The Cambridge Approach to Textbooks - Principles for designing high-quality textbook and resource materials - March 2016 - revised April 2017

Oct 23, 2026

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The Cambridge Approach to Textbooks sets out evidence-driven principles for designing high-quality textbook and resource materials. Grounded in analysis of hundreds of textbooks and global resources, it links curriculum aims, pedagogy, learning materials, and assessment through the concept of curriculum coherence. The document explains Cambridge Assessment’s role, values, and research basis, then details how the principles are used in practice and provides an annex with illustrative examples.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

The Cambridge Approach

Cambridge Assessment, its principles and values

Introduction to the Cambridge Approach

Using the principles

Systematic accumulation of best practice

The principles

Annex

Reading this document

The Cambridge Approach to Textbooks Principles for designing high-quality textbook and resource materials March 2016 – revised April 2017 Contents Section 1 The Cambridge Approach 2 Cambridge Assessment, its principles and values 3 Introduction to the Cambridge Approach 4 Using the principles 5 Systematic accumulation of best practice 6 The principles 7 Annex Reading this document We have divided this document into sections to make it easy to read. Sections 1 to 5 provide background to the Cambridge Approach. Section 6 gives details of the principles which make up the Cambridge Approach. Section 7 is an annex providing examples of the principles in practice. The Cambridge Approach was drawn up by Tim Oates CBE, Group Director of Assessment Research and Development. Any queries relating to this document should be addressed to him. Acknowledgements and thanks The first phase of the research on textbooks across the world was undertaken with the support of the Ministerial team working on the review of the National Curriculum in England – they did a great job in locating and bringing together a library of textbooks. Ministerial engagement with the issue of textbook quality has been an important element of the work. Thanks must go to publishers, and to their associations, who have given extraordinary support to Cambridge Assessment’s engagement with the issue of textbook quality. It has been a huge pleasure working with Caroline Wright (British Educational Suppliers Association) and Emma House (The Publishers Association) . It was very good to work intensively with Dr Debbie Morgan (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics – NCETM) on textbook quality and her insights have been extremely helpful. Dame Celia Hoyles (NCETM) also provided unstinting support at the beginning of the research. Publishers and educational experts in a range of countries have given their time to answering our questions about the history of development and implementation of materials in specific country contexts. Particular thanks go to Joy Tan and Lee Fei Chen in Singapore, Sirkka Ahonen in Finland, Vice-Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin in Thailand and colleagues from the AEO Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools in Kazakhstan. The refinement of Cambridge Assessment’s criteria and principles was supported by a range of colleagues in Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press, and thanks go to: Carolyn Tiller, Rachel Wood, Muriel Dahan, Juliet Kennard, Anne Smith (Cambridge International Examinations), Emma Nightingale (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) and Jane Mann and Michael McGarvey (Cambridge University Press) . The drafting of the criteria has been hugely assisted by Anne Sparrowhawk (Cambridge International Examinations), whose sound advice and support have been continuous throughout. Finally, thanks to Philippa Bateman and to Bene’t Steinberg and the Group Public Affairs team at Cambridge Assessment for the intensive work on draft preparation and dissemination. 1 Section 1 The Cambridge Approach Cambridge Assessment has contributed to fundamental work on the educational role of high-quality learning materials, and its exam boards naturally are involved in collaborative work with educational publishers. Our wide-ranging international analysis of high-quality materials has led to a better understanding both of the link between assessment and learning materials and of the principles and criteria which we should use in our discussions with publishers. Cambridge is very aware of the extent to which assessment can determine the pattern and content of learning, and our work on ‘curriculum coherence’ emphasises the importance of alignment between curriculum aims, pedagogy, learning materials and assessment. This document is designed to contribute to this process of positive alignment. The principles and criteria we outline here are evidence driven, deriving from analysis of hundreds o

FAQs

What is the core purpose of The Cambridge Approach to Textbooks?

To provide evidence-driven principles for designing high-quality textbook and resource materials and to support alignment between curriculum aims, pedagogy, learning materials, and assessment.

On what evidence were the principles and criteria developed?

They were derived from analysis of hundreds of textbooks and other resources from around the world.

How does the document connect assessment and learning materials?

It emphasizes curriculum coherence, focusing on the linkage and alignment between curriculum aims, pedagogy, learning materials, and assessment.

Oct 23, 2026

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