Education for 11 to 16 Year-olds (Committee Report)

Lord Bishop of Chichester Excerpts

Friday 26th July 2024 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Chichester]

My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Aberdare, and the noble Baroness, Lady Blower, who have participated in the excellent report chaired by the group led by the noble Lord, Lord Johnson.

I welcome the priority that has been given to the review of the curriculum for 11 to 19 year-olds at an early stage of the Government coming into office. In particular, I welcome the report of the review group and how it will “refresh” the curriculum,

“build on the hard work of teachers and staff”,

and seek “evolution and not revolution”.

These are important indications that education will not be driven by ideology that leads to it becoming a political football, as sometimes has happened in the past.

In particular, the promise that the review will not

“place undue burdens on education staff”

will need to be delivered ostentatiously, particularly if the Government wish to improve the recruitment and retention of top-quality teachers. To that end, I greatly welcome also the acknowledgement of

“the innovation and professionalism of teachers”.

The working principles for the review group speak of consultation with education professionals, other experts and stakeholders. This does not at present include direct reference to the churches, but perhaps that is because this relationship is simply taken for granted. The tone of the statement on the review certainly chimes with the “whole child” approach of the Church of England’s vision set out in its 2016 vision for education, which outlines wisdom, knowledge and skills as the framework for nurturing capacity for decision-making, ethical considerations and social and environmental responsibility. We would certainly welcome the opportunity to be represented as part of the review group.

The diocese of Chichester that I serve is not unusual in running 155 schools, of which eight are secondary, delivering education to 37,000 pupils. This is a serious responsibility and it provides us with a significant window on the concerns and challenges of every community that our schools serve. It also indicates the wider context in which our schools operate. Thousands of volunteers across the country give their time to work with head teachers and teachers to try to distil the best possible balance between curriculum requirements and time spent on other demands that are non-essential academically but essential for the flourishing of certain subjects and activities, such as music, sport, drama and after-school clubs. Sustaining this, together with recruitment for the demanding contribution of volunteers in good governance, is a constant challenge and it will be very good to hear encouragement of this contribution.

I also note that the terms of reference for the review group speak of

“a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society”.

Here again, I ask the Minister what attention is to be paid to religious literacy as an important strand of education for understanding the complexity of national and global society. The Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools, or SIAMS, framework promotes religious education as a means to develop “courageous advocacy”, asking how a school’s theologically rooted Christian vision creates an active culture of justice and responsibility.

In a recent article on religious literacy, Professor Jim Walters at the LSE observed that

“learning about religion has become fused with agendas to foster inclusion … This makes it uncomfortable to touch on a tradition’s shadow side or the destructive ways religion is used”.

Walters goes on to assess how education might deepen and widen the outreach of students as a way of preparing them for adult decision-making. He contrasts economic, social and eco systems that are at risk of collapse with a religious imagination that is more than a creed or a set of dogmas. We might legitimately see the absence of any such orientation as one reason for the well-documented decline in happiness and positivity among students today. So I urge that the review group take seriously the important contribution of religious education to addressing issues of diversity and encouraging a critical and imaginative exploration that can expand our vision of a flourishing and coherent future.

Alongside this, I welcome the importance that the report gives to music, art, sport and drama. Investment in this area of education as integral to the curriculum is essential and has been lacking. This makes financial sense as we review the importance of the creative industries for our economy and as a significant source of soft power internationally.

On music as an integrative aspect of a curriculum, the Church of England is very aware in its work, particularly in the diocese of Coventry through its Inspire Education Trust, of how music in schools in areas of acute deprivation, incorporated as a necessary part of the curriculum, has lifted self-esteem and led people into exploration of performance and experience of live music, bringing groups to London to expand that. This is entirely positive.

In the diocese of Chichester, we have also benefited from partnership between church state schools and the independent sector, where music and the arts have been so well funded. At their best, these partnerships have ensured learning opportunities for both sides. The considerable investment in music and the arts from the independent sector has resulted in a notable range of successful actors from that background. One of our leading independent schools, Brighton College, intentionally uses the arts to break down stereotypes of gender and sexual orientation. For example, a key rugby player can also be the lead in a dance troupe. As we face an unprecedented surge in male violence against women, these performative processes of education that tackle emotional insecurities and unexamined prejudice should find an important place in any school curriculum.

I welcome the reference to a curriculum that prepares all children and young people for life as well as for work. It is essential that the formative development in the primary school years is also referenced in the curriculum that builds on that foundation. The resourcing of that early stage will legitimately demand attention and adequate resourcing. For example, the effects of digitalisation and the implementation of technology for the rolling out of the curriculum are heavily dependent on local budget availability, and many children miss out. It is also true that keeping people safe online is now a key priority for the governance of schools, and that includes basic searching for knowledge. I hope this will feature in the review ahead.

Finally, the curriculum review must also recognise that a “whole child” approach confronts us with a significant barrier to the effectiveness of any curriculum: namely, child poverty. The schools I serve identify the two-child cap as a significant contributor to this priority. I hope that its damage to education will contribute to its abolition.

I welcome the attention that His Majesty’s Government intend to bring to the review of the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system. I hope that the churches will be invited to participate fully in the work of the review group.