Key Stage 5 (KS5) represents a vital transition, but it is one that leaves too many young people behind. Address these long-standing problems of inclusion and accountability must be a priority for the curriculum review.
Our schools offer a range of mainstream and specialist provision from primary right through to KS5, so this is a key focus for our trust. We consistently see how challenging the transition to (and experience throughout) KS5 can be for many pupils – particularly for the ‘forgotten third’ who haven’t achieved GCSE passes in English and maths.
As well as the (not always appropriate) requirement to retake these two GCSEs, KS5 can offer limited progression opportunities for these often disenfranchised young people, with no access to high-quality apprenticeships or level 2 and 3 vocational courses.
Inevitably, this leads to low attendance, high drop-out rates and poor motivation in a key stage that should be all about career and life goals.
The need to provide more innovative opportunities and a curriculum that is better tailored to their needs is clear.
Flexible assessment
Take functional skills qualifications, for example. These are often seen as a fallback rather than a vital component of the curriculum for many. Embedding functional skills robustly into KS5 (or even better, into KS4) would enable these pupils to access apprenticeships and higher-level vocational courses, which they are otherwise blocked from.
Reimagining KS5 provision in a more inclusive and flexible way has the potential to influence and improve earlier educational stages too. At our schools and college, we offer diverse curricula that include construction, barista training, mechanics, catering and hair and beauty.
Crucially, thanks to the flexibility we have in our special schools, many of these programmes begin in KS4. This allows pupils to explore vocational pathways early and supports their transition into vocational courses at KS5.
Curriculum alignment
For such initiatives to flourish sector-wide, we need better alignment between KS4 and KS5 provision on a national scale in all schools. The current disconnect is not just a logistical issue but a systemic one.
Research conducted by the Education Policy Institute highlights the importance of well-coordinated transitions in preventing young people from becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training).
Additionally, the Centre for Vocational Education Research has shown that students who engage in vocational education during secondary school are more likely to experience positive post-16 outcomes.
Yet these findings have not translated into widespread practice. For KS5 to deliver effectively, we need stronger partnerships between schools and post-16 providers. This collaboration must go beyond basic handovers to involve co-designed curricula and shared accountability for student outcomes.
As an education group that includes an FE college, we’ve seen first-hand the benefits of such an approach. By working closely with our college, we have established ‘Project Galaxy’ – an initiative to ensure that pupils transitioning from our schools into FE receive continued care and support throughout KS5, during what can be an overwhelming and high-anxiety life change.
Assessment and accountability
Reform of the accountability and assessment landscape is also needed. Current models often prioritise academic outcomes over practical achievements, inadvertently sidelining students with SEND or those pursuing vocational routes.
For example, A level results are the key accountability measure for sixth forms, giving schools little incentive to provide alternative routes. For lower-ability students, ‘success’ is often based purely on whether they pass their maths and English retakes.
Establishing new progress measures that account for more diverse post-16 outcomes – such as employability skills and personal development – would encourage providers to deliver more inclusive and equitable support.
To achieve this, assessment also needs to be better tailored to the young person, reflecting their strengths and aspirations rather than a narrow definition of success. We are not just preparing young people for university and employment. KS5 is our last chance to prepare them for fulfilling adult lives.
The stakes of the government’s review are high, but there is great potential to increase the opportunities available to so many young people.
With a more inclusive, flexible and coordinated approach, we can ensure every pupil has the tools and the pathways they need to succeed and to contribute to the life of the nation.
This article is the sixth in a series of sector-led, experience-informed recommendations for the Francis review of curriculum and assessment. Read them all here
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