Creativity at the Core of the Reformed National Curriculum

The announcement of a reformed national curriculum marks an exciting and important turning point for education - making it broader, richer and more innovative in ways that we warmly welcome at Into Film. The Government has laid out a new vision, backed by clear evidence, that places creativity at the heart of learning and extra-curricular activities, and prepares young people for life and work in the 21st century. 

Into Film's programme is designed to support young people aged 5-19 to gain the education, career and wellbeing benefits of engaging with film and the moving image. The three areas of curriculum reform that excite us the most are as follows:

1. New core enrichment entitlement for every pupil 
2. Inclusion of media literacy as part of compulsory citizenship from primary age 
3. Removal of the EBacc to create a broader curriculum.

These reforms reflect the reality of the changing world, the opportunities it provides for our young people, and will provide them with the agile, creative and critical skills they need to thrive as citizens and in their future careers.

New core enrichment entitlement for every pupil: Extra-curricular for all 

Participation in extra-curricular enrichment activities improves young people's academic outcomes, career opportunities and health and wellbeing. However, access to such activities has for too long depended on the luck of geography or circumstances, and over the past decade the socio-economic ‘enrichment gap' between those who do and do not get access to these activities has widened.

We celebrate the Government's introduction of this new entitlement to give every pupil, regardless of background, access to the benefits of arts, sports, outdoor activities and life skills. Combined with the forthcoming Enrichment Framework, this entitlement will be an incredible boost for schools and young people.

Here are just some of ways Into Film already uses the power of film to support extra-curricular activities:

• Into Film Festival - Every year, we enable over 500,000 children and young people to visit the cinema as part of the world's biggest free youth festival. 
• Into Film+ - 10,500 schools actively use our steaming service, Into Film+, for both enrichment activities and curriculum-linked teaching. The service has over 800 titles, each with accompanying learning materials. 
• Film Clubs - we support a network of 8,000 film watching, making and discussion clubs in schools across the UK.

Inclusion of media literacy as part of compulsory citizenship from primary age: Acknowledging the realities of our digital lives 

Young people engage with film and video content daily, across streaming, social media, and gaming platforms, often without adult supervision. This content is increasingly complex and pervasive, requiring learners to develop critical understanding and resilience, but also offers new opportunities for expression, connection and creativity.

We are delighted that media literacy will form part of compulsory citizenship education, starting from primary school. This will prepare young people for their lives as citizens and provide them with crucial skills to thrive in life and work. Every child should understand the mediums through which our society shares knowledge, news and culture, and have the confidence and skills to critically examine the content they interact with. 

Removal of the EBacc to create a broader curriculum: Restoring creative subjects to equal status 

The uptake and funding of creative subjects, including Film and Media Studies, have seen a steep decline in England over the past 15 years, partly due to the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc).

The removal of the EBacc will enable a broader and richer choice of GCSE subjects, putting arts, creative and humanities subjects back on an equal footing with English, maths and science. We are thrilled that pupils will now have access to a range of subjects that matches their interests and ambitions.

For the creative and screen industries as well, we welcome the prospect of greater funding and training for subjects that provide skills and pathways to this key economic sector. We will work alongside the Government, schools and our industry partners to ensure that these revitalised subjects meet the needs of learners so they can thrive in the future creative economy.