AN INTRODUCTION TO KEY STAGE 3,
FROM PASTORAL CO-ORDINATOR, MISS P. NICHOLAS

Key Stage 3 refers to the first three years of Secondary education; the pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Pupils arrive from Primary school having completed their Key Stage 2 SATs at the end of Year 6. The transition to Secondary school can be difficult, but at Priesthorpe we try to do as much as possible to ensure that pupils move smoothly and securely from one important phase of their education to the next.

Their first contact with our school may have been during a visit to our Open Evening, usually held in mid-October. On this occasion, there is an opportunity to walk round the whole school, listen to a presentation from members of the Senior Management Team, see staff and pupils working together to demonstrate the extent and variety of the learning processes which take place here, but above all, to get a sense of the friendly, welcoming atmosphere of the school and its inhabitants, which so many visitors comment on, as being one of the most striking aspects of Priesthorpe School. We hope that after this visit, potential pupils will have a sense of enthusiasm and pleasurable anticipation at the thought of attending this particular school from Year 7.

Once choices have been made, the New Parents' Evening and the Induction Day for pupils are held towards the end of the Summer Term. At the Parents' Evening, there is a chance to hear about the aims and expectations of the school, as well as to find out about practical considerations such as uniform, equipment and lunchtime arrangements. There is a chance to meet senior staff, including the Head Teacher and Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator, as well as the Head of Year and, wherever possible, Form Tutors.

On the Induction Day, pupils who will be attending Priesthorpe from the following September, come here to spend the day. They meet their Head of Year, whom they may have already encountered on one of his or her preliminary visits to Primary Schools, and, sometimes, their new Form Tutors. They participate in activities which give them the opportunity to find their way around the building, experience some of the subjects, new and familiar, which they will meet at their new school, go through the process of having lunch and get a sense of the much larger scale of a thriving Secondary School.

Although the first day at a new school will always bring with it a combination of nerves and excitement, we do our best to ensure that the latter always wins out. Year 7 pupils usually come into school as part of a phased restart, so that they are not immediately overwhelmed by the number and size of the whole of the rest of the school. They spend time with their new form and tutor, ensuring that they know where they need to be and how things will work in these first, important days. This is the beginning of a stable and consistent relationship, which will last, as far as possible, throughout the five years of their Key Stage 4 and 5 experience. Groups stay together, with the same Head of Year, who moves up the school as they do, and with the same tutor so that relationships, once established, can grow and flourish. A tutor can get to know the boys and girls in his or her form in a way which allows a sensitive and insightful response to any problems which might arise, as well as fostering mutual understanding and trust. This sustained relationship can facilitate communication, not only between tutors and pupils, but between tutors and parents too.

These first three years are vital in establishing a sound base from which pupils can launch themselves into GCSE courses with the optimum potential for success. In Year 7, the emphasis is on settling in, making a sound start, both academically and socially, and adapting to the extensive demands of a different way of working. In Year 8, we want pupils to consolidate and progress from what they have achieved in Year 7. In Year 9, GCSE course choice and Key Stage 3 SATs have to be successfully negotiated to ensure the best possible start to Key Stage 4. To see what has impressed our pupils in each of the Key Stage 3 Year groups, read what they have to say on the Year 7. 8 and 9 pages. As the year progresses, we hope to keep these pages updated with news of the activities, achievements and events in each Year Group.