In years 7, 8 and 9, students study the full breadth of a traditional Key Stage 3 school curriculum, developing skills and knowledge to successfully transition from the end of primary education through to their GCSE options.

Core Subjects

English, Maths and Science are allocated 3 periods each per week.  English is taught in mixed ability, Science has some broad setting.  Maths is taught in sets arranged by ability.  The sets in Science remain relatively static throughout each year, setting in Maths is regularly reviewed – based upon assessment performance – at the end of each term.

Humanities & Languages

Geography, History and Religious Studies are allocated 5 periods per week.  All humanities subjects are taught in mixed ability groups – any changes of sets are to ensure that a positive teaching dynamic is maintained in every class.  Learning a modern foreign language is an essential life skill, and whilst students are not forced to take a language at GCSE it is strongly encouraged.  Currently during KS3 all students learn French in years 7 and 8 (in mixed ability classes - 2 periods per week) and in Y9 they are given the option to take Spanish.

Other Academic Subjects

Our first core value is to ‘provide a broad and balanced curriculum’ and for that reason all students learn across a wide variety of subjects, and continue these subjects right through until the end of Y9.  Students therefore also study Dance, Drama, Music, Art, D&T, Textiles, Food and Computer Science.

The Wider Curriculum

Physical activity, and an understanding of wider issues other than purely academic study is very important.  Students have 2 periods of PE each week, and they also study Citizenship, which includes Personal Health and Social Education (PHSE) and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).

Curriculum Intent Documents

Here you will find our ‘intent’ documents.  These set out what content is covered from Year 7 through to Year 13 (where applicable) and also shows how this content is ordered, taking into account the starting point (prior knowledge from primary school) and also how the content links to the ‘next steps’ students will take, whether that is the post-16 or the post-18 transitions.

Subject Specific Information

Students and Parents at the school can follow the links below to find out more about the content in each subject on Firefly – our school’s online learning environment:

English

Maths

Science

Art

Computer Science

Citizenship

Dance

Drama

D&T

Food

Geography

 History

Languages

Music

PE

RE

Textiles 

 For those who do not currently attend Highams Park School, a summary of the main topics/assessments taught is shown below

Subjects Year 7 Year 8 Year 9
Art

Portraits 1

Portraits 2

Cakes & Sweets 1

Cakes & Sweets 2

Day of the Dead 1

Day of the Dead 2

Under the Sea 1

Under the Sea 2

Identity 1

Identity 2

Pop Art 1

Pop Art 2

Art of the Object 1

Art of the Object 2

Street Art 1

Street Art 2

Crowds 1

Crowds 2

Computer Science

1 Introduction to CS

2 Digital Devices

3 Databases

4 Scratch Mark

5 Online Safety

6 Micro Bits

1 Inside Computer

2 Web Dev. E Safety

3 Intro to Networking

4 Intro. Prog. JS

5 Games Maker

6 Robotics with Microbits

1 Algorithms

2 Cyber Security & AI

3 Advanced Networking

4 Data Rep & Logic

5 Python Programming

6 Ethics in CS

Dance

Assessment 1

Assessment 2

Assessment 1

Assessment 2

Puppet Dance

Style Taster

Musical Theatre

Design Technology

Drawing Test (20)

Steady Hand Practical

Timbers Test (20)

Electronics Test (20)

Balance Toy Practical

Metal Test (20)

Designers Practical

Human Design Test (25)

Urban Design Practical

Bug Practical

Mechanism Test (25)

Launch Mechanism Practical

Architectural Model Practical

Graphics Test (25)

Timer Practical

Systems Test (25)

Structures Practical

Structures Test (25)

Drama

Assessment 1

Assessment 2

Assessment 3

Assessment 4

Assessment 1

Assessment 2

Assessment 3

Assessment 4

 Assessment 1

Assessment 2

Assessment 3

Assessment 4

Assessment 5

Assessment 6

English and Media

Main Assessment Point 1

Main Assessment Point 2

Main Assessment Point 3

Main Assessment Point 1

Main Assessment Point 2

Main Assessment Point 3

Main Assessment Point 1

Main Assessment Point 2

Main Assessment Point 3

Food and Textiles

Initial Assessment

Food Design

Food Practical

Textiles Design

Textiles Practical

Initial Assessment

Food Design

Food Practical

Textiles Design

Textiles Practical

Initial Assessment

Food Design

Food Practical

Textiles Design

Textiles Practical

Geography

Amazing Geography

Development And Ghana

Planet Ocean

UK Weather & Climate

Volcanoes and Earthquakes

Mid-Unit

Volcanoes and Earthquakes

The Geography of Stuff

Climate Change

The Global Economy

Population Mid-Unit

Population

Coasts

Superpowers

History

Romans

Normans

Dark Ages

Timbuktu

Crusades

Peasants' Revolt

Break from Rome

Elizabeth

Exploration

Mughal Empire

Civil War

Empire

Slavery

Age of Revolutions

Industrial Revolution

World War One

Easter Rising 1916

Women's Rights 1

Women's Rights 2

Indian Independence

Jewish Life 1918-45

Holocaust

Appeasement

The Blitz

Hiroshima

Vietnam

Stephen Lawrence

Civil Rights

NHS

Whitechapel

Spanish

Module 1: Mi vida

Module 2: Mi tiempo libre

 

Mi Vida

Mi tiempo libre

Mi insti

French

Basics: C'est parti

Module 1: La rentree

Module 2: En Classe

Module 2: En classe

Module 3: Mon temps libre

Module 4: La vie de famille

Module 5: En ville

Module 1: Vive les vac

Module 2: J'dore les fetes

Maths

Unit Test 1

Unit Test 2

Unit Test 3

Unit Test 4

Unit Test 5

Unit Test 6

Unit Test 7

Unit Test 1

Unit Test 2

Unit Test 3

Unit Test 4

Unit Test 5

Unit Test 6

Unit Test 7

Unit Test 8

Unit Test 1

Unit Test 2

Unit Test 3

Unit Test 4

Unit Test 5

Unit Test 6

Unit Test 7

Unit Test 8

Music

1. Elements of Music

2. Rhythm & Time

3. Keyboard Skills

4. Form & Structure

5. Programme Music

6. Ensemble Skills

1. Hooks & Riffs

2. Melody Writing

3. Minimalism

4. Gaming Music

5. Rhythms of the World

6. Ensemble Skills - Reggae

1. Blues & Jazz

2. Theme & Variation

3. Musical Futures

4. Songwriting

5. Film Music

6. Self-development as a musician

Physical Education (PE)

Dodgeball

Uni Hoc

Basketball

Rugby

Fitness Circuit

Short Tennis

Handball

Training Methods

Netball

Athletics

Striking & Fielding

Rugby

Basketball

Uni Hoc

OAA

Handball

Dodgeball

Fitness Circuit

Short Tennis

Netball Athletics

Striking & Fielding

Handball

Theory Grade

Basketball

Fitness Circuit

Rugby

Netball

Uni Hoc

Dodgeball

Badminton

Athletics

Striking & Fielding

Religious Studies (RS)

The World Six

Buddhism

Rights of Passage

Islam

Teacher Judgement

Christianity

Religion & Society

Teacher Judgement

Science

Cells, Tissues, Org.Sys

Sexual Repro in Animals

Muscles & Bones

Ecosystems

Mixtures & Separation

Acids & Alkalis

The Particle Model Atoms, Elements, Molecules

Energy

Current Electricity

Forces

Sound

Food & Nutrition

Plants & their Reproduction

Breathing & Respiration

Unicellular Organisms

Combustion

The Periodic Table

Metals and their uses

Rocks

Fluids

Light

Energy Transfers

Earth & Space

Genetics & Evolution

Plant Growth

Making Materials

Reactivity

Forces & Motion

Force Fields & Electromag

 

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