KEY STAGE 3 (YEAR 7 – YEAR 9)
The ethos and high levels of pastoral care established in the primary school follow through to the secondary school, with young people’s ability to develop resilience, approach challenges positively, and work collaboratively for the good of the whole community being central to their learning.
Our secondary school teaching provides challenge whilst enabling our pupils to see meaningful links in their learning.
At The Aquila School, the curriculum in Key Stage 3 builds on the foundation of the earlier years in school and is the first step in preparing pupils for the public examinations they will take later in their secondary school career. As such, in secondary, there is an increased emphasis on subject teaching, independent study, and research and the application of knowledge and skills to real-life situations.
Reading is prioritised throughout secondary to increase pupils’ use of vocabulary, enhance their cultural capital, confidence and to encourage discussion and debate so that pupils find their own voice and perspective. We also build on opportunities for cross-curricular links to allow pupils to transfer learning between subjects and be creative.
The Key Stage 3 (Years 7 -9) curriculum is ambitious, broad, balanced, inclusive and equitable for all children to ensure they make the most progress possible. Learning is purposeful and engaging and we make links to knowledge and skills from different subjects to pupils’ future ambitions and aspirations.
In Key Stage 3 different subjects will be taught by different teachers. We teach the National Curriculum for England (NCfE), together with the Ministry of Education (MOE) curricular requirements, and themes will include teaching in the following subjects.
Subjects in Key stage 3 (Years 7 – 9):
- English
- Mathematics
- Sciences
- Computing
- History
- Geography
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Islamic Studies (for our Muslim pupils)
- Art and Design
- Design and Technology
- Music
- Drama
- Dance
- Physical Education
- Moral, social and cultural education
- PSHE
Our secondary pupils have the opportunity to explore and collaborate in specialist learning areas, such as design workshops, science laboratories and the learning hub, which are incorporated into day-to-day learning to enhance their learning experiences.
Reading Initiatives in Key Stage 3
As a school, we recognise that reading is not only a vital skill across all subjects but also an invaluable life skill too. Lifelong readers are lifelong learners.
A focus on reading is directly linked to the national agenda – H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, stated: “Our goal is to make reading a daily habit that is deeply ingrained. It is the duty of relevant institutions to make this law a reality”.
The Aquila School is committed to raising children’s attainment and love of reading. Our extensive reading provision includes ‘Accelerated Reader’, ‘Read Theory’ and two dedicated timetabled lessons for reading for pleasure for all children in Key Stage 3. This provision is led by a specialist English teacher and a specialist Arabic teacher, with the knowledge and skills to challenge all children to make outstanding progress. We also have a state of the art secondary library called The Learning Hub stocked with thousands of books, including an extensive range of Arabic and home learning texts.
Our focus and ambition are to build pupil’s reading skills and develop their confidence when accessing texts, whilst enhancing their cultural capital, broadening their vocabulary, encouraging discussion, debate and fostering a love of literature so they gain their own unique voice and perspective.
Key Stage 3 pupils also have opportunities to develop their leadership skills through the role of reading ambassadors for younger children.