Tim Oates

Tim Oates – Group director of assessment research Cambridge Assessment Oates led a review of the National Curriculum as part of an expert panel in 2011, which led to the most recent rewriting of the National Curriculum and the end of National Curriculum levels. This panel identified that curriculum control and curriculum coherence were features of high performing jurisdictions like Singapore. He advocated a list of essential elements for subjects to ensure stability and consistency rather than constant review and update. The report also advocated depth of learning rather than breadth of learning.

Oates’ panel criticised how schools used National Curriculum levels to move students on quickly through the levels rather than assessing whether they had secured key ideas, concepts and knowledge. Levels were awarded when students had not completely grasped all the components. Oates has argued that there is not enough of the right kind of assessment. He believes assessment should probe the big ideas of a curriculum and be supportive of learning.

Critics have been against the idea of a prescribed curriculum because it takes away from the teacher’s ability to innovate. There is also lots of disagreement over who should prescribe the curriculum content.