Key Stage 3 Our Key Stage Three curriculum is designed to offer a broad and balanced range of academic, practical and creative subjects. The importance of developing excellent literacy and numeracy skills is reflected in the allocation of lesson time to these key subjects. All pupils have a library lesson throughout Key Stage 3 underlining the importance of developing good reading skills and cultivating the habit of reading for pleasure. Science is taught for 4 lessons a week with pupils embarking on their GCSE study of Science at the beginning of year 9. Modern Foreign Languages, either French or German, are taught to all pupils at Key Stage 3 to provide a firm foundation for further study and in line with Government plans that all pupils starting school from 2015 should study a modern language until the end of their secondary schooling All pupils study either History or Geography through to the age of 16 and many choose to study both; to enable pupils to make an informed choice about their humanities options they study both History and Geography until the end of year 9.
In year 7 pupils follow a foundation course in Design and Technology and study a short course in Food, Textiles, Resistant Materials, Graphics and Electronics. In year 8 pupils focus on 4 DT subjects allowing for more depth of study and in year 9 they select two or three subjects with a view to deciding if they wish to continue with a design subject to GCSE. Art, Music and Drama are all studied for one lesson each per week throughout Key Stage 3. These subjects are taught to pupils in their form groups RSE is taught to all pupils for one lesson a week. We follow the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus and this subject is also taught to form groups. PE is taught for two lessons a week and covers a wide range of games and athletics. Social Moral Spiritual and Cultural aspects of education, including British Values, are taught in form time and Personal Health and Social Education are taught in collapsed timetable days three times a year. Key Stage 4 Our Key Stage 4 curriculum is designed to provide pupils with a broad education and firm foundation for further
study. It is our aim to ensure that they are well prepared for their next stage; whether it be A level study or more vocationally based further education. We offer an exceptionally wide range of academic and vocational subjects to allow our pupils to develop their particular interests. All pupils study English and English Literature at GCSE. They also study Maths and Science, either as a Double award or, for pupils who achieve highly in Science during Key Stage 3 there is the possibility of studying Triple Science at the start of Year 10. Currently, approximately half of our pupils study a Modern Language to GCSE and we are planning for all pupils to follow a language from 2018 in line with the Government s expectation. All pupils also study either Geography or History. PE is taught to all students for two periods a week and there is an option to follow either an additional academic or vocational course in PE. All pupils follow a GCSE qualification in Religious and Social Education and two lessons a week are allocated to this important subject as it contributes significantly to our pupils social moral spiritual and cultural development.
Important Careers information is also delivered during the RE syllabus. As in Key Stage 3, Social Moral Spiritual and Cultural aspects of education, including British Values are taught in form time. Personal, Social and Health Education are taught in collapsed timetable days three times a year. We offer a wide range of options courses and pupils are able to choose two subjects from this offer along with a humanities subject. We support pupils and their parents to plan their pathways through Key Stage 4 with an interview with a member of the Senior Team in the spring term of year 9. Art Photography Music Drama Media Studies Food Technology Graphics Electronics Resistant materials Textiles
ICT Computer Science Business Studies Hair and Beauty PE Curriculum Organisation We run a one week timetable based on 6 lessons per day. Each lesson lasts 50 minutes. Form periods take place each morning and last 20 minutes.