Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 Intention

• Broad and balanced curriculum aimed at preparing all students, regardless of ability or background, to be successful in Key Stage 4
• Almost all students follow an Ebacc curriculum for all 3 years. About 10 students are withdrawn from MFL in Years 8 and 9 with a focus on further literacy development
• Strong creative element across the Key Stage. In Year 9, only students with a strong musical capability do Music. Many of the whole curriculum dimensions and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) are addressed through Drama.
• Strong practical element across the Key Stage. In Year 9 students choose 2 areas of technology from Resistant Materials, Engineering, Food and Textiles.
• RE GCSE course starts in Year 9 to enable all students to do full course in Years 10 and 11.
• All students get the opportunity to study 2 modern foreign languages in Year 7. Some students continue with a 2^nd language in Year 8 and 9.
• GCSE Latin is offered as an enrichment course in Year 8 and 9
• Students are taught in mixed ability teaching groups apart from Maths (all 3 years), MFL (Year 8 and 9) and Science (Year 9). Provision is tailored for the weakest students who are taught an appropriate curriculum delivered by trained subject specialists in English, History, Geography, RE and Science.
• All subjects have rewritten their schemes of work so as to build on the new Key Stage 2 national curriculum, take account of the revised Key Stage 3 national curriculum and prepare students for the demands of the new GCSE examinations.
• Progress is measured across Key Stage 3 using ‘Conyers Steps’. Subjects have defined the skills and knowledge for each step with a child working e.g. at step 6 at the end of Year 9 likely to achieve a grade 6 in GCSE at the end of Year 11
• End of Key Stage 2 standardised scores are used to set an end of Key Stage 3 target step. Term 1 in Year 7 is used by subjects to arrive at baseline steps for each student. Steps are divided into emerging, developing and secure.

Key Stage 3 Timetable Example