KEY STAGE 3 HANDBOOK
WELCOME
The In Toto Ed curriculum allows students to flourish and excel in subjects that interest them and they find enjoyable. Balanced, personalised, and adaptive, it offers students a way to learn that works for them, assisted through their studies by staff in academic and pastoral mentoring sessions. This allows students to feel fully supported in all areas of their school experience. The unique pathways we offer students are personalised and tailored to their learning needs.
KEY STAGE 3
Art
Our talented Art Department guides students through creative experimention, exploring different time periods, methods, interpretations and processes to create a body of artwork they can take pride in.
Students work both independently and collaboratively across different mediums, finding what sparks their creativity and artistic curiosity.
A sample of topics covered:
• Abstract and non-traditional techniques
• Art and the environment
• Contemporary art
• Digital art and photography
• Identity and representation
• Mixed media and assemblage
• Street art and social commentary
Computer Science
Our Computer Science curriculum places a strong focus on teamwork and leadership, with students regularly engaging in group projects and collaborative challenges. By tackling realworld coding tasks, they develop valuable communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills. Reflection is an important part of the process; students are encouraged to evaluate their progress, learn from mistakes, and adapt their strategies. This approach builds resilience and confidence, preparing them to thrive in the dynamic world of technology.
At Key Stage 3, the Computer Science curriculum provides a strong foundation for future learning. It nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving, while fostering teamwork, leadership, resilience, and a positive growth mindset.
A sample of topics covered:
• Digital Literacy
• Programming languages: Scratch and Python
• Information Technology
Design Technology: Cookery
Learning to cook is an essential life skill and can equip students with the confidence across multiple other curriculums, in particular literacy, numeracy and scientific processes.
Cookery cultivates a proactive mindset, encouraging students to ask questions, explore possibilities, embrace and build on failure and think about the world around them. Collaboration is a key aspect, students work together, developing effective communication and teamwork skills.
Cookery also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, encouraging inquisitiveness in students. They use creative problem solving to seek solutions to various design challenges, sparking their curiosity and developing positive working partnerships.
A sample of topics covered:
• Food preparation and cooking techniques
• Food hygiene and safety
• Healthy eating
• Nutritional analysis
English
The English curriculum aims to foster a joy of literature and creative expression. English skills are valuable and can provide life-long enrichment, stimulating the imagination, as well as the intellect.
We believe that literacy is an incredibly important tool and our lessons reflect this, providing students with stimulating resources to develop skills and provide them with the confidence to express themselves in both their written and spoken work.
A sample of topics covered:
• Poetry
• Prose
• Drama
• Speaking and listening
• Writing
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar
Geography
Key Stage 3 Geography is a vital part of the school curriculum, helping young people to understand the world they live in - both locally and globally. It also prepares them to become informed, responsible citizens, helping to develop decision-making skills, teamwork and independent work skills. Geography opens up career paths in areas like environmental science, urban planning, travel, and international development.
Students learn important skills such as:
• Reading maps, atlases, and using digital tools (GIS)
• Collecting and interpreting data
• Doing fieldwork and research
• Thinking critically and solving problems
A sample of topics covered:
• Earthquakes and volcanoes
• Rivers and coasts
• Cities and migration
• Climate and ecosystems
History
We believe that historical context helps students understand how today’s world was shaped, from political systems, to social structures, wars, revolutions, and cultural movements. Learning about events like the World Wars, the British Empire, or the Civil Rights Movement are foundational to understanding modern Britain and the world. By studying diverse peoples, cultures, and experiences, students develop a more empathetic and inclusive worldview. In addition, students learn to analyse sources, evaluate evidence, and recognise bias. History also encourages questioning, and thinking about cause and consequence, change and continuity.
A sample of topics covered:
• The Norman Conquest
• Medieval women
• Elizabeth I
• Decolonisation
Physical Education
We have a firm belief in the importance of PE on the curriculum to provide students with a well-rounded education. This goes beyond just physical fitness, contributing to the mental, social, and emotional development of the students. Our curriculum encourages an active lifestyle, building students’ motor skills and improving their overall fitness levels.
We emphasise the importance of developing physical and technical sports skills, alongside understanding the benefits of health and wellbeing. We also encourage students to work collaboratively and build their team-working skills, as well as developing their leadership skills.
Topics covered:
• Football skills
• Badminton
• Table Tennis
• Rounders
• Ultimate frisbee
PSHEE
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHEE) at Key Stage 3 is a vital part of our curriculum, designed to support the personal development and wellbeing of all our students. Our PSHEE sessions are discussion-based and provide a safe, supportive space where students can explore important topics such as emotional regulation, confidence building, healthy friendships, and online safety. These sessions encourage open conversation, thoughtful reflection, and the development of essential life skills. Through guided discussions and interactive activities, we aim to empower students to make informed choices, understand themselves and others, and grow into confident, compassionate individuals.
Topics covered:
• Healthy relationships
• Nutrition
• Online safety
• Positive self-talk
• Combatting bullying
Maths
At Key Stage 3, our Maths Department aims to build core skills that give students the confidence and tools to find creative solutions to interesting problems and puzzles.
Mathematicians in the real world work together as a team, and so do our students - building the confidence to ‘have a go’, and not fear failure. Clear communication skills are developed, allowing students to express their ideas and work out problems in a logical manner.
With the support of interactive boards, all students work creatively to develop resilience in finding the most suitable approach to finding the answers to the problems at hand.
Topics covered:
• Pythagoras
• Scatter diagrams
• Nets of shapes
• 3D shapes
• Volumes of prisms
• Circles - circumference and area
Music at Key Stage 3 emphasises participation and collaboration. Students have the chance to create work both personally and collaboratively with their peers, developing communication and teamwork skills. We aim to make Music enjoyable and accessible to all our students.
Studying Music at Key Stage 3 enhances curiosity, leadership and a creative passion in students, along with additional skills across the academic framework. The curriculum helps students develop their Music abilities and prepares them to be confident, considerate and focused learners, in the world of Music and beyond.
Arts Award Explore gives our Key Stage 3 students an opportunity to experience different types of Music and develop their own creativity. Along the way they record what they’ve achieved and enjoyed and share it with others.
As they work through Arts Award Explore, students build their knowledge, creativity and confidence – and gain a recognised qualification in the process. They research a range of genres, artists and works, and make full use of their imagination, creativity, and communication skills, and helping them to develop researching and project management - essential new skills needed for Key Stage 4.
A sample of topics covered:
• Rhythm
• Film Music
• Music Production
• Arts Award Explore
• Graphic Scores
• Video Game Music
Science
Our Science curriculum aims to introduce students to the core areas of Science: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. We equip our students with the knowledge and skills to progress successfully onto their next steps in learning at Key Stage 4, fostering curiosity about the world; how things work, why natural phenomena occur, and how Science impacts everyday life. This curiosity can inspire future study or careers in STEM fields.
At In Toto Ed, students learn how to:
• Plan experiments
• Make observations
• Record and analyse data
• Draw conclusions based on evidence
These inquiry skills are essential not only for Science but for critical thinking in general.
A sample of topics covered:
• Movement
• Digestion
• Cells
• Photosynthesis
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