If Year 7 Are Doing the New GCSE, What Should KS3 Look Like?

This session will support teachers and curriculum leaders to make confident, defensible decisions about Key Stage 3 computing during a period of uncertainty. Rather than attempting to predict future GCSE requirements or pausing curriculum development, we will explore how to design a purposeful and coherent KS3 curriculum that remains rigorous, engaging, and educationally sound.

During the session, we will consider how schools can build a KS3 curriculum that develops strong computing knowledge and skills while remaining flexible enough to respond to future changes in qualifications. We will discuss approaches to curriculum design that ensure learning is meaningful and well-sequenced, enabling pupils to build secure foundations for further study.

What we’ll cover

• The current context for KS3 computing and why maintaining a strong curriculum is important despite uncertainty.

• Principles for designing a purposeful and coherent KS3 computing curriculum.

• How to ensure KS3 remains rigorous, engaging, and defensible within your school setting.

• Ways to future-proof your curriculum so it can adapt to potential GCSE reform.

Whether you are reviewing your existing KS3 curriculum or planning future developments, this session will provide practical guidance and reassurance to help you make confident curriculum decisions.

By attending this session live, you'll also be given a free unit of resources from Craig n Dave - including lesson plans, activities, slides, homework and more!