Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 & 9)

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In line with our whole-academy curriculum vision, principles and aims, our Key Stage 3 curriculum provides every student with the strong foundations needed to flourish throughout their education and beyond.

We believe, as Mary Myatt advocates, that every young person is entitled to an ambitious education. Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is designed to provide rich opportunities for all students to develop secure knowledge, disciplinary understanding and the confidence to engage with increasingly complex ideas. It is broad, balanced and carefully sequenced, ensuring that every student experiences the full breadth of the National Curriculum while developing the knowledge and skills needed for future success.

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum places a particular emphasis on:

  • Securing strong foundations for learning by identifying students' strengths and any gaps in prior learning on entry, enabling timely support and carefully planned teaching that ensures every student can fully access the secondary curriculum.
  • Providing a broad and balanced curriculum, ensuring every student benefits from a rich range of academic, creative, technical, physical and cultural learning experiences that broaden horizons and inspire future aspirations.
  • Developing powerful knowledge and disciplinary understanding through a carefully sequenced curriculum that enables students to think critically, make connections and understand how knowledge is created and applied within each subject.
  • Building secure learning over time, enabling students to deepen, revisit and apply their knowledge so that learning is retained, connected and progressively strengthened.
  • Promoting curiosity, scholarship and a love of learning, encouraging students to ask questions, engage with challenging ideas and become confident, independent learners.
  • Preparing students for future success, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and character needed to thrive at Key Stage 4, progress to further education or employment and make positive contributions to society.
  • Maintaining high expectations for every learner, ensuring all students are challenged, supported and encouraged to achieve excellence within an ambitious curriculum.

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum reflects our belief that every student deserves access to a curriculum that is both ambitious and inclusive, laying the foundations for lifelong learning, personal fulfilment and future success.

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Offer

Across Key Stage 3, all students follow a common curriculum that is broad, balanced and ambitious, ensuring they develop the knowledge, understanding and skills needed for success in Key Stage 4 and beyond.

Students study the following discrete subjects:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • History
  • Geography
  • Religion and Worldviews
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Physical Education and Dance
  • Drama
  • Music
  • Art
  • Design Technology
  • Food and Nutrition
  • ICT and Computing
  • Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education

Digital Literacy

Developing digitally confident learners is an integral part of our curriculum. Alongside discrete ICT and Computing lessons, students develop their digital literacy across all subjects, learning how to use technology safely, responsibly and effectively in different contexts.

Specialist aspects of computing, including computational thinking, programming and coding, are taught through the ICT and Computing curriculum in Years 7-9. 

Reading and Literacy

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum because we know that strong literacy skills underpin success across every subject.

All Key Stage 3 students participate in a dedicated 75-minute Library lesson each fortnight, where they develop reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and a lifelong enjoyment of reading.

To support reading development, we use Bedrock Learning to assess and strengthen students' vocabulary, reading comprehension and literacy skills. This enables teachers to identify students' strengths, provide timely support where needed and ensure that every student can confidently access the full curriculum.

Enrichment Beyond the Classroom

Learning extends beyond the school day through our extensive Extended Day programme. Every student is encouraged to participate in at least one enrichment activity each week, with opportunities spanning sport, performing arts, creative arts, STEM, academic societies, leadership and community engagement.

These experiences complement the taught curriculum, broaden horizons and help students develop confidence, teamwork, resilience and new interests beyond the classroom.

For further information about our Key Stage 3 curriculum, please contact  Mrs O'Gormley, Vice Principal.