How new rules stopping GCSE lessons before Year 10 will impact pupils aged 11 to 14

How new rules stopping GCSE lessons before Year 10 will impact pupils aged 11 to 14 Millions of pupils aged 11 to 14 will see their school days overhauled under major new government plans to stop early GCSE preparation and tackle soaring classroom absence rates Secondary schools across England will be told to stop teaching GCSEs early, in a major curriculum shake-up aimed at halting a decline in pupil engagement and keeping children in school Due to be published in full later this year, the revamped curriculum for Years 7 to 9 - covering pupils aged 11 to 14 - will strip back "over-crowded” syllabuses to focus on core fundamentals, everyday numeracy, reading for pleasure and spoken communication skills. Ministers say the intervention will "make the first three years of secondary school count” while easing the intense academic pressure that has caused high levels of disengagement amongst teenagers. Why early exam preparation is being scrapped The overhaul is also meant to tackle persistent absence, which the Department of Education said nearly doubles from Year 6 to Year 9. It said the changes will help tackle the rising number of young people not in education, employment or training. In a survey by Public First, more than half of teachers said qualifications dominate the first three years of secondary school, with some schools starting teaching for exams most pupils take at 16 when they are in Year 7, prompting children to consider exam choices long before Year 10. Under the new guidelines, whole years will no longer be pushed into starting so early, and children shouldn't routinely be required to narrow their options earlier or entered earlier for exams. But teachers will be able to stretch-high-achieving pupils or groups who are ready to be fast-tracked without narrowing their options, the Government said. 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. "That’s what our exciting and engaging new national curriculum aims to address as part of our wider education reforms. 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. "The new curriculum and focus for these vital early teen years will mean more children are excited to learn and more teachers are excited to teach. There will be more time to develop deeper understanding, as well as a richer experience that will engage more young people in their passions and prepare them better for the fast-changing world they will grow up in.” Tackling a doubling of secondary school truancy Ministers believe the current set-up is contributing to Britain's school attendance crisis. Data shows rates of persistence absence nearly double between Year 6 and Year 9 - from 13% to 25% - leaving thousands of teenagers disengaged from education before even reaching the vital years where they sit their exams. More classroom time for creative subjects and life skills - and focused support for white working-class pupils The slimmed down curriculum will include a more engaging offer in subjects like drama, PE, music, and modern foreign languages, alongside technical and digital skills. The Government said the changes are aimed in particular at improving outcomes for white working class pupils, for whom disengagement in the transition to secondary school is markedly worse, according to an independent inquiry. It said this affects pupils’ attendance, attainment and ultimately their life chances. 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. "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 you 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.”