BRIDGING TH E GAP

A unique Year 6 curriculum building skills for future success develops curiosity for the journey ahead, says Joseph Birchall, Head of King’s Magna Middle School at Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate

At Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE), our mission is for all members of our community to aspire to the Hill Standard ‘To be the best that I can with the gifts that I have’. Our middle school, King’s Magna, sits within our four-school model and facilitates Years 6-9 in a way that harnesses individuality through an innovative curriculum to bridge the gap from junior school to senior school.

In a di erence from the traditional school model, where children stay in primary education until the end of Year 6, here at QE students join King’s Magna in Year 6 and then stay with us until Year 9. We find many students are ready for a new challenge at the end of Year 5, so we have made it our focus to develop a curriculum for this transitional year, with content designed in partnership between secondary school subject specialists and experienced primary teachers.

At King’s Magna, we focus on building character and personality – and on enabling the core values of honesty, kindness, respect, and determination – so that our students develop their strengths and grow into good people. Our curriculum is based on delivering the key skills required to become successful in their adult lives. We ensure that our caring and diverse community allows each student to feel supported through their educational journey and with a real sense of belonging – not just to King’s Magna but to the whole ‘Team QE’.

Our core curriculum consists of English, maths, science, personal development, history and geography, all taught by experienced Year 6 class teachers. In addition, students have specialist teaching for art, music, drama, computing, design technology, modern foreign languages and PE. The whole approach has the ultimate aim of fostering curiosity, with emphasis on approaches vital for future success. These include critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and entrepreneurship.

QE is proud of its enrichment programme of over 100 activities – o ered year-round by teachers and coaches. At King’s Magna, students benefit from enrichment classes twice a week within their timetabled lessons. Alongside core academic subjects, students choose their own options from sports, creative arts, and performing arts. This provides each student with access to more of what they are passionate about and gives some ownership over their own education.

We made the crucial decision to not assess Year 6 with SATS, but instead assess them at three points during the year using standardised and moderated ‘common evaluation tasks’. These track the progress and needs of each individual within our small classroom set up. Not only has the school found this the best way to support students, but we also find it creates more opportunity for them to take up a full range of enrichment opportunities. Ultimately, this provides both a more positive student experience and a more well-rounded education.

In Year 7, the school encourages students to become more independent and take greater responsibility for their learning. This is built upon in Year 8 as students apply for a variety of key roles within the school community –including Prefects, Buddies, Mentors, School Ambassadors and Representatives. Year 9 then focuses on fully preparing students to confidently meet the challenges of the next stage of their educational journey.

At King’s Magna, we equip our students with the skills and knowledge they need to move seamlessly to either our College or Faculty school. We ensure that every student is treated as an individual and provided with personalised support. Our innovative pastoral programme, THRIVE@QE, promotes wellbeing and resilience as they grow, with over 30 di erent sessions each week to ensure every child can mature into their teenage years with self-confidence and a strong belief in their own bright future.

King’s Magna School

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, Thorpe Underwood Estate, York YO26 9SS 01423 333330 or admissions@qe.org qe.org