When do you start to consider what you want to be when you grow up? Probably from quite an early age, though becoming a princess or a pirate is harder than many likely first expected. At eleven, that point of entering senior school, a young person’s interests are still taking shape. A science lesson could spark a fascination with the natural world. That first experience on a bigger stage in drama could make them dream of the West End. Interests can evolve and grow as lessons that shape them through their learning processes.
These opportunities matter immensely. Students are helped to discover their strengths, develop confidence and begin to understand the possibilities available to them. Yet how much room do we give this exploration when the next set of examinations is already influencing what’s happening inside the classroom?
Research commissioned by the International Baccalaureate and published on 13 October 2026 raises this question. In Education’s Overlooked Middle Child: reclaiming Key Stage 3, 57% of teachers surveyed identified GCSE preparation as a leading influence on the curriculum for students aged 11-14 in England. Some insight also showed that only 36% of students could see how their learning was connected to life beyond examinations or a future career in most or all lessons.
Qualifications, of course, matter; no one will dispute that. Preparing students to achieve their qualifications to the best of their ability is an essential responsibility. However, the early secondary years do deserve a dedicated educational purpose of their own. Students do need time to build knowledge, ask questions and make mistakes in their subjects before deciding whether it is worth pursuing or if they would like that subject to hold a place in their near or distant future.
This is where the IB’s Middle Years Programme offers a compelling approach. Designed for students aged 11-16, the MYP combines a broad curriculum across eight subject groups with an explicit emphasis on connecting learning to the world beyond the classroom. Its structure gives breadth and relevance a deliberate place in a young person’s education.
The value of that approach becomes clearer when we consider what young people are facing in the world and the questions they may have. Climate change, for example, is a relevant topic for young people that requires scientific knowledge, geographical understanding, economic choices and ethical consideration. Learning becomes more meaningful when students can recognise how different areas of knowledge help them understand the same issue.
This is one of the strongest arguments for an IB education; it provides students with reasons to truly engage with what they are learning. Academic ambition gains purpose when a student can explain why an idea matters, challenge an assumption or be inventive with their understanding in an unfamiliar situation.
Breadth also creates room for students to surprise themselves. Early judgements about ability and knowledge should have space to change. A curriculum framework alone cannot guarantee that experience; thoughtful and dedicated teaching is also a vital contribution. But the strength of the MYP is that it does provide a structure where exploration, connection and academic challenge are regularly brought together in the classroom and everyday school life.
International Baccalaureate (2026). GCSE preparation dominates early secondary education in England, new report finds. 13 October.
