There are 3 ways we can improve provision at Key Stage 3. First, stop treating KS3 as a warm-up for 'serious' work at KS4. When we do that, we lower the intellectual bar, often without realising it. /1

Second, move beyond content coverage and task completion. Big ideas, high-quality texts and genuine thinking matter far more than finishing worksheets or racing through material. Third, create classrooms that are high challenge and low threat. /2

All pupils can cope with demanding work. When we trust them with it, engagement rises, and enjoyment returns, for teachers too. KS3 should be the intellectual powerhouse of the secondary school, not the bit we rush through... /3