Rigour vs. Relevance: Is It Time for Britain to Rethink How It Educates?

The Department for Education’s invitation to a national conversation on how to shape Britain’s curriculum for the future might seem, at first glance, like a routine policy debate. But beneath the surface, something stirs—a recognition, perhaps, that the old ways are no longer enough. The world has moved on, and the steady drumbeat of GCSEs and A-Levels no longer prepares young minds for the complex rhythms of life beyond the classroom. It is time, the DfE suggests, to rethink. And in that rethinking lies both opportunity and challenge.

One model worth considering is the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), born across the Atlantic in American schools, where the chaos of classrooms is met with a kind of tiered calm. In its essence, MTSS is a simple idea: not all children need the same kind of help, so why give them the same interventions? At its base is Tier 1, where all students receive high-quality instruction, like the warmth of sunlight touching every face. But then come Tier 2 and Tier 3, levels where students who need a little more, or a lot more, are given the attention they deserve. It is a system built on careful observation and early intervention, catching children before they fall too far behind.

In America, it has worked. Data flows like a river, guiding teachers to where they are needed most. Struggling students are lifted, dropout rates shrink, and in the quiet corners of classrooms, young lives begin to turn around. Could such a thing work in Britain, too?

A Light in the Distance There is beauty in the promise of MTSS, in the way it offers a more compassionate way to teach. By catching problems early, it stops small failures from growing into larger tragedies. And it doesn’t stop at academics—MTSS, with its careful attention to behaviour and emotional well-being, speaks to the heart of a child as much as to the mind. In Britain, where mental health has become a quiet crisis in schools, such a system could be a balm.

But there are hurdles, steep ones. Implementing MTSS requires money, and schools already stretched thin may not have the luxury of more staff, more training, or more technology to monitor progress. There is also the intricate web of existing support for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Britain’s SEND system is robust, detailed, and governed by its own code of practice. Adding another layer of intervention, without duplicating efforts or over-complicating processes, would require deft, careful integration.

And then there is the nature of Britain’s examinations. GCSEs and A-Levels are the great, immovable anchors of the system. In contrast, MTSS relies on formative assessments—constant checks and balances, small nudges here and there. It is a model built on responsiveness, on real-time data. Can it coexist with a system so wedded to high-stakes, end-of-year testing? That remains to be seen.

The Shape of the Possible But there is something hopeful in all of this. In our own work as a Tier 3 provider within MTSS in American schools, we have seen how transformative these tailored interventions can be. We have seen students, weighed down by the baggage of early failure, begin to rise. Confidence, that elusive thing, grows. And once it takes root, the changes are not just academic—they are profound, shaping how a child sees themselves in the world.

This, perhaps, is what the Department for Education is gesturing toward. Education cannot be only about exam scores and league tables; it must be about more than that. It must reach into the hidden parts of a child’s life—their worries, their hopes, their fears—and offer support that is personal and real. It must see each child as an individual, not a data point, and offer them a path forward that is as unique as they are.

The old ways have served Britain well, but they are no longer enough. If this national conversation leads to a broader reimagining of what education can be, then perhaps something remarkable can happen. Perhaps, at long last, Britain’s schools can truly prepare young people for the uncertain, but full, lives ahead of them. And if MTSS—or something like it—can help light the way, then surely it is worth considering. For in the end, education is not just about imparting knowledge; it is about shaping lives. And there is no work more important than that.