England adds media literacy and AI to the curriculum: what educators need to plan for
England is preparing the biggest curriculum shake-up in a decade. Pupils will learn to spot fake news and gain a stronger grasp of artificial intelligence as part of a wider refresh confirmed by the Department for Education (DfE).
The move follows a Curriculum and Assessment Review and includes a 10% reduction in the overall volume of exams for teenagers, amid concerns that testing has become excessive. The goal is clear: give every young person the knowledge and skills to succeed over the next decades.
What is changing
- Media and misinformation: Primary pupils will be taught to identify misinformation and disinformation, build critical thinking, and reduce exposure to online harms.
- AI literacy: Learners will explore artificial intelligence to better understand how it works and how to use it responsibly.
- Reading: Additional measures to strengthen children's reading.
- Money basics: Lessons covering mortgages, debt, and everyday money decisions.
- Exams: A 10% cut in exam volume for teenagers.
- Citizenship and climate: A compulsory citizenship module that includes climate education.
- Languages: A new language qualification.
- Active learning: More outdoor and sporting elements.
Timeline
The government plans to publish the final revised curriculum by early 2027, giving schools four terms to prepare. Implementation is set for September 2028, according to the Department for Education.
Why this matters
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the reforms span foundations like reading and the urgent need to identify fake news, giving students the knowledge to achieve and practical skills to thrive. Jane Gratton of the British Chambers of Commerce noted that business welcomes a stronger focus on employability-teamworking, oracy, literacy, digital, and financial skills-and stressed the need for clear qualification pathways that keep students engaged in learning and work.
What school leaders and teachers can do now
With the final documents expected in 2027 and rollout in 2028, you have time to prepare without reworking everything twice. Focus on capacity, staff development, and a joined-up approach across subjects.
- Map where media literacy, digital literacy, and computing already sit across phases; identify gaps and overlaps.
- Build a cross-curricular thread for misinformation, online safety, and source evaluation-start in primary and reinforce in secondary.
- Plan staff CPD on AI basics and classroom use cases; include ethics, bias, and data privacy.
- Update acceptable-use, filtering, and reporting procedures to reflect risks tied to misinformation and AI tools.
- Review assessment policies in light of the 10% exam reduction; consider more portfolio evidence, low-stakes checks, and coursework where appropriate.
- Strengthen reading in every subject with routines for text structure, vocabulary, and fluency.
- Broaden financial education: budgeting, debt, interest, and real-life scenarios such as mortgages.
- Open dialogue with local employers and colleges on skills needs and qualification routes.
Next steps
Set up a small working group to scope curriculum, CPD, and safeguarding updates by the end of this academic year. Use the 2026-27 window for piloting resources, and keep governors informed so budget and timetable decisions support the 2028 go-live.
If you're planning CPD on AI, you can explore curated course lists by job role here: Complete AI Training: Courses by Job.
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