Our Curriculum
The philosophy behind our curriculum can be summed up as the desire for a rigorous, knowledge-rich education for all.
Our schools teach an age-aligned, well sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum that incorporates the best and most important work in the humanities and the sciences. Our aim is that when our pupils complete their education, each and every one will understand the world they live in and have the confidence to participate fully in society. We aim for all our pupils to continue their learning when they leave our schools, at an outstanding university or further education institute such as an art or music college, or on a world class degree apprenticeship programme.
Primary School Curriculum
EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
The Knowledge Schools Trust has developed two specific programmes for primary aged children.
Primary Knowledge Curriculum (PKC)
The Knowledge Schools Trust’s Primary Knowledge Curriculum is firmly embedded in all of our primary schools. It is a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum which aims to inspire pupils and promote excellent outcomes for all.
The curriculum content has been carefully chosen by subject experts and is organised in a coherent way, ensuring children can build on their knowledge from year to year. In this way, the knowledge in the curriculum is cumulative, constructing firm foundations from which children can progress and develop deeper conceptual understanding and subject-specific skills over time.
Curriculum coherence ensures that teaching does not jump from topic to topic, but enables children to develop knowledge over time, as well as a love of subjects. Subject content is crucial to this approach: the rich content of the curriculum inspires children and plants the seeds for a lifetime of learning.
Find out more about the Primary Knowledge Curriculum here.
Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS)
ELS is a systematic synthetic phonics programme to help teach early reading. ELS has been developed in conjunction with Oxford University Press.
ELS draws on the latest research and understanding about how children learn to read, how we ensure that this stays in their long-term memory and how to get the best outcomes for all learners. ELS draws on the excellent practice within KST’s own schools as well as teachers we have worked with in other schools across the country.
Find out more about the Essential Letters & Sounds here.
Secondary School Curriculum
Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9)
For the first three years at the school, pupils will follow a broad and challenging academic programme that closely follows and goes beyond the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum. Alongside English, Maths and the Sciences, every Year 7 pupil will study Latin and ancient history during classics lessons. History lessons focus on the events that have shaped the British Isles and the wider world, delivered in chronological order from the Anglo-Saxons to the 20th century. In Geography lessons, pupils focus on the processes that shape the natural world, while Divinity teaches the origins and beliefs of the world’s main faiths. All pupils will have the opportunity to study a modern language (either French or Spanish), develop their creative flair in Art and Music and enjoy a healthy competitiveness in games and PE. Our Maths and Science curriculums lay a firm foundation for study through to CGSE and A level.
Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)
Every pupil in Year 10 and 11 will study the core set of subjects that underpin a rich understanding of the world: English Language and Literature, Mathematics and Science (the last of which is worth either two or three GCSEs, depending on the depth of study). Most pupils will also study at least one ancient or modern foreign language plus History or Geography. Further GCSE options include Art, Classical Civilisation, Music, Divinity and PE.
Key Stage 5 (Year 12-13)
We offer a wide range of rigorous academic A levels that build on our Key Stage 3&4 programmes and are designed to stretch and develop our pupils. In addition we offer the Extended Project Qualification and extensive preparation for post-18 applications to the best institutions and courses.
Entry to our Sixth Forms are selective and dependent on attainment at GCSE level. Full entry requirements are set out in the Sixth Form prospectus available here.