Curriculum

KS3 Curriculum

Students at Key Stage 3 are offered a broad and balanced curriculum, building on their learning experiences from Key Stage 2 and preparing them for the next stage in their journey. There is a wealth of resources available to ensure all students are challenged and supported to fulfil their potential in the first phase of their secondary education.

Our curriculum is focused on supporting and challenging your child to be the best and to achieve the best that he or she is capable of. Staff prepare lessons to meet the specific needs of the young people in their class; we are proud of our ability to personalise the learning experience in each and every classroom. We work collaboratively to ensure each teacher is able to meet these expectations and teach your children as effectively as possible, whether that be stretch and challenge for the more able to foster the skills and attitudes of resilience and independence, or support and scaffolding resources where needed. Ultimately, we aim to ensure that every child receives Quality First Teaching 100% of the time. We believe that intelligence isn’t fixed – your child can achieve whatever he or she sets their minds to and we will work hard with them to both realise and achieve their goals. Each student is treated as an individual, with personal guidance and target setting.

Lode Heath School places a special emphasis on core subject skills, thinking skills and emotional literacy for all students in Year 7, and we work closely with partner primary schools to ensure continuity of experience.

A competence-based approach to learning is being developed to complement the more traditional subject-based approach. Great importance is placed on acquiring learning skills which can be adapted to any situation, and students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and organisation built on a SET to learn approach and strong pastoral system.

A students’ 5 year journey is structured into 3 years at KS3, choosing their options in Year 9 and study two further years at GCSE. Our timetable operates on a two-week rotation and incorporates a combination of 30 mins, 1 hour and 2 hour lessons. Breaks and lunches are staggered at different points during the day.

Please see below for an exemplar timetable for KS3 and the timings of the day for the lesson periods based on our current operations under the COVID Regulations.

The times of the day do change on a Wednesday for both Week 1 and Week 2. Please see below. There is no registration on a Wednesday morning:

Period 1 9.10-10.10am

Period 2a 10.10-10.40am

Period 2b 10.40-11.10am

Period 2c 11.10-11.40am

Period 3 11.40-12.30pm

Period 4a 12.30-1.00pm

Period 4b 1.00-1.30pm

Period 4c 1.30-2pm

Period 5 2.00-2.55pm

The GCSE curriculum continues to offer breadth and diversity, covering a range of subjects for all students, but also offering opportunities for students to specialise in areas of the curriculum they wish to develop further. Courses are designed to be relevant for students and to match their talents and interests. Students are supported in selecting their personal pathway including traditional academic and vocational courses (GCSEs, BTECs, OCR Nationals etc).

We work with other training providers to ensure a variety of possibilities and options for students in Key Stage 4. We work in partnership with Arden School within the AMAT Trust to plan for the future and will continue to develop in order to deliver opportunities and fulfil learning experiences for our pupils. At present Lode Heath students study Hair and Beauty at Arden School.

Students choose their options in Year 9 and study two further years at GCSE. Our timetable operates on a two-week rotation and incorporates a combination of 30mins, 1 hour and 2 hour lessons. Breaks and lunches are staggered at different points during the day.