The Key Stage 3 Curriculum
Staff and Tutor Groups
Within Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) we have a dedicated and caring team of teachers and teaching assistants.
The full content of the curriculum for each class, for every subject, for the full academic year can be found by clicking the links to the documents above.
We have 4 mixed age group classes:
3CW: Form teacher: Mr Wilson, supported by Mrs Dickson
3KA: Form teacher: Mrs Aspden, supported by Mrs Baillie and Miss Donoghue
3CO: Form teacher and Key Stage Leader: MS Oates, Supported by Mrs Hall
3CB: Form teacher: Mr Butler, supported by Mrs Hughes and Mrs Lloyd
Form groups meet first thing in the morning and then after lunch for registration. This time is allocated to pastoral support for one to one reading.
Form teachers then deliver daily phonics lessons which allows dedicated time for pupils to work on particular stages of sounds - segmenting and blending skills.
The Curriculum
We cover all the subjects and areas of National Curriculum at a level which is appropriate for the needs of each of our pupils.
Most subjects are delivered to the class by the form teacher through cross curricular themes, for example, English, Creative Curriculum and mathematics lessons.
History, geography and art are taught as part of the pupil’s creative curriculum.
Aspects of personal, social, health and economic development, religious education and citizenship are also linked to a topic covered for each term or half term. The full curriculum content for each class for the current academic year can be found below by clicking the links to the annual learning plans for each class.
Food technology and design technology are taught to half groups.
Interventions
Pupils’ receive 2 lessons per week as a discrete intervention lesson. Pupils are given activities to help them work towards their Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets, which are termly targets, set according to the pupil's annual target in their Education, Health and Care Plan.
Further timetabled intervention includes speech, language and communication sessions, physiotherapy programmes, social skills development and emotional resilience. You will be informed if your child has been selected to take part in any timetabled intervention.
Home Learning
- Topic based home learning for all Key Stage 3 pupils will be set at the discretion of the class teacher.
- Some pupils will also receive maths learning such as MYMATHS and Maths Rockstars.
- All pupils will receive weekly spellings and sentence writing tasks.
- All pupils will also be expected to read their reading books at home - approximately 3x weekly.
Please support your child to complete all home learning activities to the best of their ability and within the specified time. Please encourage them to work independently and avoid the temptation of completing activites for them. It is better to let us know if your child is having some difficulty doing the activity.
The home learning tasks give pupils the chance to apply and consolidate their learning. Please talk to your child’s class teacher if have any suggestions, questions or comments to discuss on any homework matters.
Assessment
The progress of each pupil is regularly assessed to provide accurate information for pupils and teachers.
Teachers are able to plan challenging and effective tasks for each pupil.
Teachers and pupils assess progress using a number of ways: daily achievement of learning intentions, termly B Squared assessments in all subjects, 3x year IEP evaluations and summative end of year subject assessments and reports.
Pupils receive regular verbal feedback within lessons, discuss their learning with teachers abnd teaching assistants and are given written comments and annotations in their books.
Rewards and Interventions
Rewards: Every pupil within Key Stage 3 receives regular rewards: verbal praise, certificates, written feedback, class prizes etc. All Key Stage 3 teachers use the interactive system of class “DOJOS”. A set number of points lead to daily or weekly rewards or prizes. Pupils with the most DOJOS in each class will receive a half termly reward such as a DVD afternoon or trip to the cinema or a park. The DOJO system also allows teachers to send personal messages to parents / carers. If you have not yet received log in details please talk to your child’s class teacher.
Intervention and support for activities that have not been completed on time or behaviour that displays a lack of respect for others include verbal reinforcement, time-out procedures, completing unfinished activities at break times, intervention by a member of the pastoral or extended leadership team, daily monitoring records and for some pupils a Behaviour Support Plan, Personal Handling Plan or a Personal Education Plan.
Behaviour Support Plans and Personal Handling Plans detail specific strategies, support and interventions for identified pupils. They are shared with pupils /parents/carers and all staff that are responsible for teaching a specific pupil.
All interventions and behaviours are monitored and recorded on CPOMS. Specific pupil interventions are reviewed on a half termly basis. Details of these steps and further interventions are listed within the school’s Behaviour Policy.
Lunch time clubs
We offer a range of lunch time clubs to pupils. The following clubs take place every day, Monday to Thursday every week:
Board Games, Lego, Drawing and Art, Sensory and Quiet activities, Junk Modelling, Active Club. Choir also takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Pupils register for a club at the start of the term or choose to enjoy their free time after dinner. Average group sizes range from 6 pupils to 15 pupils.
Fruit club takes place on Monday morning break and Wednesday morning break.
Each half term we offer different options to allow pupils to gain a range of new experiences and skills throughout the year. Many of our activities we offer are “active” options. We wish to encourage all our pupils to be as healthy and active as possible.
Visits / visitors
It is important to us that all our pupils love learning and are motivated to do so. Therefore within Key Stage 3 we offer a range of opportunities to meet visitors and members of communities as well as educational visits. We believe in providing pupils with as many motivational and relevant learning experiences as possible.
Throughout the year there will be occasions where we ask parents/ carers for contributions to help fund trips for their child.
Key Stage 3 pupils are also offered opportunities throughout the school year to take part in a range of sporting events , after school clubs and competitions including, tag rugby, football, golf, boccia, curling, athletics, rounders and swimming.
In school opportunities:
We annually welcome a range of visitors into our key stage classes including our local community police officers to talk to classes about safety around strangers, internet safety and community policing.
Our school nurse also delivers personal hygiene sessions throughout the school. They also work with class teachers to deliver information on puberty, relationships, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, cancer awareness.
Break and Lunch Time Arrangements:
Pupils receive a morning break and a lunch time break. Pupils are encouraged to bring money to school for the fruit tuck shop which takes place on a Monday and a Wednesday at morning break time. It operates a card system.
Any Key Stage 3 pupil is able to play football (under supervision) at morning break time and on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday lunch times if they wish to do so.
Lots of interschool sports events with other specialist schools are continually arranged
Parents /Carers and Governors
We warmly welcome parents/ carers / governors into Key Stage 3. There will be a number of opportunities for parents /carers to come into our school and meet staff and pupils to celebrate achievements and progress. Staff within Key Stage 3 and subject leaders are happy to continue meet with Governors on a regular basis, this includes within lessons.
We hold open days and evenings on a range of matters, parents/ carers and governors will be invited to open days/ coffee mornings/ assemblies/ activity afternoons and meetings ( eg, to meet our school council). We have termly parents/carers consultation evenings in addition to the annual review meetings for pupils, parents /carers
Contacting us:
Teachers and staff may write messages and reminders in pupils’ blue home/school log. Parents /carers are asked to check this log regularly and are encouraged to write messages themselves.
DOJO is also used to relay and receive messages.
We welcome contact with all our parents /carers. Should anyone wish to speak to member of staff please phone our school office on: 01253 821072