The national curriculum is an investment in all young people, for their benefit and for the benefit of the nation. In addition to supporting individual success, it plays a crucial role in providing the knowledge and skills required to build a prosperous economy and flourishing civil society, as well as promoting social cohesion and sustaining democracy. For these reasons, it is imperative that the national curriculum supports high and rising standards in the education system. It is more than a decade since the national curriculum was last reviewed. It is right that it is now refreshed to ensure that it remains cutting edge and fit for purpose, and the opportunity to address problems with the current curriculum must be taken. In July 2024, the Government commissioned Professor Becky Francis CBE to convene and chair a panel of experts (hereafter, the Review Panel) to conduct the Curriculum and Assessment Review (hereafter, the Review). Education is inherently valuable and important for its own sake, but it also plays a crucial role in preparing young people to address the civic and economic needs of the country and the wider world. The Review therefore seeks to ensure that the curriculum and assessment system in England delivers excellence for all. In addition, it seeks to support the Government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity by equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills to adapt and thrive in the world and the workplace. The Review Panel recognises the hard-won successes and educational improvements of the last quarter-century, and share the widely held ambition to promote high standards. However, in practice, "high standards" currently too often means "high standards for some". The ambition is "high standards for all". The education system must therefore drive high aspiration and raise standards for the significant groups of young people for whom the current curriculum and assessment system creates barriers to their progress, in order to ensure the best life chances for all young people, irrespective of their background. The Review is informed by research evidence, data, and a wealth of perspectives from experts, stakeholders and the public, including over 7,000 responses to a Call for Evidence, and a range of research and polling. The Review is being undertaken in close consultation with education professionals and other experts; parents, children and young people; and stakeholders such as employers, universities and trade unions. The evidence shows that many aspects of the current system are working well, although there is great diversity in the views of stakeholders about the present arrangements for the curriculum and assessment. In comparison to other jurisdictions, England has a reasonably broad and balanced curriculum to age 16. International comparisons suggest that the present arrangements have had a positive impact on attainment, and the authors intend to maintain and build on the knowledge-rich approach and on the coherent structural architecture established by the last Review. The authors consider that the present architecture of key stages is broadly working well, and intend to recommend retaining it. Likewise, national assessments and qualifications are broadly working well, including the phonics screening check, the multiplication tables check, national tests at the end of key stage 2, GCSEs, A levels, T Levels, and some wider applied general qualifications at 16-19. However, the Review Panel has identified four areas it will focus on in the next phase, where it sees the greatest opportunities and need for improvement: (1) The system is not working well for all; (2) Challenges with specific subjects; (3) The curriculum needs to respond to social and technological change; and (4) 16-19 technical and vocational qualifications.