​In 2010, McMahon et al. argued that educational policies reflect the values and assumptions of policymakers, eventually translating into the systems and practices found in schools. In England, this has been particularly visible since the 2010 UK election, when Michael Gove and Nick Gibb brought what Guy Claxton (2021) calls a ‘trad’ perspective to the Department for Education. They promoted academic rigour, core knowledge, and the prioritisation of traditional subjects as a way of improving productivity, and making education ‘the engine of the economy’ (Gibb, 2015a). Nick Gibb drew heavily on the ideas of American academic E.D. Hirsch, who believed that cultural literacy and equality of opportunity comes from shared ‘communal knowledge’. This influence was clear when the 2007 national curriculum – broad and holistic, with little mention of knowledge – was replaced in 2014 by one that Gibb described as ‘in the spirit of Hirsch’ (Gibb, 2015b)

The shift to a ‘DIKR’ – Direct Instruction, Knowledge Rich (Claxton, 2021) – model became increasingly visible across the system. Bestselling books were published on all aspects of DIKR practice, schools focused on the approach gained prominence in both the media and the educational discourse, and GCSE and A-Levels had almost all coursework elements removed in favour of final exams. By 2018, Ofsted’s new inspection framework explicitly linked educational progress to knowledge and memory, and its chief inspector placed knowledge at the heart of schooling. What began as one minister’s focus on knowledge has since become a defining feature of English education policy.

Ofsted’s own research in 2019, however, identified three equally successful curriculum models:

• ‘knowledge rich’ – where the focus is on the acquisition of subject-specific knowledge,
• ‘knowledge engaged’ – where knowledge and skills are taught alongside each other, and
• ‘skills-led’ – where subject knowledge is a by-product of the teaching of learning behaviours and ‘future learning’ skills and behaviours, such as resilience and perseverance. (Ofsted, 2019)

Despite this research, the political direction of travel was clear, with Nick Gibb stating that the idea that schools should teach ‘21st Century Skills’ was a ‘damaging myth’ (Gibb, 2021).

But the very ‘academics in university schools of education, leaders of tech businesses and politicians of all stripes’ who Gibb criticised for their focus on skills such as problem solving, creativity and critical thinking, are still convinced that there is more to education than knowledge retention. And many of them contribute to the Rethinking School programme. We have heard from Bill Lucas from Rethinking Assessment and James Pope from Whole Education; and we have visited schools that are part of the Deeper Learning UK network – XP in Doncaster, Big Education Schools, the King Alfred School, and Elmfield Steiner School – all full of educators who are committed to a broader view of education.

As Gert Biesta (2009) warns, when we only measure knowledge retention, we risk losing sight of desirable educational outcomes that cannot be so easily quantified. As part of the Rethinking School project, our cross-school collaborative Working Group has been exploring how assessment of these less tangible, less visible aspects of learning can contribute to a broader understanding of success, help to shape curriculum and teaching, and make classroom practice more inclusive, more successful, and more effective.

At our last meeting, Anna Elliott from the Steiner Academy Hereford shared her inspiring work on an assessment tool that moves beyond data and targets, focusing instead on the whole child. Anna introduced a holistic, phenomenological approach which aims to understand each learner through focused observation and reflection. She has created a practical framework built around three themes – Value and Connect, Practice and Enact, and Know and Understand – which together support teachers in seeing and responding to the full picture of a child’s development. This approach works both for individual assessment and as a tool for reflecting on classroom practice. It offers genuine hope for educators looking for ways to assess that align with holistic pedagogies, capturing the depth of learning and growth that standardised tests often miss. Anna’s framework highlights assessment as an active part of teaching and learning – not a separate or burdensome process, but one that truly supports both teachers and pupils in understanding and nurturing the learning journey.

The ongoing tension between DIKR and more holistic approaches reflects a deeper question about what education is for. The dominance of a knowledge-rich agenda has narrowed the focus of what counts as success, often reducing learning to what can be memorised or measured. Yet the work shared through the Rethinking Schools project, and by educators such as Anna Elliott, points towards a broader and more humane vision – one that values less tangible but no less valuable aspects of learning and development. Rebalancing the conversation means recognising that knowledge alone is not enough; the skills, dispositions and relationships that shape how children learn are equally vital if education is to nurture the whole person and prepare them for life beyond the classroom.

K Bransby, Waldorf UK

References:

Biesta, G. (2009) ‘Good Education in an Age of Measurement: on the Need to Reconnect with the Question of Purpose in Education’, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 1(21).

Claxton, G. (2021). The Future of Teaching and the Myths that Hold it Back. Routledge.

Gibb, N. (2015a) The Purpose of Education. 9th July 2015. Education Reform Summit, London. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-purpose-of-education

Gibb, N. (2015b) How E. D. Hirsch Came to Shape UK Government Policy. In Simons, J. and Porter, N. (Ed.) Knowledge and the Curriculum: A collection of essays to accompany E. D. Hirsch’s lecture at Policy Exchange pp12-20. Policy Exchange (2015). https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/knowledge-and-the-curriculum.pdf

Gibb, N. (2021). Speech: Nick Gibb: The importance of a knowledge-rich curriculum: 21 July 2021. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-importance-of-a-knowledge-rich-curriculum#:~:text=A%20broad%20and%20rich%20knowledge,debates%20that%20dominate%20public%20discourse

McMahon, M., Forde, C., & Martin, M. (Eds.). (2010). Contemporary issues in learning and teaching. SAGE Publications, Limited.

Ofsted (2019), Education Inspection Framework, Overview of Research, London: Ofsted. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6034be17d3bf7f265dbbe2ef/Research_for_EIF_framework_updated_references_22_Feb_2021.pdf