05 November 2025
Curriculum Assessment Review final report summary
The Department for Education in England announces reforms to the national curriculum following the publication of the Independent Curriculum & Assessment Review.
With support from CAS members BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT provided evidence and insight to inform these important changes which are set to enable young people to seize opportunities so they can achieve and thrive in the modern world, including navigating the threat of fake news and online disinformation.
Digital skills are the backbone of the global economy and vital for active participation in society. Computing education is essential, yet thousands of UK schools lack the capacity to deliver it effectively. This creates a talent bottleneck that limits innovation and economic growth and deepens the digital divide.
Computing At School powered by BCS, is solving this at scale. We’ve built a nationwide infrastructure for computing education that delivers measurable outcomes:
🚀 90% of UK schools reached, supporting millions of pupils to access high quality teaching.
🌱 141,000+ teachers trained, improving confidence and pedagogy.
💡 CAS-supported schools achieve 0.2 grade higher on average—equivalent to a year’s extra progress, in computing.
Computing education must equip children and young people to participate fully in a technology-driven world and to thrive in the workplace, whether they want to pursue careers in the digital sector or use technology effectively in other fields.
Key recommendations for Computing
The Computing curriculum should be updated to provide greater clarity at each key stage. Programmes of study should support students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to flourish as well-informed and competent participants in a digital world, and to develop the behaviours and confidence to use technologies (including AI) and systems creatively, safely and effectively.
A broader GCSE in Computing could better reflect the range of knowledge and skills young people need and address current shortages in the digital economy. Retaining a foundation in Computer Science, while expanding to include content on the effective and critical application and creation of technology. This broader qualification should replace the current Computer Science GCSE and prepare young people for both specialist careers in computing and for applying digital technology and data across a wide range of fields. It should enable them to progress to further study, including A Level Computer Science, and/or to pursue a career in computing and digital fields.
Computing should remain the primary subject for teaching computing knowledge and skills, however aspects of digital literacy are relevant to other subjects. Certain subjects can be enriched through the thoughtful application of computing knowledge. There is an opportunity to support students in applying the skills they learn in Computing by including clearly defined references to using computing skills in other subjects, where relevant and feasible, bearing in mind constraints on resources and school IT infrastructure. These references should be aligned with the Computing curriculum at each key stage to ensure coherence and progression.
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy encompasses the knowledge, behaviours and confidence required to use technologies and computer systems creatively, safely and effectively. It also involves the ability to make well-informed critical judgements about the implications, risks and impact of how digital technology is used. Being digitally literate empowers children and young people to adapt and thrive in a technology-driven world, use technology safely, and fully engage with learning across the whole curriculum.
Key Findings: Computing
- Teaching time for Computing has declined in secondary schools since 2011/12
- Despite availability in most schools, take-up of Computing qualifications is relatively low
- Take-up of Computing has declined among girls (GCSE Computer Science 20% for boys versus 6% for girls, and ICT Technical Award 5% for boys versus 2% for girls)
- On average students achieved 0.72 of a grade less in GCSE Computer Science compared to their other subjects. This is worse for girls taking the GCSE, who typically achieved 1.11 of a grade lower than in their other subjects.
- Very few schools teach Computing to all students at Key Stage 4.
- A significant shortage of specialist Computing teachers affects the quality of provision
- Access to devices and infrastructure also varies in schools.
Key Findings: Digital Literacy
- Young people are not developing adequate digital literacy skills, essential both for everyday life and future employment. Misuse of online technologies and its impact on young people’s wellbeing is of significant concern.
- The assumption that young people will acquire digital literacy automatically is incorrect. Advances in AI and genAI have made digital literacy even more critical.
- Computing is the primary subject to deliver digital literacy content and greater clarity is needed on what should be taught at each key stage.
- Other subjects should be enriched through the thoughtful use of digital technologies.
- Responsible technology use and awareness of online harms and safety should be addressed in RSHE, where young people explore the social, emotional and ethical dimensions of digital life.
- Critical evaluation of online content, essential for navigating misinformation and disinformation, should be covered in Citizenship.
Response to the recommendations by The Department for Education: Computing
All young people should be equipped with the digital capabilities required for an increasingly technology- and AI-enabled future and we want to bolster the pipeline of digital talent by encouraging more pupils to consider computing qualifications. We will continue to invest in the National Centre for Computing Education, equipping teachers to confidently teach about topics such as digital literacy and AI, and supporting them to improve their schools’ computing provision.
As we have already outlined, we will rebalance the computing curriculum as the Review suggests, to ensure pupils develop essential digital literacy whilst retaining important computer science content. Through the reformed curriculum, pupils will know from a young age how computers can be trained using data and they will learn essential digital skills such as AI literacy. We will replace the computer science GCSE with a GCSE in computing that better reflects the breadth of the curriculum. We will also explore introducing a new level 3 qualification in data science and AI, to ensure that more young people can secure high value skills for the future and that we cement the UK’s position as a global leader in AI and technology.