Curriculum reform: preparing to engage with the KS3 consultation

The public consultation on the draft National Curriculum programmes of study is expected to open this autumn. For subject leaders and classroom teachers, this will mark the point when curriculum reform begins to move from policy discussion towards something much more tangible.

Until now, it has been understandable if teachers have not followed every stage of the Curriculum and Assessment Review. Much of the discussion has taken place at a national policy level, with relatively little for departments to respond to directly. The publication of the draft programmes of study will change that.

The consultation will provide an important opportunity for teachers to consider what is being proposed for their subjects and to contribute their professional views. Subject leaders have an important role to play in helping their teams understand the proposals, creating time for discussion and ensuring that classroom teachers feel able to take part.

What can departments begin doing now?

This is not the time to rewrite an entire KS3 curriculum in anticipation of proposals that have not yet been published. However, it should not simply be a period of waiting either.

Departments can use this time to:

• strengthen their understanding of curriculum building, coherence and sequencing;

• revisit the rationale behind their existing curriculum;

• consider how pupils build their knowledge and understanding over time;

• identify current strengths and any known weaknesses;

• begin professional conversations within departments, trusts and wider subject networks;

• follow the Department for Education and subject associations for reliable updates.

  
  

This preparation matters because responding to curriculum reform involves much more than checking whether particular items of content appear in a programme of study. Departments will need to consider how the proposals fit together, how they support progression and what successful implementation might require.

The revised National Curriculum is expected to be published in spring 2027, with first teaching from September 2028. It is also intended to apply to academies and free schools as well as maintained schools, making this a significant change for all schools.

I explore the expected timetable, what we already know and the practical steps departments can take (and also what to avoid doing now!) in this more detailed Substack article: Curriculum reform is coming: are subject leaders ready to engage?