Key Stage 3

Intent

The driving principle of our curriculum is that knowledge is empowering. Our intention is to provide our students with the knowledge they need to be successful, connected citizens of our community and the world. Subjects are led by specialists whose aim is academic excellence in their discipline. Through this students will gain a rich web of knowledge, promoting a deep understanding of the subjects they learn. Higher level reading and rhetoric underpins our curriculum and fosters success both in school and beyond the walls of our classrooms. Ultimately, our intention is that RGS students leave with a thirst for learning and an awe and wonder of the world that surrounds them.

Attainment at Key Stage 3

Across Key Stage 3 we measure attainment against our expected 'RGS standard'. This standard is level we would expect a typical Redland Green student to be working at at that stage in their education. Attainment is measured in different ways, such as through formal assessments, written and verbal classwork and home learning. Students performance is then measured against our expected ‘RGS standard’ in that subject and the teacher will decide whether the student is ‘Working Towards’ (WT) ‘Working At’ (WA) or ‘Greater Depth’ (GD) than the standard.

So, for example, if a child is “working towards” this standard in Year 7, then they are developing their understanding of the skills and knowledge within the curriculum at this stage of Key Stage 3.

We have deliberately chosen not to link our Key Stage 3 directly to GCSE grades. However, our experience shows us that our three strands broadly align so that typically, at the end of Year 9:

Students ‘Working towards’ our RGS standard will achieve a Grade 1-4 at GCSE
Students ‘Working at’ our RGS Standard will achieve a Grade 5-7 at GCSE
Students working at ‘Greater Depth’ than our RGS Standard will achieve a Grade 8-9 at GCSE

Please note that this reflects numerically typical outcomes and should not be seen as limiting factors; students who end Year 9 at 'working at' do go on to gain the highest grades at GCSE!

Measuring Progress at Key Stage 3

Our starting point is always that progress is not a straight line. Students will develop at different speeds, sometimes grasping new concepts and skills quickly and sometimes taking a little later. Our attainment model is developed to show built in progress; in other words, a student "working at" the RGS standard in a subject at Year 7 will have made the expected level of progress if they are then "working at" the standard again in Year 8.

When reporting about progress, we measure student progress against their CATS and SATS data. Thus a student with high CATS and SATS would be expected to be working at a "greater depth" in Key Stage 3. Again, it should be noted that progress is not linear and parents should not be worried if their child is not quite at these levels yet on one set of reports.

Reporting and information for parents

At Key Stage 3 students will receive a written report in each year which contains a grade on their approaches to learning and their completion of home learning, along with an attainment level and a progress grade.