The Department for Education has responded to Highfield and Brookham’s groundbreaking White Paper into the future of young people, calling for urgent reforms to ensure they are equipped with the skills, resilience and digital literacy needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
The paper follows the school’s hugely successful Raising the Future conference which brought together education leaders, employers, technology experts, safeguarding specialists and former Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, to examine whether the current education system is keeping pace with rapid social and social technological change.
The White Paper, entitled Education for a Changing Society: Human Skills, AI Readiness and Preparing Learners for the Future of Work argues that while the Government’s planned curriculum reforms represent a positive step, further action is needed to equip young people with the skills and resilience required for modern life.
Among its recommendations are:
- Greater emphasis on communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills across the curriculum.
- Â Reform of a GCSE assessment to better reflect real-world competences and applied learning.
- A national framework for AI literacy and the responsible use of AI in schools.
- Stronger guidance around smartphone use, online safety and digital wellbeing.
- Closer collaboration between schools, employers and policymakers to ensure education reflects future workforce needs.
Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham School, said: “Education is facing one of the most significant periods of change in a generation. The rise of AI, changing employer expectations and growing concerns about young people’s wellbeing require us to think differently about what success in education looks like. Academic excellence remains essential, but schools must help young people develop the human skills, adaptability and ethical judgement that will enable them to thrive in an increasingly complex world.”
The Department for Education (DfE) thanked Mrs Cryer for sharing the conference findings and white paper, appreciating the “thought, expertise and collaboration behind these recommendations.” They said that when the consultation launches, they will welcome feedback from the school, considering this as part of their “ongoing work to shape a curriculum that meets the needs of future generations.”
In response to elements highlighted in the report, the DfE spokesperson said:
In terms of the recommendations set out in your paper relating to transferable skills, we are taking steps to ensure that the curriculum reflects the demands of modern life. We will embed vital applied knowledge and skills, including digital literacy, media literacy and financial education within the revised curriculum so that young people are well prepared for the future.
In relation to the paper’s recommendations on GCSE assessment models, the Review found that the current assessment and qualifications systems is broadly effective
Regarding your recommendation for implementing national guidance for the responsible and effective integration of artificial intelligence in education, we recognise the importance of preparing young people for an increasingly digital world. As part of reforms to the computing curriculum, we will ensure pupils develop strong digital literacy, including understanding emerging technologies such as AI, so they are equipped to thrive in modern society.
Regarding strengthening collaboration between educators, employers, and policymakers to ensure education remains aligned with future workforce needs, we also recognise the importance of ensuring that post-16 education is closely aligned with labour market needs and future skills demand. Through ongoing reforms, we are strengthening collaboration with further education providers, employers and industry to support high‑quality pathways into further study, apprenticeships and employment. We will continue to develop approaches within post‑16 education that reflect applied learning, technical understanding and the development of real‑world competencies, alongside the strengthening of essential transferable skills. In addition, we are ensuring that learners develop advanced digital skills, including an understanding of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, supported by clear guidance on their responsible and effective use.
In line with the paper’s recommendation to introduce stronger national strategies to address the impact of smart phones and social media on children’s wellbeing, concentration, and learning outcomes, we also recognise concerns about the impact of social media and emerging technologies on children’s wellbeing, concentration and learning. The Government is taking action to strengthen online safety protections, restrict young people’s access to harmful online content and features, and expand opportunities for enrichment and positive experiences both online and offline.
The DfE spokesperson went on to say that work to redraft the national curriculum programmes of study and subject content for GCSEs is underway. They will test these proposals with stakeholders ahead of publishing draft content for public consultation in September. They are working towards a revised national curriculum being published in Spring 2027, for first teaching in 2028. They highlighted they are confident that these changes will deliver a curriculum that is “ambitious, inclusive and future-focused, providing every young person with the foundations they need to thrive.”
Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham responds: “The messaging from the Government is positive. However, there is a very real concern amongst teachers and parents that children today are not learning at the pace required to prepare them. Reform needs to be quicker and it needs to give schools the flexibility to develop skills such as collaboration, adaptability, communication, digital literacy and ethnical decision making alongside academic attainment.
“While AI clearly presents fantastic opportunities for the future generations, there are huge risks involved when we look at the evolution of the workplace. Without meaningful curriculum and assessment reform, young people will leave education insufficiently prepared for the demands of the modern workplace.”
Highfield and Brookham is an independent school for children aged two to 13, set just outside Liphook in the South Downs National Park on the borders of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. It was shortlisted for the Independent Prep School of the Year 2026 by Tes Awards and was commended in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2026 for Student Wellbeing.
Categories: Highfield and Brookham Schools School News
