Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including geology in the Key Stage 3 curriculum, in the context of the Critical Minerals Strategy.

The national curriculum in England provides a broad framework within which schools have the flexibility to develop the content of their own curricula. Topics related to geology can be taught within the geography and science curricula.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review for England, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review wants to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review Group published an interim report on 18 March, and the final report with recommendations will be published in the autumn.