The teaching of Britain's transatlantic trafficking of Africans and much of its imperial history is currently non-statutory content within the national curriculum for England. This content is included to preserve choice for educators.
A curriculum and assessment review published in November 2025 recommended clarifying what counts as statutory and non-statutory content. This is intended to help teachers understand the extent of optionality they have, ahead of a new national curriculum due in spring 2027.
The government's response to the review has promised to "strengthen" the teaching of the country's history and allow teachers to reflect Britain's Black history within it. The Holocaust is currently the only topic children in England must study between the ages of 11 and 14.