A condensed Key Stage 3: Designing a flexible curriculum

Publication date:

Oct 2004

DCSF ref:

0798-2004

Audience:

Deputy headteacher, Head of school department, Headteacher, Strategy manager, Subject leader

Function:

Guidance, Management resources, School improvement

Format:

Booklet

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The Key Stage 3 National Strategy aims to strengthen teaching methods across the curriculum for all 11–14-year-olds.

The advice is based on early lessons learned from a two year pilot that began in February 2003.

The project builds on the earlier DfES and QCA joint publication. As it is an ongoing work that still undergoes evaluation, the guidance may yet be subject to revisions.

This document describes how to design and timetable a Key Stage 3 curriculum that is relevant to an individual school’s circumstances. Examples are cited throughout.

It also describes the curriculum flexibility available to schools under current legislation and considers how the flexibility can be used to tailor the curriculum to individual schools and classes.

The document outlines the issues a school will need to consider when thinking about a condensed curriculum, such as which pupils, subjects and years should be involved and how any changes will be monitored and evaluated.

The strategy document includes individual case studies of schools which address these issues directly.

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