England plans to protect first three secondary years from early GCSE narrowing

The Department for Education says it will restore Key Stage 3 as a distinct three-year phase in England's new national curriculum, with schools expected not to start GCSE specifications early for large cohorts.

The plan, announced on 8 November 2026, aims to give pupils a broader education during their first years of secondary school. The department says the full curriculum is due to be published later this year.

GCSE content is intended to start in Year 10, but the department says some schools have begun teaching it as early as Year 7. The planned curriculum will say schools should not routinely narrow pupils' options or routinely enter them early for exams. Teachers would retain flexibility to extend learning for pupils or groups ready to progress, without narrowing their options.

The department says the revised curriculum will streamline and sequence content, while strengthening speaking, reading and numeracy alongside subjects such as drama, physical education, music, modern languages and digital skills.

The department cites research by Public First Global for the International Baccalaureate in which more than half of teachers said GCSE courses dominate the first three years of secondary school. It also says the proportion of pupils persistently absent nearly doubles between Years 7 and 9, reaching one in four. The measures are described as plans and expectations in the announcement; the department has not published the full curriculum in this release.