On 7th November, we were proud to support AEPA (Area Based Education Partnerships Association) in hosting the first in a new series of briefings bringing together the maintained and academy sectors to create a truly inclusive and collaborative education ecosystem.
More than 650 school and trust leaders from across the AEPA community joined the session to hear Professor Becky Francis outline the principles and key recommendations of the recent curriculum review.
Baroness Estelle Morris, AEPA co-chair, reflected that:
“There is a lot of work to be done but the starting point is always important and to know that your curriculum and assessment review is grounded in evidence, that you’ve consulted widely and that you’ve taken the profession with you is very important”.
The lively chat and thoughtful questions throughout the briefing reflected a strong sense of collaboration, with leaders encouraged by the evidence-informed approach of the review. However, there were also concerns raised about implementation timelines, curriculum space, and clarity on accountability.
Professor Francis reminded attendees that the panel’s role was to make recommendations, and the sector must now wait to see which will be adopted into policy by 2028.
At HFL, we will continue to review the recommendations and support school leaders locally as they do the same. Collaboration and place-based education remain central to AEPA’s mission, and we’re committed to working side by side with our partners to break down barriers to learning and improve outcomes for all young people.
As Penny Slater, Partnership Lead at HFL, put it:
“It was wonderful to see trust leaders and headteachers commenting and collaborating in the briefing chat, testament to the inclusive community that AEPA have developed and nurtured.”
The session was not recorded as it was intended to be a forum for school and trust leaders to speak freely. If you missed the session, the slides Becky Francis presented from are available:
Planning for the second briefing is already underway, and we will share details with our school community as soon as we have more information.
Find out more about the work of AEPA or how to become a member if you are part of a LA or an Area Based Education Partnership:
