other arts subjects, but not these. Was it not seen as important to the future of the economy and the future of work, while film, TV and computer games are priorities for support in the creative industries strategy, and createch is growing apace? Was it not seen as societally relevant?

Most culture that people and young people consume is screen-based, and most creative work they make and exchange is on TikTok and will only grow with AI. Unlike other arts subjects, it was not part of the existing national curriculum, and following the philosophy used to approach the review—evolution not revolution—it had no formal foundations in the curriculum to evolve from. Whatever the reason for not addressing it, the result is that questions need to be asked and answered.

GCSEs and A-levels are currently available in media, film and TV studies. Though the take-up is relatively small, with 26,500 at the moment, it is one of the arts subject areas that is seeing an uptick in applications. Are these subject areas recognised as ones that will stand alongside others that have been identified and be given equal status, alongside performance measures and the reformed Progress 8? Do they need to be looked at, revitalised and updated? Are they rigorous enough? Will they be included in the National Centre for Arts and Music? There is one T-level for broadcast and media. Do there need to be VQs, and how will they align with existing qualifications?

To summate, I believe that this was an omission in the curriculum review. There is a good reason for that omission to be remedied as a matter of priority, so that we can be reassured that the appropriate focus and scrutiny, with attendant recommendations, have been done to inform content and planning for the very welcome and much needed new national curriculum. I look forward to the Minister’s reply.