Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to enable schools to determine their own curriculum.

All schools, including academies and free schools, are required to teach a curriculum which is broad and balanced. Within that framework, academies, free schools and other types of independent schools retain the freedom to design and follow their own curriculum. Maintained schools must teach the national curriculum as part of their wider school curriculum. Following the recent review, the Government has slimmed down the national curriculum to give schools greater flexibility to tailor their school curriculum to best meet the needs of their pupils.