Key Stage 4

Intent

At East Barnet School, we aim to give students an inspiring and engaging experience. Our curriculum is broad, balanced, ambitious, inclusive and relevant for the 21st century. We encourage, support and develop students to become life-long independent learners, whose emotional health and wellbeing, along with their academic and intellectual potential, will flourish. We develop the whole person by building their character with strong leadership skills, values and instilling our culture of “I want to learn” and “do the right thing”. Students develop values like community, respect, kindness, professionalism, integrity and resilience so they can make a positive contribution to our local and global community.

Implementation

Students study a bespoke Key Stage 3 programme which works alongside the National Curriculum so they can develop a full understanding of both core and foundation subjects before choosing their GCSEs when they are better informed and more mature to narrow their focus. All students study Expressive Arts, Design and Technology and a minimum of one language alongside our core subjects. As a growth mindset school and through stretch and challenge and careful sequencing and mapping of the curriculum, we build on previous skills and knowledge and are able to inspire all students and develop their resilience.

We provide opportunities for students to extend their learning outside of the formal curriculum, including enrichment activities such as, Sports Leaders, Drama, Art, Design and Technology and Orchestra clubs. Through our assemblies, PSHEE and Triple E curriculum we equip students with the skills and knowledge that allow them to make positive choices and contributions to society through teaching subjects like Sex and Relationship Education, Citizenship, Human Rights and Government and Democracy. To ensure breadth and balance in the curriculum at GCSE and to meet the requirements of the EBacc, students will typically be required to study a Modern Foreign Language and a Humanities subject. We also encourage our students to take one of the many Expressive Arts, Design and Technology, Social Sciences or Computing courses on offer. At A-Level, students have many challenging subjects to choose from including Design Engineering, Fashion and Textiles, Politics, Photography and Cambridge Technical level Business courses. Through educational research and Continuing Professional Development staff are continually improving in many areas such as their lesson delivery and behaviour management.

Impact

Students successfully transition and achieve well at each Key Stage. At the end of Key Stage 3 a high percentage of students make good or better than expected progress. Our GCSE results showcased 56% of our students entered made Level 5 or above progress in Maths and English compared to a national average of 43%. Additionally, all EBacc subjects made a positive Progress 8 score. Our Key Stage 4 students on average achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50.96 compared to a national average of 46.5, whilst 73.5% of all grades awarded were level 9 to 4 and 24% of all grades awarded were level 9 to 7. 95% of our students stay in education for at least two terms after Key Stage 4. At A-Level, students’ achievements are in the top 10% of schools nationally (ALPS 2) and the best state school in the Borough of Barnet for progress at A-Level. Through our vast offer we demonstrate the majority of our students taking part in our enrichment offer including extra-curricular activities, concerts, school shows, trips and visits. All of our Sixth Form students take part in our leadership programme and a large proportion of all our Key Stage 3 and 4 students participate as well. Through kindness and positivity students are happy to come to school which was evident from a recent student survey. Our students are polite, kind, charming and confident leaders when they leave our care.