Secondary schools told to stop teaching GCSEs before Year 10
Summary
England’s Department for Education plans to tell secondary schools not to begin GCSE teaching before Year 10. The government says it wants Years 7 to 9 to offer broader learning and deeper understanding, after reviews found disengagement among early teens and a survey found GCSE preparation often shaped Key Stage 3 lessons.Key Facts
- The changes concern Key Stage 3, which covers Years 7 to 9 in England.
- The government plans to publish a new curriculum later this year.
- The Department for Education says persistent absence rises from 13% in Year 6 to 15% in Year 9.
- A survey commissioned by the International Baccalaureate found 57% of teachers said GCSE preparation was the leading influence on the Key Stage 3 curriculum.
- The government says it wants to strengthen subjects including drama, physical education, music and languages.
- Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the reforms would give pupils more time to build understanding and explore their interests.
- Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson welcomed a broader focus beyond exams but warned that schools need enough teachers to expand subject options.
- Previous reforms made GCSEs linear, with exams taken at the end of Year 11 rather than across Key Stage 4.
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