At Key Stage Three, the curriculum builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills that pupils have acquired at Key Stage Two. Our aim is to develop pupils' knowledge across all subjects, equipping them with the necessary skills to allow all pupils to progress.  We deliver and go beyond the National Curriculum, ensuring that we provide a wide range of enrichment activities for our pupils. We give a particular focus to enhancing literacy and numeracy (4 lessons per week for English & Mathematics) and actively promote a whole school culture of reading. There is also a strong emphasis on the importance of Ebacc subjects, which we place at the heart of our curriculum, with 4 lessons per week for Science and 2 lessons per week for Modern Foreign Languages (French & German), Geography and History.

In order to support the development of creative and technical skills, pupils also have lessons in Art, Music, Technology, Food, IT and Computer Science. We also promote the importance of physical development and healthy living with 2 lessons per week of Physical Education.

Our Learning for Life and Theme of the Week programme at KS3 and KS4 ensures that pupils receive Careers, Citizenship, RHSE, PSHE and RE as part of a thematic whole school approach to the personal development curriculum. This is supplemented by cross curricular provision as well as whole school events to ensure that pupils are able to make informed decisions and know how to keep themselves safe and physically and mentally healthy.

In Year 9, we ask pupils to make informed choices about which subjects they would like to study at Key Stage Four. Every pupil is guided towards appropriate curriculum choices and receive advice and guidance on their most appropriate pathway.

At Key Stage Four, the curriculum continues to develop and extend the knowledge and skills that our pupils gain in Key Stage Three. In addition, the curriculum is designed to prepare our pupils for the examinations they will take at the end of Year 11.

All of our pupils study: English language, English literature, Mathematics, Science (Combined award or the three separate subjects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics), core Physical Education and Learning for Life. We put the Ebacc at the heart of our curriculum and all pupils are asked to choose a humanities subject: either Geography or History. Pupils are also asked to choose a language either French or German.

In addition, pupils have further choices from the following courses: Art, Business Studies, Information Technology, Computer Science, Media, Psychology, Technology, Child Development, Photography, Sports, Performing Arts and Health and Social Care. Each year has a different combination of subjects depending on the choices made.

As a school, we ensure that we offer appropriate progression pathways from Key Stage 4 to allow our pupils to continue their education in our growing Sixth Form.

At Key Stage Five, we provide students with the opportunity to continue their studies to A-level and/or BTEC Level 3. Our Sixth Form curriculum comprises of 5 option blocks. Students who demonstrated at Key Stage Four that they have the potential for further study, are able to choose from a wide range of subjects including both A levels and more vocational courses (subject to demand, viability, staffing, timetabling and individual GCSE grades). The curriculum option blocks have also been specifically designed so that they support particular career pathways and subjects which have similar skill sets.

Assessment at Etone College

Key Stage 3: 

Each pupil will have summative assessments throughout the year. The number of assessments for each subject differs in relation to the amount of time the pupils has for that subject. They will be informed of these assessments by class teachers at least two weeks in advance and made aware of what they need to do to prepare for that assessment. This information will be available on SIMS Pupil and Parent App under the Homework section. Pupils also have a topic checklist in their exercise books that will help them to know what they need to revise.  After each summative assessment point, pupils will receive feedback on what has gone well and how they can improve and have dedicated time in lessons to respond to teacher feedback.

Pupils also receive lots of feedback in lessons and be given lots of guidance of what is going well and how they can improve before moving on to the next part of the lesson. This is called formative assessment.  Pupils work completed in their exercise books is also looked at by their teachers and they will receive feedback on this - some be individual and some may be whole class.  Pupils will also have time to improve their work after teachers have looked at their books in ‘Fix It Time’. Where you see green pen work in pupil books, this is where they are adding to and improving their previous work or responding to their teacher feedback.

You will receive information three times a year on how your child is progressing at school through our Progress Report which you can access through the SIMS Parent App. This will tell you whether they are working above, on or towards the expected target for the year.

They will also receive a Behaviour for Learning Grade which tells you about their attitudes to learning including organisation and homework.

In addition to summative assessments in lessons, pupils will also have KS3 exams as follows:

Year 8                    06/03/23                         Maths/English/Science

Year 9                    17/04/23                         Maths/English/Science

You can view an example KS3 Report & Behaviour for Learning Grade Outline HERE

Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5:

Each pupil will have summative assessments throughout the year carefully matched to their GCSE or A level courses. They will be informed of these assessments by class teachers at least two weeks in advance and made aware of what they need to do to prepare for that assessment. This information will be available on SIMS Pupil and Parent App under the Homework section. Pupils also have a topic checklist in their exercise books or folders that will help them to know what they need to revise.  After each summative assessment, pupils will receive feedback on what has gone well and how they can improve and have dedicated time in lessons to respond to teacher feedback.

Pupils will also receive lots of feedback in lessons and be given lots of guidance of what is going well and how they can improve. This is called formative assessment.  We will also look at the work in their exercise books and folders - some will be individual feedback and some may be whole class.  Pupils will also have time to improve their work after teachers have looked at their books. Where you see green pen work in pupil books, this is where they are adding to and improving their work or responding to their teacher feedback.

You will receive information three times a year on how your child is progressing at school through our Progress Report which you can access through Parent App. This will tell you where they are currently working at against their target GCSE or A level grade which is also provided as part of the Progress Report. They will also receive a Behaviour for Learning Grade which tells you about their attitudes to learning including home learning.

For vocational courses such as BTEC or Cambridge Nationals pupils are assessed in line with the policies of their exam board. They will complete units across the year with the results of these banked towards their overall grade. For each of these courses the assessment and feedback policy can be found on their websites:

BTEC - HERE

Cambridge Nationals - HERE

In addition to summative assessments in lessons, pupils will also have internal examinations as follows week beginning:

Year 10                 26/06/23

Year 11                 28/11/23 and 06/02/23

Year 12                 09/01/23

Year 13                 28/11/23

You can view an example KS4 Report HERE

You can view an example KS5 Report HERE

In order to help you to support your child at home at all Key Stages we offer a number of parents sessions which include:

Help Your Child Revise KS3
Supporting with Homework
Supporting with Literacy
Help Your Child Revise KS4 and KS5

There are links to revision materials on this website HERE

As well as Progress Reports, there will be an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress at Progress Evenings. The dates for these can be found on Parent App and we will be in touch a three weeks before to provide information about how to make appointments. In the interim, any questions about progress, please contact your child’s Head of House.

Fundamental British Values provide the make up for any person in our society. By abiding by and showing these values we are part of the journey to ensuring we live in a community of tolerance and respect for all.  At Etone College, our aim is to promote an ethos and culture which supports the key British values and allows pupils to prepare themselves for their adult life as a member of this society. Throughout their time at Etone our pupils take part in opportunities that allow and encourage them to show and understand:

• Why we should value democracy
• Valuing and abiding by the rule of law
• The importance of individual liberty
• Always show tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs and promote mutual respect

You can view our British Values HERE.

Whether it is whilst discussing the Suffragettes and the right to vote in History or respecting the creative differences of artists in Music or leaning about Citizenship through Learning for Life, our pupils get the access they deserve across our curriculum to really understand what it means to be a British Citizen.

Through our provision of SMSC, which is embedded into all aspects of our curriculum and is explicit in schemes of learning, Etone College:

• enables pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
• enables pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
• encourages pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
• enables pupils to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England;
• Further establishes tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
• encourages respect for other people; and encourages respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

If you have any concerns or queries regarding the curriculum, please contact Mr. J. Chauhan.