The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that secondary schools will be instructed to stop teaching GCSEs early as part of a wide-ranging curriculum shake-up designed to keep pupils engaged.
The overhaul, due to be published in full later this year, will introduce a new national curriculum for Years 7 to 9, covering pupils aged 11 to 14. The DfE said the changes aim to address persistent absence, which it noted nearly doubles between Year 6 and Year 9.
Curriculum changes for Years 7 to 9
The new curriculum will strip back "over-crowded" content and create room for schoolchildren to develop skills needed for the future, such as confident speaking, reading for pleasure and numeracy, the Government said. It added that the changes will "make the first three years of secondary school count" and help address the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training.
The revised curriculum will stipulate that schools should not begin GCSE specifications prematurely for large groups of pupils, nor routinely require children to narrow their choices earlier or enter exams ahead of schedule. However, teachers will retain the ability to stretch high-achieving pupils or groups who are ready to progress further without limiting their options, the Government confirmed.
Education Secretary's response
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: "The early years of secondary school should be a time when children are excited to go to school and engage in the specialist and much broader teaching on offer, and where they find their passion and develop a love of learning.
"Instead, we've seen worrying trends of disengagement and high levels of persistent absence, with the disadvantage gap stubbornly large and too many leaving school without the knowledge and skills they need to thrive."
Powell added: "What's more, the pressures of GCSEs and an overcrowded curriculum are resulting in too many children receiving a narrower offer during Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9) and being rushed towards exams without grasping the fundamentals or developing deeper understanding. I'm putting a stop to that."
Impact on teaching and pupils
A survey conducted by Public First revealed that more than half of teachers felt qualifications dominate the first three years of secondary school, with some schools beginning exam preparation for qualifications most pupils sit at 16 as early as Year 7.
A more enriching offer will also be introduced across subjects such as drama, PE, music, and modern foreign languages, alongside technical and digital skills. The Government stated that the changes are designed specifically to enhance outcomes for white working class pupils, for whom disengagement during the transition to secondary school is considerably more pronounced, according to an independent inquiry.
Baroness Estelle Morris, who co-chaired the inquiry into white working class pupils' school outcomes, said: "Our report highlighted the problems for children at points of transition, including the move from primary to secondary school – it also demonstrated how white working class young people and their families disengage from the education system through the Key Stage 3 years. This is why I welcome the Government's commitment to begin to address these issues."
Morris added: "The work of the inquiry is not yet over and we will soon come forward with fresh plans to drive change for white working class young people in the education system. Together, we should be relentless in our focus on changing the opportunities available for this group of children and families."
