KEY STAGE 3 CURRICULUM GUIDE .uk

[Pages:26]QUEENS' SCHOOL

Dare to be Great

KEY STAGE 3 CURRICULUM GUIDE

Overview of the Key Stage 3 Curriculum

Key Stage 3 is the first stage of students' secondary education; here at Queens' School it comprises the beginning of Year 7 to the end of Year 9. In terms of learning, the subjects, topics and content taught at Key Stage 3 are designed to develop students' character, knowledge, understanding and skills and be a foundation stone for the demands of GCSE study in Key Stage 4. The most recent version of the National Curriculum, introduced by the Department for Education in September 2014, ensures that all schools offer their students a `broad and balanced curriculum' of subjects, promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural and physical development of students and prepare them for the experiences and opportunities of life, learning and employment after school. As both an academy and an aspirational school, Queens' has elected not only to follow the basic requirements of the National Curriculum but also, in line with our Dare to be Great ethos, to take steps to make sure that all students will be enriched and challenged in their academic and pastoral learning. At Key Stage 3, this enrichment is achieved through an emphatic focus on the Queens' values of Scholarship, Tenacity, Altruism and Respect and lifelong learning in PSHE; and through differentiation, target-setting, subject coverage and setting procedures across subjects. The core subject lessons at Key Stage 3 are the same as those as Key Stage 2 ? English, Maths and Science. The core subjects are supplemented by the same foundation subject lessons as in Key Stage namely Art, Music, Drama, Dance, Computer Science, Design and Technology, Languages, Geography, History, Philosophical and Religious Education, Physical Education. At Key Stage 3 there is also an expectation that PSHE, including Sex and Relationships and Citizenship education is taught; this is delivered through a combination of devoted lessons, the form time and assembly programme and supplementary talks and visits. Students choose the subjects which they wish to study at GCSE through the GCSE Options process, which takes place in the Spring Term of Year 9. For most subjects, GCSE studies commence in the Autumn Term of Year 10; however, much of the content and skills delivered in Year 9 will start to anticipate the concepts and demands of GCSE study.

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The Timetable at Key Stage 3

The school operates a two week timetable cycle. There are five one hour teaching periods each day and therefore fifty periods in total per fortnight. A significant proportion of the teaching time at Key Stage 3 is devoted to the core subjects of English and Maths. This is to support students in developing the high standards of literacy and numeracy which will underpin their access to the broader curriculum and therefore form a basis for wider learning and high achievement. Key numeracy and literacy skills will be identified to be mastered within each academic year and where mastery of these skills proves to be a challenge to an individual additional support will be provided to boost progress.

The lesson allocation by subject and year is outlined:

Subject

English Maths Science MFL+ Technology PE Geography History Art Drama PSE PRE Music* IT* Total

Y7 Teaching periods (hours)

per fortnight 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 50

Y8 Teaching periods (hours)

per fortnight 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 50

Y9 Teaching periods (hours)

per fortnight 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 50

+ Modern Foreign Languages are given a substantial allocation of lessons across KS3, with each student studying French, Spanish or German dependent upon form group and house. It is the expectation that a majority of students will study a language in Years 10 and 11 at GCSE.

*Music and IT are taught on a half-termly rota, with students studying each subject for one period a fortnight for one half term every term.

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Classes and setting

The majority of subjects are delivered to form groups throughout the course of Key Stage 3. In some subjects, forms are mixed up, maintaining a variety of student ability; in other subjects, students are set by ability to help the teaching staff differentiate the curriculum delivery.

Where subjects are set by ability there is usually the facility for students to move between sets if it becomes apparent that their performance is in-line with a different teaching group whether it be a higher or a lower set. PE is taught in single gender groups.

The setting arrangements by subject and year are outlined here:

Form groups (mixed ability)

Mixed form (mixed ability)

Ability sets

Year 7

English

Science

MFL

Art

Computing Drama

Geography History

Music

PSE

PRE

Year 8

English

Science

MFL

Art

Computing Drama

Geography History

Music

PSE

PRE

Year 9

English Science

Art

Computing

Drama Geography

History Music

PRE

PSE

Technology

Technology

MFL

Technology

Maths PE

Maths PE

Maths PE

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Key Stage 3 Homework A homework timetable is in operation for students in Years 7, 8 and 9. The purpose of homework is to reinforce and develop learning that takes place in the classroom. As such, staff issue appropriate tasks as per the schedule outlined in this section of the booklet. Written homework will not necessarily be set on every occasion; homework may also involve reading, presentation work or an investigation. Homework is set once a week in English, Mathematics, Science and MFL, and at least fortnightly in other subjects. Each piece of homework should take students approximately 30 minutes to complete in Y7&8, and 30-45 minutes in Y9, although longer homework will sometimes be set. As part of their English homework students should also be reading for at least 20 minutes a day. Below are details of this year's homework timetables for Years 7, 8 and 9. Please note they indicate the days on which homework will be set, not necessarily the days on which it should be completed.

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7NE 7NI 7NA 7DA 7DF 7AH 7AW 7SG 7SV

Monday

French History

Drama English Science

History PSHE

Science Tech

Art Drama Tech English

PRE Science

Art PSHE Tech Art Geography History History PSHE Science

Year 7 Homework Timetable ? Week A

Tuesday

Art Music / Computing

PRE Geography Music / Computing

PSHE

Art PRE

History Music / Computing

PSHE Music / Computing

PRE Science PSHE Spanish

Tech

Drama PRE

PRE Tech

English Geography

Tech

Wednesday

English Science

History PRE

Drama English Science

Art Drama Geography

English Geography

Drama Geography

PE Geography

PE Science English Music / Computing

PE

Music / Computing PE

Thursday

Drama Geography Mathematics

Art Mathematics

French Mathematics Music / Computing

French Mathematics

PRE

Mathematics PSHE

Mathematics Music / Computing

English Mathematics Music / Computing Mathematics

PSHE Science

Drama Mathematics

Friday

PE PSE Tech French PE Tech Geography PE Tech

English PE

French History

PE

Art History

History Spanish

Drama Spanish

Art PRE Spanish

7NE 7NI 7NA 7DA 7DF 7AH 7AW 7SG 7SV

Monday

History Mathematics

PRE

Drama Mathematics

Art Mathematics Music / Computing

History Mathematics Music / Computing

History Mathematics Music / Computing Mathematics

PSHE Science

History Mathematics

Art Mathematics

Drama Mathematics

Science

Year 7 Homework Timetable ? Week B

Tuesday

Art French

Geography PRE

Science Drama English PSHE

Art Tech

Drama Tech

PE Spanish

Tech Art PE Tech Drama PE Tech Geography PE Tech

Wednesday

English PSHE Tech English History Tech French Science Tech Drama English Science Art PRE Science

Drama Geography

Geography Science Spanish

PRE PSHE

English PRE

Thursday

Drama Geography Music / Computing

Art Music / Computing

PSHE

History PRE

French PRE

Geography PSHE

English Music / Computing

English Music / Computing

English Science Spanish

Art History PSHE

Friday

PE Science

French PE

Geography PE

Geography PE

PSHE English French

PE Art History PRE Drama PRE PSHE Geography History Music / Computing

Music / Computing Spanish

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8DA 8DF 8NE 8NI 8AH 8AW 8SA 8SG 8SV

8DA 8DF 8NE 8NI 8AH 8AW 8SA 8SG 8SV

Monday

Computing/Music Drama MFL

Geography Computing/Music

English

History PRE

Computing/Music

Art Computing/Music

Art PE

PSE MFL PE

English Science

Mathematics MFL

Science Art PSE PE

Year 8 Homework Timetable ? Week A

Tuesday

Tech English

PSE

Mathematics MFL PE

Mathematics Tech

PRE Mathematics

Tech History

Tech Science

History Geography

History Geography

Art

Computing/Music Tech Drama

History Drama Computing/Music

Wednesday

Geography Mathematics

Art Science

Geography English Drama English

Geography PSE

Geography English MFL

English Mathematics

English PE

PSE English

Science PRE

Thursday

Art PE History

History Tech

MFL PE Science Drama MFL PE

Computing/Music Mathematics

Art Drama Computing/Music

PRE Tech Drama PRE PSE

Geography PRE

English MFL Tech

Friday

PRE Science

PRE PSE Drama

PSE Art

History Science

PRE Drama

PSE

Tech Science

Computing/Music Mathematics

History Art PRE

Geography Mathematics

Monday

English Tech MFL

Mathematics PE Tech

Drama English

PE

English MFL

PSE PRE Science PSE Science MFL PRE Geography Mathematics PRE English MFL Mathematics History Drama

Year 8 Homework Timetable ? Week B

Tuesday

Drama Computing/Music

Computing/Music English

Art Science

Geography PRE PSE

Geography Drama MFL Drama English Art PSE English Tech History

Mathematics Tech

English MFL

Wednesday

History PRE PSE

Geography Art MFL

History Geography

MFL

History Art

Art History Mathematics

History Mathematics

Art History

Computing/Music Science

Geography Computing/Music

PRE

Thursday

Geography Mathematics

Art

History Drama

PRE

Mathematics PRE PSE

Mathematics Drama Science

Computing/Music English

Geography Computing/Music

Computing/Music PE MFL

Geography PE

Science Tech PE

Friday

Science PE

PSE Science

Computing/MusicTech

Computing/Music Tech PE PE Tech PRE Tech PE Drama

Science Art PSE

Drama Art PSE

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9DA 9DF 9NE 9NI 9SG 9SV 9AH 9AW 9AP

Monday

History Maths

RS Maths

Maths Music/Art

Science Maths Music/Art Maths English

Maths History

Maths Science

Maths Science

Maths Geography

9DA 9DF 9NE 9NI 9SG 9SV 9AH 9AW 9AP

Monday

Music/Art Maths

Music/Art Maths English Maths

Music/Art

History Maths Music/Art Maths

RS

Maths History

Maths Music/Art

Maths Geography Music/Art

Maths IT/Drama

Year 9 Homework Timetable- Week A

Tuesday

English

Geography

English RS MFL

English MFL

Wednesday

RS Music/Art

MFL Music/Art

English MFL

History Music/Art

Music/Art DT

Thursday

Science Music/Art

DT Music/Art

DT History Science

DT

History RS

History Geography Music/Art

Science Music/Art

Music/Art Music/Art

Music/Art Music/Art

RS Music/Art

DT IT/Drama

DT RS IT/Drama IT/Drama MFL

MFL IT/Drama Geography IT/Drama

MFL English

MFL

Geography MFL

Geography DT RS DT

History

DT Music/Art

Year 9 Homework Timetable- Week B

Tuesday

History Geography

RS Science

Wednesday

English MFL

Geography MFL

Thursday

Science Music/Art

DT Music/Art

DT

History Music/Art

RS Music/Art

Geography English

Science DT

Science MFL DT

Geography MFL

Science Geography

Science Geography

RS MFL

RS MFL

DT IT/Drama Music/Art

DT Music/Art IT/Drama IT/Drama Music/Art

Music/Art IT/Drama

English MFL

RS MFL

Science DT

History DT

English

History MFL

Geography English

DT English Music/Art

Friday

Geography IT/Drama

Science IT/Drama

IT/Drama Geography

IT/Drama Geography

RS Music Science English Music/Art

English History

RS English

History Science

Friday

RS IT/Drama

History IT/Drama

IT/Drama RS

IT/Drama English

History Music/Art

English Music/Art

English Geography

History Science

RS Science

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