The Charles Dickens School

• King Ethelbert School
• St George's Church of England Foundation School
• Ursuline College, Westgate-on-Sea
• The Charles Dickens School
• Hartsdown Academy
• The Royal Harbour Academy
• Park Crescent Academy (opening soon)

The school has decided that Key Stage 3 in 2020 contains years 7, 8 .

There are 3 learning pathways, that offer appropriate level courses for all students:

1. The English Baccalaureate (EBacc), “Grammar Stream” pathway. These are the only students to be offered a language- and thus the only students that will be eligible for Progress 8.
2. The “Main” pathway
3. The “Secondary Ready” pathway that does additional work on supporting numeracy and literacy

""It is important that every student follows the most appropriate learning pathway that meets their needs and reflects their prior attainment and progress to date. The learning pathway should provide sufficient pace and challenge to learning and reflect the student's individual interest, talents and academic ability. All pathways provide each student with a broad and balanced curriculum at an appropriate pace and pitch of learning to ensure all students make expected or more than expected progress at KS3."[13]

The three level approach is continued, the pathways are now called the EBacc, the main and the technical. Every student follows the most appropriate learning pathway that meets their needs in KS5 and in the future and reflects their prior attainment and progress to date. The learning pathway should provide sufficient pace and challenge to learning and reflect the student's individual interest, talents and academic ability, naturally the final programme of study chosen needs to be broad, balanced, relevant and enjoyable. It also meets the statutory requirements and adds to the school performance measures. [14]

To achieve an EBacc, students must gain a GSCE grade 9-5 in six subjects, a modern foreign language- in this case Spanish, the core subjects of Maths, English Language, two science, one of which may be computing and then history or geography which are referred to as a humanity. The EBacc pathway also studies English Literature, and two other academic or vocational subjects.[14] The main pathway studies a core of mathematics, English Language and Literature, combined Science (two GCSEs), and one subject from Geography or History. They study 3 additional options.[14] The technical pathway study a core of mathematics, English Language and Literature, combined Science (two GCSEs) with 3 options, and additional mathematics and English.[14]