- GCSE preparation dominates Key Stage 3 but parents want more. A quarter identified it as the current main purpose of Key Stage 3, but only 11% thought it should be the priority.
- GCSE pressure shapes education from age 11. 57% of teachers surveyed identified GCSE preparation as a leading influence on the Key Stage 3 curriculum.
- Younger pupils lose out on attention and resources. 39% of teachers said Key Stage 3 received less leadership attention than the exam years, while 30% reported less funding and resources.
- Pupils struggle to see the relevance of their learning. Only 36% could see how it related to life beyond exams or a future career in most or all lessons.
A crisis of purpose is turning the first three years of secondary school in England into little more than a “dumping ground” for early GCSE preparation, a major new study has found.
Parents, teachers and pupils described how GCSEs are shaping children’s education from the moment they start secondary school, with more than half of teachers surveyed (57%) identifying GCSE preparation as a leading influence on the curriculum for children aged 11 to 14.
PF Global’s research – commissioned by the International Baccalaureate and overseen by an advisory group of leading educationists from across England – is believed to be the biggest ever listening exercise focused on Key Stage 3 in England. It brings together the views of teachers, parents and pupils alongside evidence from experts and school leaders.
The report, Education’s Overlooked Middle Child: Reclaiming Key Stage 3, paints an uneven picture of early secondary education, with pupils’ experiences depending heavily on their school, subjects and individual teachers.
Key Stage 3 covers Years 7 to 9, the first three years of secondary school in England, for pupils aged 11 to 14.
The latest Department for Education data shows the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent rises from 14% in Year 7 to 21% in Year 8 and 24% by Year 9.
Pupils gave teaching lower ratings in Years 8 and 9 than in Year 7. Meanwhile girls, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and those from disadvantaged backgrounds reported a consistently poorer experience of Key Stage 3.
Many pupils also struggled to see how their learning related to life beyond exams or a future career. Only 36% said they could see this connection in most or all lessons.
Almost four in ten teachers surveyed (39%) said Key Stage 3 received less leadership time and attention than the exam years, while 30% said it received less funding and resources. More than half (53%) said teaching Key Stage 3 was regarded as less desirable than teaching older pupils.
Teachers described wanting to make lessons more practical and relevant but struggling to find the time and resources. More than half (51%) wanted to include more learning that developed practical skills but felt constrained from doing so.
“Lots of subjects I just don’t really put much effort into because I know I’m not going to take them for GCSEs and I don’t care about the subject.” Year 9 pupil in Bristol
“Everything has to go to Key Stage 4 because you have to get those results every year. What time is there left then to look at Key Stage 3? It’s often very little, and bottom of the priority list.” Head of Key Stage 3 at a school in Greater Manchester
The report calls for government, schools and trusts to agree what every pupil should gain from Years 7 to 9, and use that to guide decisions about teaching, staffing and assessment.
It argues that practical work, discussion and opportunities to apply knowledge should be built into everyday lessons. Access to these experiences should not depend on individual teachers finding extra time or money.
Schools should also treat the move from primary to secondary as a process lasting well beyond the first few weeks, with sustained support for pupils who struggle to settle. Some pupils said they were already putting less effort into subjects they did not intend to take at GCSE. Their plans for future exams were shaping which lessons they felt were worth their time.
Becks Boomer Clark, Co-Chair of the KS3 Alliance and Chief Executive of Lift Schools, said:
“Key Stage 3 must be prioritised in the decisions school leaders make every day. Who teaches Years 7 to 9, how quickly pupils get help when they struggle, and whether they feel known and that they belong all shape their experience of secondary school and their confidence in what comes next.
“The KS3 Alliance is revealing real energy and momentum for change in the early years of secondary education. There is already valuable work happening in schools, and leaders need the time and support to learn from it and adapt it to their own pupils’ needs. This research will contribute to the evidence base we need to turn that momentum into practical action, so that an excellent Key Stage 3 experience becomes an entitlement for every pupil.”
Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General at the International Baccalaureate Organisation, said:
“Schools need a shared understanding of what a good Key Stage 3 education should offer every child, backed by the time and support to deliver it. That means giving these years proper attention in their own right, with lessons that build knowledge, encourage curiosity and help pupils grow in confidence.
“GCSE preparation too often dominates the school day, leaving little space for pupils to explore their interests and understand how their learning connects to the world around them.”
Ed Dorrell, Partner at PF Global, which undertook the research for the IB, said:
“Key Stage 3 is too often treated as a dumping ground for early GCSE preparation. Some pupils are already deciding that subjects they won’t take at GCSE aren’t worth their effort, years before they sit those exams.
“More than a decade on from Ofsted’s Wasted Years report looking at the challenges around KS3, it feels like too little has changed. Whether pupils feel confident enough to contribute, can get help when they need it and see value in their lessons deserves serious attention.”
Nat Erbes, Community Partnerships and Development Manager at the International Baccalaureate Organisation, said:
“The government’s new thinking on education for 14- to 19-year-olds is encouraging. But by 14, almost 1 in 4 have disengaged since moving to secondary. Those early years need fresh thinking too, starting with a clear purpose for Key Stage 3. There is great practice out there, but it’s limited by the confines of the current system.
“That’s why the IB is proud to have supported this research. Pupils, parents and teachers have given a clear account of their experiences, and the findings give us plenty to work with in rethinking what these years should offer.
“At the IB, we work with education systems around the world, and the same arguments keep coming up: knowledge or skills, inquiry or teacher-led learning, academic or vocational education. These are not opposites, and they can work together. The challenge – and an achievable one – is to find balance in practice, and in the argument, so pupils get the education they need to thrive in and with the world.”
The report also found:
- Parents wanted a broader education. A quarter identified GCSE preparation as the current main purpose of Key Stage 3, but only 11% thought it should be the priority. Parents wanted children to develop practical skills, independence and confidence alongside their academic knowledge.
- Teachers wanted change. Only 2% thought the current approach was satisfactory. The most popular alternative, backed by 56%, was to keep GCSE preparation central while giving Key Stage 3 a clearer identity of its own.
- Settling into secondary school took time. Some 44% of Key Stage 3 pupils said it took them a few months or longer to feel settled after moving from primary school.
- Pupils with SEND were more likely to report losing confidence. Among pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, 46% said they felt less confident than before starting KS3, compared with 22% of pupils without SEND.
Notes to editors
Education’s Overlooked Middle Child: Reclaiming Key Stage 3 was commissioned by the International Baccalaureate with research conducted by PF Global.
Experts from the newly formed Early Secondary Advisory Group (ESAG) supported the research by scrutinising emerging findings and helping translate them into practical recommendations, drawing on members’ experience of leading schools and conducting education research.
The research took place between May and September 2026. It included polling of 2,090 pupils aged 11 to 18 in England, 810 teachers and teaching assistants in England, and 743 parents with experience of Key Stage 3, alongside twelve focus groups and interviews with members of the ESAG. The teacher survey is unweighted. Some pupil questions asked older respondents to reflect on previous school years; these findings do not track the same pupils over time.
The research will be followed by an Early Secondary Playbook, developed with education experts and school and trust leaders, setting out practical approaches schools can consider.
The report’s four key findings are:
- Finding 1: Key Stage 3 lacks a clear and shared purpose of its own.
- Finding 2: The demands of Key Stage 4 dominate both the purpose of Key Stage 3 and the priority it receives.
- Finding 3: Pupils’ experiences of Key Stage 3 vary widely, and some groups have a consistently worse experience.
- Finding 4: Teachers recognise the problems with Key Stage 3, but the system limits their capacity to rethink it.
For media enquiries, contact George Buck-Ryan at media@pf.global
The members of the Early Secondary Advisory Group are:
- Jennese Alosie, Chief Executive Officer, University of Chichester Academy Trust
- James Lawrie, Head of School Systems Design, International Baccalaureate Organisation
- Professor Lindsey Macmillan, Founding Director, CEPEO, UCL
- Liz Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Big Education Trust
- Steve Rollett, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Confederation of School Trusts
- Nisha Stephenson, Assistant Headteacher overseeing KS3, Tanfield School
- Emily Verow, Chief Executive Officer, Three Spires Trust
- David Watson OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust
- Lee Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Outwood Grange Academies Trust
Executive Summary
Key Stage 3 should be the point at which education really opens up to pupils. They are taught a broader curriculum, they have subject-specific teaching often for the first time, and they have increasing levels of independence. But in practice, Years 7 to 9 remain one of the least clearly defined parts of the system, and the point at which many pupils and their parents disengage with school. Without a clear articulation of its objectives, Key Stage 3 is often less of a priority for schools than Key Stage 4. It has become the overlooked middle child of the education system.
This report’s central finding is that Key Stage 3 lacks a clear and shared purpose of its own. Pupils, parents and teachers expect it to achieve several things: build strong academic foundations, prepare pupils for GCSEs, develop independence and confidence, and link learning with life beyond school. However, there is no common framework to help balance these aims. In practice, GCSE preparation fills the void.
That absence of purpose drives the other findings in this report. The demands of Key Stage 4 determine both the purpose of Key Stage 3 and the priority it receives. Pupils’ experiences become dependent on their individual school, subjects and teachers, all of which are highly variable, with some groups having a consistently worse experience. And although teachers recognise many of the problems, the system limits their capacity to develop and implement a coherent alternative.
Commissioned by the International Baccalaureate and conducted by PF Global, this research brings together the perspectives of pupils, parents and teachers on the Key Stage 3 years. It draws on polling of 2,090 pupils, 810 teachers and teaching assistants, and 743 parents with experience of Key Stage 3; twelve focus groups with pupils, parents and school staff; and six interviews involving members of an Early Secondary Advisory Group, which also met to test the emerging findings and recommendations.
Four key findings are presented, as follows:
1. Key Stage 3 lacks a clear and shared purpose of its own
Parents distinguish between what Key Stage 3 currently does and what they want it to do. One quarter identified GCSE preparation as its current main purpose, but only 11% believed this should be the priority.
Teachers also want change, but, alongside parents, disagree about its direction. While 57% would keep GCSE preparation central and give Key Stage 3 a clearer identity, 26% would place greater emphasis on skills, character and wider development, and 14% want a distinct curriculum with aims separate from GCSE preparation. Only 2% believe the current approach is satisfactory.
In the absence of an agreed alternative, GCSE preparation becomes the main raison d’être of these years. Preparation for GCSE examinations and specifications is one of the leading factors determining Key Stage 3 curricula, selected by 57% of teachers. Pupils have taken this on too, with some describing withdrawing effort from subjects they did not intend to take at GCSE.
Across the polling and focus groups, there was demand for something broader than this. Pupils, parents and teachers wanted Key Stage 3 to provide strong academic foundations while giving young people opportunities to explore interests, apply their learning, develop greater independence and begin to understand their own strengths.
However, enrichment cannot carry the full burden of making education feel relevant and enjoyable for pupils. Practical work, subject trips, projects and other enriching experiences were valued highly by parents, pupils and teachers, but treating these as optional additions leaves the everyday curriculum delivery unchanged and makes access dependent on available time, staffing and money.
2. The demands of Key Stage 4 dominate both the purpose of Key Stage 3 and the priority it receives
Schools are held accountable for GCSE outcomes, while the contribution made to these outcomes during Key Stage 3 remains largely invisible. Although 83% of teachers were confident that their school could measure pupils’ attainment reliably and consistently, there is no shared framework for what progress across the phase should mean or measure. More than a third of teachers, 37%, said the absence of formal external assessment meant that Key Stage 3 received less attention and resource in their school.
This comes through in the allocation of attention and resources teachers spoke about. Compared with the exam years, 40% of teachers said Key Stage 3 received less leadership time and attention, while 19% said it received more. 30% said it received less funding and resources, compared with 17% who said it received more. More than half said teaching Key Stage 4 was considered more desirable than teaching Key Stage 3.
3. Pupils’ experiences vary significantly, and some groups fare consistently worse
Many pupils rated the teaching they received positively, including 70% in Year 7, 62% in Year 8 and 60% in Year 9. However, the decline across these years is notable, and pupils’ accounts revealed substantial variation between schools, subjects, classes and teachers. They described orderly and engaging lessons with some teachers, and disruption, repetition or extended periods of supply teaching with others.
This variation exists in the transition into secondary school, where 44% of pupils said it took them a few months or longer to feel settled. Pupils also struggled to link individual subjects and topics with the wider purposes of education. Only 36% could see the relevance of their learning to life beyond exams or a future career.
These average figures mask a consistently poorer experience among some groups. Girls were more likely than boys to report high test pressure, fear of being judged, lower enjoyment and taking longer to settle. Among pupils with SEND, 46% said they felt less confident than previously, compared with 22% of pupils without SEND. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to be bored in lessons, enjoy school less than when they started and dread attending.
4. Teachers recognise the problems with Key Stage 3, but the system limits their capacity to rethink it
Teachers were more than twice as likely to say that pupil engagement worsened across Key Stage 3 as they were to say that it improved. Among those who observed a decline, most said it began in Year 8. However, 89% also said Key Stage 3 worked well in their own school, although only a quarter said it worked very well.
This apparent tension in teacher perceptions partly reflects the absence of a shared definition of success for the phase. In a system organised around later exams, ‘working well’ may mean delivering the established curriculum and preparing pupils adequately for GCSEs, rather than achieving a broader set of aims for the phase. When asked what would improve Key Stage 3, teachers tended to prioritise immediate pressures such as class sizes, behaviour, staffing and earlier intervention.
Schools formally possess considerable curriculum autonomy, but it does not always feel usable to teachers. Only 19% of teachers reported having a great deal of freedom over how they taught Key Stage 3. Trust policies, prescribed schemes of work, assessment systems, workload and concerns about later results all influenced what it felt possible to change. Where strong practice does exist, it tends to remain isolated and does not spread effectively across the system.
Implications for policy and practice
From these findings, we identify six implications for policy and practice. The renewed national focus on Key Stage 3 creates an opportunity to establish a shared framework and purpose for the phase and help schools navigate the tensions between consistency and autonomy, knowledge and application, engagement and attainment, and continuity with the phases on either side. Without that framework, curriculum and assessment reform, the national enrichment framework and the Key Stage 3 Alliance risk generating significant activity without substantially improving pupils’ experiences of Years 7 to 9.
Downloads
- ReportEducation’s Overlooked Middle Child: Reclaiming Key Stage 313 October 2026 · 48 pagesDownload PDF
- Data tableKey Stage 3 research: pupil survey, August 202613 August 2026 · England · 2,090 respondentsDownload tables
- Data tableKey Stage 3 research: teacher survey, August 202626 August 2026 · England · 810 respondentsDownload tables
- Data tableKey Stage 3 research: parent survey, August 202616 August 2026 · UK · 1,972 respondentsDownload tables
