Introduction

This booklet is designed to provide you with detailed information about our Key Stage 3 curriculum at Kingswood. ‘Key Stage 3’ (Years 7 – 9) is a pivotal stage in any pupil’s education. It is during these years that teachers aim to teach foundational knowledge in their respective disciplines so that pupils can later build upon this strong base towards GCSE and A Level success. Moreover, the first years of a senior school education are when pupils develop the skills and thinking dispositions that will serve them well further up the school. It is also in these years that young people begin to discover for themselves which subjects they love, we hope giving rise to great curiosity and authentic interest.

The lack of external examinations at Key Stage 3 often means that teachers can approach their subjects in a deep and exploratory way, without needing to worry about the pressure of an examination schedule. We run an internal programme of regular testing, and also a summer assessment at the end of each year so that we can track pupil progress and intervene accordingly. There is ample opportunity for pupils to learn ‘threshold’ concepts in each subject, and engage creatively with some of the bigger questions that underpin the disciplinary knowledge that will be required for more advanced study later. For these reasons, we are proud to offer a rigorous and creative curriculum at Kingswood that is rich in knowledge and ambitious in scope.

A BROAD CURRICULUM

It is our belief that the provision of a broad curriculum is a moral imperative for all young people. It is our desire to see Kingswood pupils acquire a great body of culturally important knowledge, so that they are shaped by their learning to be well-rounded and empowered adults. We do not build our curriculum only to maximise test results, but also to foster a broad and balanced education for every child. Our aim, therefore, is to give pupils a grounding in as many subjects and disciplines as possible in Years 7, 8 and 9, so that their knowledge is holistic, and that they all have opportunities to discover their strengths and passions.

We want pupils to make connections across the curriculum, so that they can learn to appreciate the unique qualities and challenges that each discipline holds. Moreover, this kind of broad exposure means that pupils are better informed when they come to make curriculum choices in Year 9 and Year 10.

A CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

The curriculum at Kingswood is unashamedly ‘traditional’; we believe in the importance of subjects and disciplines, and seek therefore to ensure that pupils in the younger years learn from the same subject experts that teach our Sixth Form classes. We follow an enhanced National Curriculum in terms of subject content, although not in terms of timetable allocations. You will notice that we have a strong commitment to the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages, which is, sadly, becoming increasingly rare in UK schools. It is our view that learning languages is hugely beneficial to pupils, both educationally and culturally. With this in mind, pupils begin by studying two out of three languages on offer: German, French and Spanish. (Pupils may choose one and they will be allocated one other.) In Year 8, pupils will also be given the opportunity to study Latin or Mandarin.

We are committed to the delivery of History and Geography as separate humanities; Religion, Philosophy and Ethics has a central place in the School’s curriculum. We are also proud of our commitment to more ‘Practical-Creative’ subjects, where we achieve very high standards in Art, Drama, Design Technology and Music from Year 7 through to GCSE, A Level and university entrance. Pupils are given every opportunity to study these subjects throughout the Lower School, and into Year 9.

Our approach to Computer Science is detailed and thoroughly modern. Pupils will be guided through a programme which helps them develop computational thinking skills, whilst also fostering the confidence and knowledge to use various software packages. They will learn to create software solutions using both block and text-based programming languages. In Year 9, all our pupils take a computing qualification which requires everyone to demonstrate their coding and problem-solving capabilities.

The notes above are only some of the highlights of our curriculum offer: you will find detailed information on each department in the rest of this guide. Each of the curriculum statements has been written by a Head of Department and so will seek to explain and champion that department’s particular approach and philosophy. They give you a broad outline of all the topics covered and the skills learnt over the first three years. Furthermore, as you read you will likely glean a little about the variety of teaching approaches used in each department, and the methods of assessment we use to keep track of pupils’ progress through their time at Kingswood.

In all three year groups, class sizes are around twenty pupils, but pupils will also be allocated to a tutor group.

Whether a boarder or day pupil, pupils in Years 7 and 8 will be based in Westwood, where Mr Pentreath is Head of Lower School and Mrs Curtis is the Assistant Head of Lower School. Mr Duke is the Head of Boarding in Westwood and he is also assisted by Mrs Curtis. A large team of tutors is attached to Westwood as well as specially chosen Year 12 Westwood prefects.

Pupils are allocated to a tutor, who normally has responsibility for between ten and twelve pupils. He or she will meet their tutees every morning. If a pupil needs to talk about work with someone other than a subject teacher or their parents, then they should go to their tutor. He or she will monitor academic progress throughout the year, discuss Interim and Full reports with their tutees, and help each pupil to set targets for future improvement. He or she will also help their tutees to manage their time productively.

Year 9 pupils are allocated to Houses in the Senior School, where the same priority is given to the tutorial system, in which the tutor plays an equally important role.

Class groups in Years 7-9 are generally mixed-ability, with the exception of Mathematics and Modern Languages, where we tend to place pupils in ability ‘streams’. The nature of the streaming depends on the subject and the year group. We do not subscribe to a rigid setting structure, but rather adopt a more flexible approach depending on the ability profile and needs of the cohort. In every case, we seek to make ‘streaming’ decisions based on what is best for the learning of the individuals in a given year group, rather than based on what we have always done before.

FIREFLY AND MICROSOFT TEAMS

Pupils are given access to their own profiles on two online platforms, Firefly and Microsoft Teams. Both platforms are excellent aids for pupil organisation, as well as containing a wealth of resources and useful links by departments to support pupil learning. Both Firefly and Microsoft Teams are available as apps, as well as through an internet browser.

A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL

All of our teachers want pupils to enjoy their subjects, whilst making excellent progress. They will have high expectations and will encourage pupils to meet and extend their academic potential. This means that pupils should not only establish effective working habits in school, but also should take responsibility for completing all of the prep set to the best of their ability. Boarders, or weekly boarders, will likely want to involve their parents in their work, and so should share their Firefly login.

CURRICULUM PROGRESSION IN YEARS 8 AND 9

Most pupils will continue with Year 7 subjects into Year 8. Some, however, may only pursue one modern language in Year 8, if we feel that a pupil needs extra academic support. Those who only study one modern language in Year 8 will usually be enrolled on the Study Support programme. Our main curriculum offering expects the study of two languages, and so any decision about only pursuing one language in Year 8 will happen on a case-by-case basis and in discussion with Mr Davies (Deputy Head Academic).

In Year 9 we introduce an element of choice into the curriculum which allows all pupils the ability to begin to shape their academic programme. English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, one European Modern Foreign Language (either French, Spanish or German), Computer Science, History, Geography, RPE, PSHCE, PE and Games all remain as compulsory subjects, part of the core curriculum. In addition, however, prospective Year 9 pupils are invited to choose 4 subjects from the following: a second European Modern Foreign Language, Art, DT, Music, Drama, Latin or Mandarin. This is to allow pupils to begin to better target their efforts towards those subjects where their talents and interests lie, in preparation for when they make their GCSE options choices before the start of Year 10.

GLOBAL GOALS

Global Goals is a new course designed by Kingswood for Year 9 students. It is a project-based subject in which students collaborate with peers to design solutions to some of the world’s most significant problems, referencing the ‘Global Goals’ initiative (www.globalgoals.org). This subject offers students the opportunity to exercise entrepreneurial and creative skills to design and present solutions to meet critical social and environmental challenges, such as: ending world poverty; achieving gender equality; and promoting peace, justice and strong institutions. As part of the course, students will design, promote and present creative solutions through various artefacts, including essays, speeches, programmes or art. They will be required to plan processes and deliver outcomes to real-world audiences, such as peers, teachers, parents and outside experts.

This course seeks to give students opportunities to develop their critical and creative powers. As part of the course, students will also receive instruction on ‘research skills’, ‘creativity’ and ‘teamwork’, amongst other things. They will explore and reflect on their developing intellectual and social capacities. Our goal is to give our Year 9s the chance to build their independence and exercise their knowledge and creative faculties to create work that feels meaningful and relevant to their lives and the world around them.

Global Goals has been designed based on other project-based qualifications and is ideal preparation for the EPQ in Sixth Form.