Key Stage 3

Within our Key Stage 3 we have carefully assessed the needs, learning styles and social and emotional development of our pupils and tailored our class groups accordingly. This current academic year 2019-2020 we have:

• two Year 7 classes
• one Year 7 class following a primary model
• one Year 8 class
• one Year 8/9 class following a primary model
• two Year 9 classes
• one Key Stage 3/4 Sensory Communication Group
• one Key Stage 3/4 Nurture Group

All English and Maths classes are grouped according to ability to enable maximum progress from the start. We always aim to place pupils in the set where they will be challenged whilst gaining confidence and making excellent progress. To ensure the groups are suitable for every pupil we also take into consideration their social and emotional needs so every child can thrive in the best environment. These flexible groups are closely monitored to allow movement between them throughout the year to ensure all of our pupils can achieve their full potential.

We have an effective programme of targeted interventions that pupils may access when they require additional support. These intervention sessions are then built into individual pupil timetables as needed and progress is assessed regularly to monitor the impact.

All our young people access an appropriately personalised National Curriculum covering the following subjects:

English

Throughout Key Stage 3 there is a focus on reading skills, varied writing skills and speaking and listening. Our courses of study for each year are thematic and are either half termly or termly topics. Each theme contains separate schemes of work to meet the different academic levels of the pupils:

Year 7

• Introduction to Shakespeare
• Autobiography
• Modern Novel
• Poetry
• Myths and Legends
• Modern Play

Year 8

• Classic British Literature
• Contemporary Novel
• Dracula: The Play
• Shakespeare Play
• Unseen Poetry
• A Moment in Time

Year 9

• Transactional Writing
• Pre 19th Century Novel
• Conflict Poetry
• Modern Play
• Macbeth
• Survival Stories

Maths

Throughout Key Stage 3, we focus on a range of mathematical topics covering Number, Algebra, Ration, Proportion and Rates of Change, Geometry and Measure, Probability and Statistics. Each term consists of separate units of work differentiated to meet the academic levels of our pupils:

Year 7

• Whole Numbers and Decimals
• Measures, Perimeter, and Area
• Expressions and Formulae
• Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages
• Angles and 2D Shapes
• Graphs
• Whole Number Calculations
• Statistics
• Transformations and Symmetry
• Equations
• Factors and Multiples
• Constructions and 3D Shapes
• Sequences
• Decimal Calculations
• Ratio and Proportion
• Probability
• Everyday Maths

Year 8

• Whole Numbers and Decimals
• Measures, Perimeter, and Area
• Expressions and Formulae
• Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages
• Angles and 2D Shapes
• Graphs
• Decimal Calculations
• Statistics
• Transformations and Scale
• Transformations and Symmetry
• Equations
• Powers and Roots
• Constructions and Pythagoras
• Sequences
• 3D Shapes and Trigonometry
• Ratio and Proportion
• Probability
• Everyday Maths

Year 9

• Place Value and Rounding
• Written Methods
• Simplifying Expressions and Indices
• Calculating with Fractions
• Algebraic Fractions
• Angles and Lines
• Triangles and Quadrilaterals
• Angles in Polygons
• Congruence and Similarity
• Sampling
• Organising Data
• Representing Data
• Averages and Spread
• Fractions and Percentages
• Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
• Formulae
• Equivalence and Proof
• Expanding and Factorising
• Measuring Lengths and Angles
• Area
• Trigonometry
• Transformations
• Probability Experiments
• Probability Theory
• Mutually Exclusive Events
• The Four Operations
• Angles and Lines
• Handling Data
• Formulae and Quadratic Functions
• Measures, Area and Perimeter
• Calculator methods
• Measures and Accuracy

Science

The developed syllabus promotes teaching for understanding and approaches the examined content with a mastery of ideas and practical Science skills. These are developed over Key Stage 3 with the expectation that pupils enter Key Stage 4 with a level of proficiency. In Year 9 pupils are assessed to determine their readiness for moving on to GCSE and to allow for targeted teaching of any areas of weakness in Year 9.

The topics covered throughout Key Stage 3 are:

Year 7

• Cells and organisation
• Reproduction
• Environment and Feeding Relationships
• Variation and Classification
• Simple Chemical Reactions
• Solids, Liquids and Gases
• Solutions
• Acids and Alkalis
• Energy Resources
• Electrical Circuits
• Forces and their Effects
• Solar System and Beyond

Year 8 Topics

• Food and Digestion
• Respiration
• Microbes and Disease
• Ecological Relationships
• Atoms and Elements
• Compounds and Mixtures
• Rocks and Weathering
• The Rock Cycle
• Heating and Cooling
• Magnets and Electromagnets
• Sound and Light

Year 9 Topics

• Inheritance and Selection
• Fit and Healthy
• Plants and Photosynthesis /Plants for Food
• Reaction of Metals
• Patterns in Reactivity
• Environmental Chemistry
• Using Chemistry
• Energy and Electricity
• Gravity and Space
• Speeding Up
• Pressure and Moments

Creative Arts

View details of our Art and design, Drama and Music curriculum here.

Computing

View details of our Computing curriculum here.

Food technology

Throughout Key Stage 3 pupils follow the ‘Food – a Fact of Life’ Scheme which encompasses Healthy Eating, Food Preparation, Farming and Food Provenance. They prepare, sample and evaluate a range of dishes, enhancing their understanding of:

• Culinary skills
• Organisational skills
• Time management
• Experimentation
• Health and Safety Awareness
• Independence and Problem Solving Skills
• Awareness of Food groups and Nutrition
• The Principles of Healthy Eating
• Sensory evaluation

Geography

View details of our Geography curriculum here.

History

View details of our History curriculum here.

PSHCE (Personal and Social Health and Citizenship Education)

Year 7 Introduction to Citizenship

• Autumn – Introduction to Citizenship and Introduction to Human Rights
• Spring – Shaping Society Locally and Participation and Campaigning
• Summer – Shaping Society Globally and Participation and Campaigning

Year 8 Sustainable Development

• Autumn – Central and Local Government Services
• Spring – Community, National and International Groups
• Summer – The World as a Global Community

Year 9 Crime, the Law, the Media and Diversity

• Autumn – The Legal and Human Rights and Responsibilities
• Spring – Diversity and Mutual Respect
• Summer – Topical Political, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cult

Physical education

Throughout Key Stage 3 pupils work on a range of physical activities and challenges which have the wider benefit of promoting working as a team and developing problem solving, thinking skills and cross curricular links to Living Skills and PSHE. Each half term has a different focus: invasion games, health related fitness, leadership, Summer sports, net and wall activities or strike activities.

Every pupil also has a weekly swimming lesson.

RE

In RE, we follow the Oldham Religious Education Syllabus (available here) and cover a range of different religions and cultural beliefs, focusing on beliefs and teachings. Pupils develop an awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression. Pupils engage in weekly RE lessons and also participate in termly Super Learning Days which look at a variety of religions, cultures and beliefs.

SRE

At Hollinwood Academy we are developing programmes to support pupils to develop the skills and understanding they need to live confident, healthy and independent lives. Effective delivery of Sex and Relationship Education is embedded throughout our Science, Citizenship and PSHE curriculum. We aim to teach our learners to understand human sexuality and respect themselves and others and to build up knowledge and skills which are particularly important today because of the many different conflicting pressures on young people.

In addition to this, personalised interventions are offered to individual learners when necessary following a process of self-referral or at the request of parents, carers or key professionals.

Spanish 

Pupils learn and develop their vocabulary of a wide range of everyday words and items in order to communicate in fluent sentences. They continue to learn about Spanish culture and put into context the vocabulary they have learnt.

For further details on any aspect of our curriculum, please contact us.