Lydia Ridding and Sam Orciel, English Subject Advisors

The eagerly awaited Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) was published on 5 November, alongside the DfE’s response to the review, to mixed reception from English teachers across all phases. 

While most of us are pleased to see our concerns acknowledged in the report, some of you have told us that the recommendations don’t go far enough and that there is a lack of detail on implementation. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the specific ways in which the English curriculum might be influenced by the report.

GCSE English Language

The report highlights the need to address the fact that, ‘31% of students do not achieve level 2 in English by age 16 each year and 20% do not achieve this by age 19’, as well as the decline in A Level uptake since 2014/15. 

We were pleased to read that our calls for a fundamental change to GCSE English Language had been listened to and made it into the final report. We particularly welcome the suggestion that multi-modal texts are reintroduced, and literary texts are removed from the Language qualification. The call for a broader range of writing types reflects what many of you told us when we canvassed opinions on the future of English in our consultative forum meetings and focus groups. We are excited about putting some of our plans into practice for a reformed GCSE in English Language.

GCSE English Literature

The report made fewer recommendations for change in GCSE English Literature. We fully agree with the findings that a ‘dry’ GCSE curriculum is feeding a decline of uptake at A Level, and that one way to create a more engaging experience for students is to include an increase in the diversity of GCSE set texts. More detail is needed, however, on how an increase in diversity can reasonably be achieved if the current subject conditions still stand – including the expectation of at least one play by Shakespeare, a selection of poetry, fiction or drama from the British Isles from 1914 onwards, and at least one 19th century novel. 

We will be seeking clarification from the DfE on the matter of making meaningful adaptations that do not increase the already burdensome load for teachers and students whilst aspiring to be part of a ‘world-class curriculum’.

Other points for English subject specialists

Oracy is mentioned in the context of a framework for study but not addressed in the way that we had perhaps interpreted it before the report, and as teachers told us – that the Speaking and Listening endorsement should represent a percentage of the marks awarded for GCSE English Language. Cambridge OCR recognises the value of oracy in today’s world and is launching a new Level 3 VQ enrichment qualification in Oracy for first teach September 2026. 

There is also a recommendation for a new ‘stepped’ qualification for students resitting GCSE English Language, assessing skills in a modular way. The DfE and Ofqual will open a consultation on this in spring 2026. 

No major changes are proposed for any of the A Level English qualifications, though these may need to be reviewed in the light of changes to the corresponding GCSEs.

What happens now?

The DfE, in its response to the CAR, has confirmed it will reform both GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature. Curriculum reform is a huge undertaking and the CAR is just the beginning. We should probably keep in mind that the content of the report will not necessarily be adopted as government policy. There is a long way to go yet, with a proposed reform ‘moment’ of September 2029, meaning first assessment of new GCSEs in 2030 and A Levels in 2033. Further consultations between awarding bodies and the Department for Education are ongoing, and our aim is to actively best represent your views and opinions in those consultations.

How can you get involved?

Many of you have already signed up to our teacher advisory panel and contributed generously and thoughtfully to focus group sessions on curriculum reform in English. If you haven’t already done so, we would love for you to join us on the panel and/or at our CAR briefing webinar.

Join our CAR briefing webinar

We’ll be running a free CAR briefing webinar on 4 February 2026 to explain the impact of the Curriculum and Assessment Review on English. There’ll also be the opportunity to ask our subject advisors your questions and pass on your thoughts about the proposed changes. You can join us by signing up on our website.

Stay connected

At Cambridge OCR we’re committed to making assessment straightforward and are here to support teachers and students at every step of the way. Contact us if you have any specific questions about the CAR, or what it means for you and your students. You can always join our teacher panels to help us shape the development of these qualifications as we go through reform. 

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About the authors

Prior to joining Cambridge OCR in June 2023, Lydia spent 20 years working in a range of sixth form colleges across the country, teaching A Level and GCSE qualifications in English. She was a coursework moderator with Cambridge OCR for a number of years and has an MA in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck University. 

Before joining Cambridge OCR in September 2022, Sam spent ten years teaching a range of English qualifications in secondary schools, including as a head of department. She did this alongside completing a MSt in Advanced Subject Teaching at the University of Cambridge, specialising in A Level English curricula and pedagogy.