Academic Matters

Lessons

Lessons are 50 minutes long and are taught by subject specialists. Initially, all lessons are taught in form groups, although there is some setting for certain subjects, as discussed below.

Students are issued with a paper copy of their timetable on the first day of the Autumn term, which is also available online for both parents and students to view from their My School Portal homepage. We recommend that they keep a copy in their school bag and a copy to display at home. We appreciate your support in ensuring that they have the correct books and equipment each day.

Setting

During the Spring term, First Year students are put into sets for Mathematics, allowing them to learn at a pace appropriate to their ability. The sets follow similar paths through the syllabus, enabling students to change from one set to another, if and when deemed advantageous to their learning. Setting is also introduced for science subjects at GCSE. The practicalities of this will be explained to you as the appropriate time approaches.

Academic options

In the First Year, students study English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Religion & Philosophy, Latin, Music, Art, Design & Technology, Information Technology, Drama, PSHE and two Modern Foreign Languages. Students are asked to narrow down their range of options slightly as they move into the Third Year and final GCSE option choices are made ahead of moving into the Fourth Year.

Homework

Homework is an integral part of the process of learning, reinforcing and developing the work done at school. It encourages students to develop the practice of independent study and allows teachers to make best use of contact time in the classroom. Homework is set electronically on Microsoft Teams which can be accessed on any internet-enabled device. Parents will be able to view all homework assignments in My School Portal.

In general, students receive homework in two or three subjects per night and these should take about 30 minutes per subject. Homework is never due to be submitted the following day.  If your child is doing significantly more or less than this, please let us know.

Contrary to what some students would argue, homework is not always best completed in the bedroom but should be done in a more public area of the home. This means that there should not be too many distractions such as the TV, mobiles or siblings.  Every home will, of course, be different. The presence of other people, however, should encourage students to avoid distractions of their own making. The presence of parents also allows a sensible degree of supervision and makes parental input and involvement in checking the homework schedule slightly easier. A set routine, where the homework subjects have a fixed start and end time each evening, is also a good idea. This will allow students to plan their evenings and to enjoy some downtime whilst enabling you to insist that your son or daughter settles down to work at a time that they have nominated.

Here is an example of a First Year homework timetable for students. Lesson timetables vary by form group and the homework timetables will reflect this.

• Languages are not taught in teaching groups; homework will be set on the day agreed with the class teacher.
• Design & Technology is taught in half sets and each half is allocated homework on the day indicated with DT 1 or DT 2.
• Art is taught in half sets with each half being allocated homework on the day indicated with Art 1 or Art 2.
• Drama set one homework per half term; it is not present on the timetable above.

Late homework policy

If your child, for any reason, is unable to complete their homework on time, they will receive an email instructing them to either submit the work to Reception, or submit the work electronically by 8.30am the following morning. If your child does not submit the homework by this time, they will be required to complete the work in a lunchtime work clinic. All communications to the student about this policy will be made by email so we ask that these are checked on a regular basis. You will also be kept informed of this process by email notification.

Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education (PSHE)

Here at KGS, we place great importance on the whole child.  Our pastoral programme has a high profile at school and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) consists of regular timetabled lessons. Our curriculum follows the statutory guidance from the DfE and covers a wide range of topics which give them the tools to manage life both inside and outside of school.   

We have an active pastoral forum for each year group where we listen to our student voice about pastoral matters and that information feeds directly into our programme. We are proud of the relationships we build with our students and the programme that we have established to ensure that they really can ‘Work Well and Be Happy’.

Autumn term:  

In the first half term we look at our democracy and the work of parliament and the government as well as the importance of the Equality Act in tackling discrimination. In the second half term we look at being a good citizen with a focus on the fundamental British values and consider the value of volunteering. We also practise some basic First Aid skills.  

Spring term: 

Our first half term builds on a programme shared with English and History called ‘This is Me’ where we celebrate diversity and challenge stereotypes. We also discuss gender identity and sexual orientation. In the second half  term, we look at managing change, consider healthy and unhealthy relationships, discuss how to manage conflict and then look at consent as well as cyberbullying. 

Summer term:  

We discuss how to keep a healthy body and mind through healthy eating, sleep, and exercise while also considering personal hygiene. We consider various ways of relieving stress by learning new skills such as mindfulness, yoga, cooking, gardening and sign language.  

We have an active pastoral forum for each year group where we listen to our student voice about pastoral matters and that information feeds directly into our programme. We are proud of the relationships we build with our students, and the programme that we have established helps ensure that they really can ‘Work Well and Be Happy’.  

Reports and Grade Cards

Students will receive one full report every academic year, as well as one or more Grade Cards which indicates their progress and achievement at the end of each term.  A full schedule of dates will be published on My School Portal at the beginning of the Autumn term.

Parent Consultation Evenings

There will be at least one Parent Consultation evening (PCE) each academic year at which you will meet your child’s subject teachers to discuss their progress. There will be a First Year Welcome Evening, with just your child’s Form Tutor in the Autumn term.  All other PCEs are currently held online.  A full schedule of dates will be published on My School Portal at the beginning of the Autumn term.

Examinations

School examinations for First Year students are held immediately after the Summer half term. These allow us to measure each child’s progress against the rest of the year group and are also an important opportunity to teach the revision and time management skills that students need for public examinations. As the examinations approach, Form Tutors and subject teachers will work with students to prepare them. Revision timetables are also built into the curriculum. 

Learning support

As students progress through the school, any concerns about specific learning difficulties are referred to the Learning Support Department. These concerns may come from teachers and/or parents or students themselves. If your child has had an assessment by an Educational Psychologist or a specialist teacher, please ensure that a copy is sent to [email protected] before they join us and include evidence of any exam access arrangements granted by your child's current school as their normal way of working. During the Summer term of the Third Year, each child completes an online screener to identify specific strengths and areas of development ahead of their GCSEs.  

MidYIS tests

In the first two weeks of term, your child will be sitting the online MidYIS assessment, which measures aptitude for learning. We use this baseline data to monitor your child’s academic progress throughout their school career. The feedback we receive from the MidYIS tests gives us an insight into your child’s strengths in different areas and enables us to tailor teaching and learning to individual needs.

The Library

The Library is available to all students as a place to study, revise, research and read for pleasure. Students in the First and Second Year have one Library lesson per fortnight, during which they learn how to make best use of the many resources available. The Librarian provides support for Sixth Form students undertaking the Extended Project Qualification and delivers information literacy lessons for all year groups as and when required. The Library is open from 7.45am until 4.45pm during the school week and many students use it as a quiet place in which to complete homework.