We believe that the curriculum expects young children to master abstract maths and grammar too early, and that this could harm confidence and mental health. We think a review is needed to better align education with developmental science and help support real learning.

We believe that children’s cognitive development research shows that they need time to build concrete understanding before they can successfully manage high levels of abstraction. We think the current primary curriculum demands mastery of abstract mathematical concepts and complex grammatical terminology too early, which could lead to unnecessary stress, loss of confidence, and mental health issues. In our view, many children are being set up to fail rather than flourish.