Communication Curriculum Key Stage 3

The Communication faculty consists of the English and computing departments, as well as whole-school literacy provision. Each area has a specialist lead teacher, who oversees the teaching, learning and assessment within each subject. The subject specialists are supported by a key stage two link teacher who is responsible for the implementation in the primary years.

We know that before joining The Observatory School students may have gaps in their skills due to barriers to learning or time missed from education. The Communication Faculty’s intent is that all students will be able to close these gaps through individually targeted classroom teaching; systematic, synthetic phonics; embedded ICT learning; participating in whole-school reading and spelling programmes; and specialist interventions, where necessary. 

The communication faculty works closely with all of the other faculties in the school. This ensures that data is available about individuals’ reading, writing, and speaking and listening levels. The data provided by the communication faculty will inform all teaching and learning, across the school, to ensure the curriculum is accessible to all learners. Additionally, literacy and digital literacy skills are embedded into all subjects, so that students have plenty of opportunities to practice them in context. 

While studying English and computing, students will improve their communication skills, such as: being able to express themselves convincingly; reading confidently; being able to navigate the digital world safely; developing the skills to use a computer effectively; and choosing their language to fit the context in speech and writing.