Key Stage 3
THE KEY STAGE 3 CURRICULUM
At Key Stage 3, students build on foundations from Key Stage 2 and develop core skills in communication, literacy and mathematics, whilst experiencing a broad and balanced curriculum consisting of the arts, sciences, technology, computing, humanities and physical education. They will also develop their cultural and social awareness through ethics. Students study a language, either French or German.
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge underpins all learning and developing a knowledge rich curriculum is at the heart of all curriculum development. At King Charles I School, the Key Stage 3 curriculum promotes the development of knowledge first, so that students are able to call upon the most valuable knowledge in each subject area when required to apply them to broader problems. Subjects have identified core content and knowledge that students are expected to learn in each year group through subject experts, collaborative planning and shared expertise across our Trust. This shared approach allows us to identify and prioritise the most valuable knowledge in each subject area. Wien students have secured the required knowledge, we can apply it to subject specific skills, always asking the key question: ‘What makes a good mathematician / geographer / music student etc?’
READING
In order for students to be able to access the curriculum in its entirety they need to be able to read to at least their chronological age. Development of the reading of more challenging texts is a priority for the curriculum and there are regular opportunities for students to read and respond to a variety of texts. In addition, at each Key Stage, all subjects teach new vocabulary explicitly and students are expected to learn this vocabulary routinely.
Due to its importance in developing a students’ overall literacy, we have designated 30 minutes of homework per night to reading. We also encourage reading through the following whole-school strategies:
- The school literacy strategy, which develops whole-school approaches to reading using designated reading protocols
- The ‘Tutor Reads’ programme – where time is dedicated to whole-class reading
- The ‘Thinking Reading’ programme
- Targeted reading interventions for those who need additional support
CULTURAL CAPITAL
We want our students to have the knowledge, skills and values to get ahead in education and life more generally. We believe we have a duty to fill gaps in students’ cultural capital if they are to access the curriculum in its entirety. The purpose of our curriculum is to ensure we are giving our students an education which allows them to successfully engage in an academic society. By ensuring we have a knowledge rich curriculum, we can be confident that when students leave King Charles I School they will have the knowledge to understand, communicate and continue to learn. As Pritesh Raichura writes:
“the job of the teacher is to teach a curriculum which opens up a world of wonder and beauty from people of all creeds and colours, far beyond the narrow experience of an individual child.”
Cultural capital is crucial to students’ development, not just in terms of academic success but also in their ability to contribute to the wider community and for their quality of life. Our curriculum will, therefore, explicitly teach this additional shared and valued knowledge, through lessons, the ethics curriculum, tutor time activities and extra-curricular opportunities.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
The ethics curriculum follows the new Relationships, Sex and Health (RSHE) statutory curriculum and we have ensured a strengthened focus on an age-appropriate coverage of respectful relationships, sexual violence and peer-on-peer abuse. All students follow courses in Personal Development and Relationship and Sex Education. The curriculum covers topics such as heathy relationships, anti-bullying, mindfulness and mental wellbeing, drugs education and citizenship. In addition, subjects have identified opportunities to develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) awareness within their units of learning. One such example might be teaching students to keep safe online in ICT lessons.
THE TIMETABLE
The timetable for Key Stage 3 is based on a two-week cycle and comprises of a 25-period week with 5 periods per day (3 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon). Each period lasts one hour. Lessons are scheduled as one-hour sessions and are taught as a mix of double or single periods where appropriate for the subject.
Periods per fortnight | Y7 | Y8 | Y9 |
Art | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Computing | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Design & Technology | 3 | 3 | 3 |
English | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Ethics | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Geography | 4 | 4 | 4 |
History | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Mathematics | 7 | 7 | 7 |
MFL | 6 | 6 | 5 |
Music | 2 | 2 | 1 |
PE | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Reading | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Science | 6 | 6 | 9 |
Writing | 0 | 0 | 1 |
KEY STAGE 4 OPTIONS
Students choose their options in Year 9. During the course of Year 8 and Year 9 the students receive career advise information and guidance from subject staff and external providers to ensure they have the required information to make informed subject choices.
The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is planned to prioritise knowledge-based learning. Students will also apply their knowledge by developing the domain specific skills essential for success in each subject. For example, problem solving in maths, essay writing in English and evaluation in science. We believe that this knowledge focus at Key Stage 3 ensures our students gain the requisite sound knowledge base and an opportunity to practise the application of this knowledge, before we begin to master skills in a more specific way at Key Stages 4 and 5. In addition, this provides an opportunity for students to develop a deeper and broader understanding of their subjects and have the required solid foundations for success in the next Key Stage.
