Curriculum

KS3 CURRICULUM

Our broad and balanced Key Stage 3 curriculum revises and develops on the content and skills covered in Key Stage 1 and 2 as well as preparing the pupils for Key Stage 4 and beyond.

In Year 7 and 8 pupils are generally taught in mixed ability form groups. All pupils cover the National Curriculum and they will all study either French or Spanish with a cohort of dual linguists doing both languages in year 8.

At Roundhay we pride ourselves in doing what is right for the pupil and our curriculum ensures pupils embed solid foundations for their future studies. This becomes more bespoke in year 9, as pupils transition from KS3 to KS4, to ensure pupils have the best chance of reaching their potential.

The year 9 timetable features a carousel of 6 of the following subjects based on pupil preferences: Art; Catering and Food; Drama; Media and Film; Product Design; Business and Enterprise; Computing and IT; Health and Social Care; Music; Textiles. Through this programme pupils maintain a broad curriculum with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a wider variety of subjects that they may be considering for KS4. This enables them to make more appropriate decisions about which subjects to study at KS4. This model offers the opportunity to go beyond the scope of the National Curriculum and because of the experiences it offers we have seen a rise in the number of girls choosing subjects such as Computing whilst there has also been a rise in boys choosing subjects such as Health and Social Care.

The option pathways towards the end of year 9 guide pupils in choosing their KS4 subjects but we strive to maintain flexibility. Individual conversations with pupils will often lead to even more bespoke programmes, taking into account the pupils’ particular passions and aptitude.

KS4 CURRICULUM

The Key Stage 4 curriculum is underpinned by the studying of the EBACC subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, a humanity and a Modern Foreign Language). Our ambition is that the vast majority of students will study each of these elements throughout Key Stage 4, though we accept it may not be suitable for everyone. Outside of the core curriculum (which also includes PE and PSHE), pupils are offered a range of courses. Which courses are on offer depends on the Pathway the pupils are on.

The Red Pathway (approximately 30% of pupils) offers pupils the opportunity to complete a GCSE course in year 10 and then use their gained time in year 11 to undertake independent study, supervised by a member of teaching staff. Pupils on this pathway need to have demonstrated that they are consistently Ready to Learn and will therefore take full advantage of the opportunities on offer.

The Orange, Yellow, Blue and Green pathways (approximately 50% of pupils) give pupils the opportunity to study a range of qualifications, all of which will be completed at the end of year 11. Pupils on the green pathway also receive extra support in English, Mathematics and Science with the aim of ensuring that they are fully prepared for the demands of Year 11.

Our Indigo and Violet pathways (approximately 20% of pupils) are for students who have started a qualification in year 9 which will be finished in year 10. In year 11 these pupils will receive extra support in English, Mathematics and Science, which will hopefully enable them to achieve the grades they require to move into our Sixth form or another Post-16 provider.

Within each pathway we aim to guide pupils onto courses which we are confident they will be successful in and which will ultimately enable them to progress onto Post-16 study either at our Sixth Form or another provider.

Whilst the pathway system is designed to guide pupils into making appropriate choices, we accept that for some pupils a more bespoke programme is needed. This may involve the studying of multiple humanities or more than one language. It may also involve selecting a subject that is not available on their pathway. In each case, we review the choices made at an individual level to ensure that the overall programme is both enjoyable and ambitious for every pupil.