Information guides for parents

At Key Stage Three students complete three curriculum cycles in each year. At the end of each curriculum cycle they complete two short assessments, looking at their recall of what they have been taught in the cycle and their application of skills they have learnt. These assessments build up as they progress through Key Stage.

In school students are supported to prepare for these assessments in their lessons, and are all given a Knowledge Organiser that details all of the information that they need to learn. Students use these in class, and in form times are shown different methods to revise that they can use at home.

Click here to access all Knowledge Organisers. Below are some video guides on how to use your Knowledge Organiser to revise for each year group.

Year 7
Year 8
Year 9 

Reading Homework Project

What is the ‘Reading Project’?

The Reading homework project is an initiative designed to help students in years 7, 8 and 9 understand why reading widely about their school subjects is so important and provide high quality reading material directly related to the topics they are currently learning about at Fullhurst. Students will be provided with a fortnightly booklet containing around six different exciting articles, stories or extracts from a range of different sources to help spark an interest and deepen their knowledge of the curriculum. The reading tasks are accompanied by note taking tasks to develop the skills needed to achieve at GCSE, as well as creative optional tasks which give students the ability to further develop their scholarship in a unique way.

Why is reading so important?

At Fullhurst we pride ourselves on ensuring that every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. The ability to engage with texts is vital in ensuring this potential. A vast array of research into the benefits of reading has found that the more a student reads, the better they develop in a range of areas, not only academically, but socially and emotionally. The impact if reading on achievement at GCSE is well documented, with studies showing a direct link between reading at home and GCSE results. Other benefits include a better vocabulary, and cognitive ability which helps students to socialise better and is linked to increased prospects in later life.

Reading in Lessons

Teachers at Fullhurst will frequently refer to the homework project and use the resources in lessons to supplement the learning along with providing many different reading activities to further enhance the students abilities to understand and engage with a range of increasingly complex texts and subject matter. Students will also be supported in this way in form where their form tutors will support both the reading homework project and supply other reading activities.

How can I support my child?

• Encourage your child to discuss the articles and stories they are reading about with you.
• Encourage use of local facilities such as the library.
• Encourage wider reading and research around topics being studied in lessons or in the homework booklets.
• If your child struggles with reading, try reading the articles to them and discussing the content and what they could write in notes section.

I really enjoyed the article on England’s women’s football team, I hope one day I will be able to be as inspirational as Steph Houghton. Year 8 student

The booklets always have different things to read in them, I liked reading the poem this week, and completing the creative task to write my own poem. My tutor thought it was amazing and gave me achievement points.  Year 8 student

KS3 student Learning Materials here