Key Stage 3 Curriculum Overview
Within key stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) we have a dedicated and caring team of teachers and teaching assistants.
In year 7, 8 and 9 pupils are taught in base classes where they have 1 teacher and TA for most of the day. They have specialist teachers for science, PE and computing.
Pupils complete ASDAN awards which are embedded into their curriculum. Year 9 pupils work towards their Functional Skills tests in English and maths.
Overview
At The Observatory School, we deliver a carefully sequenced curriculum specifically developed to meet the needs of
our pupils. The overall purpose of our curriculum is to prepare pupils for adulthood through a positive and supportive
framework that helps to develop:
● Confident individuals – who lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
● Successful learners – who enjoy school, make great progress and achieve a range of qualifications
● Responsible citizens – who make productive contributions to society
our pupils. The overall purpose of our curriculum is to prepare pupils for adulthood through a positive and supportive
framework that helps to develop:
● Confident individuals – who lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
● Successful learners – who enjoy school, make great progress and achieve a range of qualifications
● Responsible citizens – who make productive contributions to society
To enable our pupils to be confident and resilient individuals we:
● Provide a specialist and highly personalised curriculum that promotes personal development
● Implement a focused PSHE & RSE Policy that equips pupils with the knowledge required to understand themselves
physically, emotionally, socially and sexually
● Offer a wide range of interventions for those who require additional support
● Work with a different agencies to enhance the school offer and ensure that learning extends beyond the school day
● Implement a focused PSHE & RSE Policy that equips pupils with the knowledge required to understand themselves
physically, emotionally, socially and sexually
● Offer a wide range of interventions for those who require additional support
● Work with a different agencies to enhance the school offer and ensure that learning extends beyond the school day
To enable our pupils to be successful learners we:
● Deliver quality-first teaching, which removes barriers to learning
● Carefully sequence learning to support the acquisition of knowledge over time
● Operate a whole school emotional regulation strategy
● Actively engage with pupils’ EHCPs
● Carefully sequence learning to support the acquisition of knowledge over time
● Operate a whole school emotional regulation strategy
● Actively engage with pupils’ EHCPs
To enable our pupils to be responsible citizens we:
● Plan activities that support the development of social skills and communication
● Explicitly teach strategies that support self-regulation
● Employ the use of restorative practice to develop empathic and caring pupils
● Raise aspirations and challenge stereotypes, particularly through our careers, education, information and guidance policy
● Develop knowledge and understanding of our local, national and international communities
● Explicitly teach strategies that support self-regulation
● Employ the use of restorative practice to develop empathic and caring pupils
● Raise aspirations and challenge stereotypes, particularly through our careers, education, information and guidance policy
● Develop knowledge and understanding of our local, national and international communities
OUR CURRICULUM MODEL
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced at three levels. First, curriculum maps set out the key areas that are covered in each subject as pupils progress through the school. Next, schemes of work set out the knowledge and skills pupils gain in each subject, every half term. Finally, teachers’ planning details the specific plans for every lesson taking into account their different starting points. You can access our curriculum maps on the individual faculty area pages.