Commenting after the government said schools would be discouraged from covering GCSE content before Year 10 under its curriculum and assessment reforms, Sarah Hannfin, head of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“We have long highlighted how schools are expected to cover far too much material in the curriculum and qualifications.

“One of the key reasons some schools start GCSEs early is that there is simply too much content in the current specifications to teach and consolidate in two years.

“The government has indicated it will be reducing GCSE content and if this reduction is sufficient then this issue would be resolved and mean there is not a need to start covering this material before Year 10.

“We broadly welcome this announcement, which we hope will give teachers the space to offer a richer curriculum at Key Stage 3.

“Offering a more diverse range of study options could certainly help schools to keep young people engaged in learning, but it is unlikely to be a silver bullet when it comes to reducing absence from school.

“That is likely to require really significant investment in services like social care and mental health, which have been under-funded over the last decade but can offer families vital support with challenges in their lives which can harm children’s school attendance.”