The Francis review: Good in parts, but with one huge omission

Review seemed better on the micro than on the big picture of how children are experiencing school.

Following up on my piece earlier this week previewing the government’s curriculum and assessment review, I read the review’s final report with mixed feelings yesterday. 

This 197-page document is good in parts, and especially in the micro, with the sections on individual subjects appearing at an initial glance largely positive.

And, while being careful – critics will say too careful - not to reject outright the dominant traditionalist-leaning reforming narrative of Conservative-led governments since 2010, the report subtly pushes back against what could be seen as the extremes of the Gove/Gibb agenda of recent years.

But caution was the watchword in this report. And the elephant in the room is that the review, staggeringly I think given how serious all of this is, seemed not to acknowledge at all the challenges England’s school system – and its secondary schools in particular – seem to be facing around pupil wellbeing and disaffection.