The government is set to restore Key Stage 3 as a distinct three-year phase in secondary schools, as part of a major review of the National Curriculum. This initiative aims to tackle pupil disengagement, the disadvantage gap, and the rising number of young people not in education, employment, or training.
A new National Curriculum, developed by subject experts and expected to be published later this year, will streamline content and improve sequencing across all school stages. This is intended to create more opportunities for deeper understanding and richer learning experiences, with a focus on core knowledge and skills such as oracy, fluent reading, and numeracy.
The changes also include new expectations for schools to cease the practice of starting GCSE content early, which some teachers report begins as early as Year 7. Education Secretary Lucy Powell stated that the early years of secondary school should be a time for children to find their passion and develop a love of learning, rather than being rushed towards exams.
The move follows findings from the Milburn Review, the White Working Class Education Inquiry, and the Becky Francis Curriculum and Assessment Review, which highlighted issues such as disengagement and high levels of persistent absence, particularly among white working-class pupils.