Key Stage 3 Curriculum Guide The British International School Bratislava is the only school in Bratislava to produce consistently outstanding academic results and a unique personal enrichment programme with the Highest Quality Learning delivered on a Global Campus. Table of Contents 04 Welcome to the Secondary School 05 The Key Stage 3 Curriculum 06 Criterion-Related Assessment 07 Digital Learning 08 The IB learner profile 09 Subject organization 10 Clubs 11 Subject Pages 11 English 13 English as an Additional Language (EAL) 14 Mathematics 16 Science 18 Physical Education 19 First Language 19 Slovak 24 Korean 30 Slovak as a Second Language, Global Perspectives, P4C and Chinese 32 Global Perspectives 33 Philosophy for Children 33 Chinese 33 World Languages 34 French 35 German 38 Spanish 41 Geography 42 History 44 Information and Communications Technology 47 Art and Design 48 Drama 50 Dance 51 Music 53 Personal Social Health Citizenship Education (PSHCE) KEY STAGE 3 - CURRICULUM GUIDE 3 Welcome to the Secondary School I would like to extend a warm have experience of it or not. lessons. We will make sure welcome to the Secondary Please ask us for clarification they know where to go at every School of The British on anything in this guide, or on point, and they will have friends International School Bratislava Firefly, if it is not clear. We are with them to help them get (BISB), and especially to Key always happy to answer your to the right places at the right Stage 3. These first three years questions. time. of Secondary education are the beginning of an exciting The English National We know that strong and important journey, which Curriculum is divided into partnerships with parents will shape, not only your sections called “Key Stages”. are key to the success of any child’s education but also their If your child is just completing education programme. Only future life choices. Year 6 in the Primary School, by working together can we then they will be completing ensure that your child receives The purpose of this guide is Key Stage 2, which includes the best guidance and support to describe the curriculum Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. (Key Stage during their time in school. We that we offer to your child 1 is Years 1 and 2.) Your child look forward to working with in Years 7, 8 and 9, and to is therefore about to start Key you and your child, and hope provide an overview of the Stage 3. this booklet provides you with learning experiences that they all the information you need to will enjoy here. The guide is a Most children are 11 at the know about our curriculum. reference book to help parents start of Year 7, and 14 by and students understand the end of Year 9 (see our our programmes, and is a Admissions Policy). Key Stage supplement to the information 3 is an important time, as it that registered parents have involves a new start in the access to in Firefly, our online Secondary School. Virtual Learning Environment. In the Secondary School we At BISB, we follow the English will teach students in a way National Curriculum, although that they might find very Mark Hatherell we have adapted it in places to different to their previous Head of Secondary make sure it is right for people experiences. Students will no living in Bratislava, Slovakia. longer have one classroom This guide is intended as a and one teacher. Instead, starting point for families many different teachers – all to become familiar with the experts in their subjects – will English National Curriculum, teach them and they will move and how we interpret it at from one classroom to another BISB, whether they already throughout the day to go to 4 The Key Stage 3 Curriculum In Key Stage 3, students study Primary School. We offer a students study together with a broad and balanced range of choice of German, French or their form group for most of the subjects. We want students to Spanish as World Language time. In this way, all students get to grips with a wide range courses. These are not available experience the same high of subjects, to see what they for first language speakers. degree of challenge in all their are like when you study them Therefore, for example, a first classes, and all students have as separate courses, taught language French speaker could the opportunity to see and can by specialist teachers who are not take a French class and demonstrate what success looks real enthusiasts for their own should be choosing German like. Through our assessment subject area. or Spanish as their World system (see below), we hope to Language choice. instil motivation for learning, In the language programme, reflection and improvement in we offer an element of choice. With the exception of all our students. Most students will have already Languages all subjects are started a language in our taught in mixed groups, so that KEY STAGE 3- CURRICULUM GUIDE 5 Criterion-Related Assessment Assessment in Key Stage 3 is they will work with during that Formative assessment is an based on observations of what year in each subject. Teachers integral part of the learning a student can do and is carried will maintain a record of experience and provides out continually throughout the individual student attainment students with an opportunity to year. Students are not assessed on a regular basis. At 5 points reflect on their learning and to on what they cannot do, but during the year teachers will understand what needs work on what they can successfully report the extent of progress or improvement. Skills and achieve at different stages of made in all subject areas to knowledge are taught through their development. Criterion- parents. Students and parents formative tasks. related assessment is designed can discuss any weaknesses to help the students and their and strengths with each subject Summative assessment is the teachers reflect on what the teacher during student/parent judgement made by the teacher next steps in their learning teacher conferences (SPTC) of the standard of progress should be. and will determine possible reached by each student at learning strategies that will the end of a particular stage of There is no such thing as an enable personal growth in both the programme. A summative average student in Key Stage 3. the immediate and long-term task may be set to judge a Everyone is an individual. future. student’s progress in relation to the objectives of the course At the beginning of each school Assessment is therefore before the reporting period is year, students are given copies formative and summative. completed. of the assessment criteria that The objectives to be assessed in any task are made explicit to the students in the class at the time when the task is set. Feedback on assessment is made available to students either at the time of assessment, or as soon as possible afterwards. Teachers carry out all assessment of students’ work, which will include internal written examinations in many subjects (although not all). The assessment criteria they will use are listed in the subject pages later in this guide. Students are given a copy of the criteria at the beginning of each school year. Criteria are age-specific and describe the expected progress of students as they move from Year 7 to Year 8 and finally on to Year 9. 6 Digital Learning Parents can obtain a copy of all school year. Different classes As a result of introducing the assessment criteria used may also follow a slightly iPads to all students in KS3 in Key Stage 3 by visiting the different schedule simply the learning landscape in the secure online parent portal because of the way the classroom will change. This is in Firefly. This document is timetable works and where the a process that will take time only available to parents of holiday dates fall. for students and staff to get registered BISB students. used to. Some implications of Students also have access to this are that there will be less Parents can also access the Firefly, where they will find need for paper worksheets and subject Programmes of Study more information about each text books and that much of a (POS). A POS provides an assessment. They will also be student’s homework is done outline of the sequence of able to access other resources online and submitted digitally. topics covered in each subject for each topic, ranging At the start of the academic across the school year. The POS from copies of worksheets, year we will be working with also lists approximate dates of homework tasks, PowerPoint students to prepare them for assessments and dates when presentations used in the class, this shift and we will also be reports will go home. The POS and hyperlinks to other online ensuring that students are aware is not a detailed description resources carefully selected of appropriate technology use, of the curriculum, and the by the teacher to enhance the both in and out of school. dates may change at short learning in the classroom and notice because of changes beyond. in circumstances during the KEY STAGE 3- CURRICULUM GUIDE 7 The IB learner profile One aspiration1 we have at in many ways. We collaborate aspects of our lives—intellectual, BISB is for everyone to become effectively, listening carefully physical, and emotional—to internationally minded to the perspectives of other achieve well-being for ourselves people who, recognising their individuals and groups. and others. We recognize our common humanity and shared interdependence with other guardianship of the planet, PRINCIPLED people and with the world in help to create a better and We act with integrity and which we live.