What Is KS3? A Complete Guide for UK Parents (2026)

Key Stage 3 (KS3) is the first three years of secondary school in England — Years 7, 8 and 9, covering ages 11 to 14. It is the foundation phase where your child studies a broad set of national curriculum subjects before narrowing down to chosen options for GCSE in Key Stage 4.

Which year groups and ages does KS3 cover?

KS3 runs across three school years. The table below shows how the stages line up so you can place your child quickly.

Key Stage | Year groups | Typical ages | What happens
KS3 | Years 7, 8, 9 | 11–14 | Broad curriculum, no formal national exams
KS4 | Years 10, 11 | 14–16 | GCSE courses and exams

The key thing to remember is that KS3 has no national SATs or GCSE exams — schools assess progress internally, often using their own grading systems.

What subjects are taught at KS3?

The DfE national curriculum makes a set of subjects compulsory across Years 7 to 9. State-funded schools must teach:

English, maths and science (the core subjects)

History, geography, modern foreign languages

Art and design, design and technology, computing, music, physical education and citizenship

Religious education and relationships, sex and health education

Academies and independent schools do not have to follow the national curriculum exactly, but most teach a very similar range so that pupils are well prepared for GCSE.

How is your child assessed during KS3?

Because the old national KS3 SATs were scrapped in 2008, assessment is now set by each school. Schools commonly use:

End-of-topic and end-of-year internal tests

Their own progress descriptors (for example "working towards", "secure", "exceeding")

Reports and parents' evenings, usually two or three times a year

Ask your child's school early which system they use, because the language varies a lot between schools.

How can parents support a child through KS3?

KS3 is where good habits are built. The most useful things you can do are practical and low-pressure:

Protect a routine. A short, consistent homework slot beats long, irregular cramming.

Stay curious, not corrective. Ask your child to teach you what they learned — explaining it back is one of the strongest revision techniques.

Read the reports together. Use them to spot a subject sliding early, while there is plenty of time to recover.

Mind the transition. Year 7 is a big jump in independence; settling socially matters as much as academics.

Why does KS3 matter for GCSE success?

KS3 sets the trajectory into GCSE. The maths a child meets in Year 7 — fractions, ratio, basic algebra — is assumed knowledge by GCSE, so gaps left unaddressed in KS3 compound later. A confident, well-supported KS3 makes the Year 9 options choices and the Year 10 step-up far smoother.

How does KS3 fit into the wider school system?

KS3 is one stage in a sequence that runs across a child's whole education in England. It follows Key Stage 2, which ends in Year 6 with primary-school SATs, and precedes Key Stage 4, the GCSE years. After GCSEs, students move into post-16 study — Key Stage 5 — which covers A-Levels, T-Levels or vocational courses. Understanding this map helps parents see KS3 in context: it is the broad foundation laid before specialisation begins. Because there are no national exams during KS3, it can feel like a quiet phase, but it is doing important work — settling children into secondary school, exposing them to a wide range of subjects, and building the knowledge and habits that everything afterwards depends on. Treating it as a meaningful stage, not a gap before the "real" exams, sets a child up well.

Frequently asked questions

What years are KS3 in the UK?

KS3 covers Years 7, 8 and 9 in England, for children aged roughly 11 to 14. It is the first phase of secondary school, sitting between primary school (which ends with KS2) and the GCSE years of KS4.

Are there exams at the end of KS3?

No. National KS3 SATs were abolished in 2008, so there are no compulsory external exams at the end of Year 9. Schools run their own internal assessments and reports to track progress instead.

What subjects are compulsory in KS3?

Under the national curriculum, English, maths, science, history, geography, a modern foreign language, computing, art, design and technology, music, PE, citizenship and religious education are all compulsory in state schools, alongside relationships and health education.

Does KS3 affect GCSE results?

Yes, indirectly. KS3 builds the knowledge and study habits that GCSE courses assume. Strong foundations in Years 7 to 9 — especially in maths, English and science — make the GCSE transition in Year 10 much easier.

For Socratic, curriculum-aligned tutoring across every KS3 subject, see aitutors.me.