Life in Key Stage 3 – Years 7-9
Focused on high expectations and high aspirations.
Welcome to Key Stage 3
Where Belonging Meets Brilliance!
Students start the day energised by a delicious breakfast at our Breakfast Club. This sets the stage for a smooth transition into the classroom, where they’ll be greeted by their dedicated mentor—a friendly teacher who champions their academic journey and personal development.
Our curriculum bursts with life, transforming the National Curriculum into an exciting adventure. Imagine Science lessons where they brew fantastical concoctions or Design and Technology classes where they build awesome robots. Or draw on Island inspiration, exploring Sheppey’s amazing coastline, then return to school to design creative solutions for coastal preservation. That’s us! It’s through this exploration that your child will discover hidden talents and interests, and we’ll be there every step of the way, nurturing their potential and helping them become future stars in their chosen fields.
We believe in nurturing the whole child. We go beyond traditional lessons, even giving students a say in shaping their school spirit!
This year, they’ll have a special mission: designing a brand-new sports kit. It’s just one of the many ways we involve students in their school community, making their voice matter.
Between lessons, students will refuel and recharge in our Cafe. Lunchtime becomes a choose-your-own-adventure, with an array of clubs and activities to enjoy. Lunchtime becomes a choose-your-own-adventure where students can explore their interests through our clubs and activities.
Learning doesn’t stop at 3:15 p.m. with targeted interventions and further student-led clubs… we nurture every student’s unique spark, unlock potential and pathways to success
At EKC Sheppey Secondary, your child, each student, is part of a supportive community where they can truly belong… and thrive.
We study a full range of academic subjects in the National Curriculum and take every opportunity to make our lessons relevant to our young people, our Island, and our global community.
Experts Who Care: In Year 7, a dedicated teacher acts as your child’s guide, becoming an expert in knowing and nurturing them—not just academically but as individuals. This personalised approach ensures a smooth transition to secondary school and sets each student up for success. While some practical subjects will be taught by other teachers, most of their curriculum will be taught by their Year 7 teacher.
Broad Exploration Before Specialisation: Subject specialists plan a broad and rich curriculum in Key Stage 3 (see below), ensuring a solid foundation that builds on prior knowledge and develops understanding of subject content. We foster a love of learning, helping students discover their true passions before choosing their specialised Options in Year 9. In Key Stage 4, students delve deeper into chosen options, preparing them for success.
At the end of Key Stage 3, our students can choose between a range of pathways to suit their ambitions and are appropriate for them as individuals. This will include the full range of academic GCSEs, preparing pupils for A Levels or other academic post-16 routes.
In addition, there will also be a range of other pathways for young people who are interested in technical and vocational learning and would like to balance their core curriculum: English, Maths, and Science with creative subjects such as Dance, Drama, Technology and Engineering.
Students will have the opportunity to combine academic and vocational courses depending on their individual ambitions and abilities, or they can choose to study one of our two specialisms: Creative or Engineering. These programmes are designed in partnership with East Kent Colleges Group (which includes our local EKC Sheppey College) and provide a direct route to their outstanding provision for students to progress to A Levels or other Level 3/post-16 routes and onwards to Higher Education and employment.
Relationships are the foundations which ensure that the impact of learning can be infinite. Staff will know your child personally and build strong relationships. Parents and carers will equally know our staff and have positive relationships with the school.
Students will be with their peers and can have increased freedoms and independence as they get older and earn the right (transitions will also be fewer, calmer and safer).
Our approach focuses on:
- Getting transition right! Getting to know your child before they even start with us and ensuring effective transition at every stage as they progress through the school. We’ll build on the very best of primary practice while enabling your child to mature into and through Secondary.
- A rich curriculum that excites, inspires, and fosters a love of learning, packed with essential skills, bold ideas and real-world relevance. Preparing students to think critically, solve problems and confidently adapt to challenges. In key stage 3, students will have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, which will enable them to identify where their individual talents and interests lie so that they can develop and perfect these skills in KS4. Our curriculum will have clear, signposted links with careers to enable all students to identify their next steps to achieve their ambitions.
- Through both the formal and informal curriculum, we will develop character and empower students to become the very best versions of themselves.
- Every aspect of school life will be underpinned by brilliant teaching; Form teachers teaching the majority of the curriculum with support from specialists and Faculty leads developing excellent practice across departments.
- All staff will have high expectations for effort and behaviour and work tirelessly to encourage the very best from every student they work with
- And the pastoral team will be the centre of care; they will create a sense of family within the school and will do everything they can to ensure our students have everything they need to be successful.
We understand the power of education to inspire and our role in enabling every student to achieve their ambitions.
We’re passionate that our students understand the value and importance of a good education and how this can positively impact their lives and benefit their community. Through both the formal and informal curriculum, we develop character and empower students to be the best version of themselves.
Our personal development curriculum includes teaches young people about how to be successful:
- Life skills
- Money and finance
- Careers education
- Health and relationships
- Social education
- How to be learner
- Cultural capital
- How to be safe
- Mental Health & wellbeing
- Professional behaviours
We will support students in achieving what we believe are critical life skills for their future success.
Aspiration
- We provide access to the best possible education for all our students, with a focus on academic excellence
- We support students to seek and take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to them
- We encourage students to challenge themselves to aspire and strive to broaden their horizons
Resilience
- We help students develop their resilience so they can develop a growth mindset to enable them to cope effectively with problems and challenges
- We encourage our students to use their voices to empower others and become confident and independent young people
- We provide challenges in a safe environment where students view failure as an important part of the learning process
Kindness
- We accept all our differences and celebrate diversity as a strength
- We show respect for ourselves, each other and our community
- We value and take part in social action to support our school, local and global community
