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The Responsive Curriculum at KGS

At Keith Grammar School, we are proud to offer a Responsive Curriculum—one that adapts to meet the needs, interests, and ambitions of every learner. Underpinned by Education Scotland’s national guidance & policy, our curriculum is designed to help all young people become Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens, and Effective Contributors.

We believe that every pupil deserves the chance to thrive, and our curriculum reflects this. It is built around four key areas:

  1. Responding to Our Pupils' Learning Needs
    We put pupils at the heart of our planning. By using data and pupil feedback, we offer flexible and personalised learning experiences. Support is in place for those who need it, and we encourage high standards for all through high-quality teaching, adaptive approaches, and professional development for staff.

  2. Responding to Our Learners' Health & Wellbeing Needs
    Health and wellbeing are essential for learning. We support this through a strong PSE (Personal and Social Education) curriculum, pupil voice opportunities, mental health support, and partnerships with parents and the wider community.

  3. Responding to the Changing World of Our Learners
    We help our young people make sense of the world by offering learning that connects across subjects and reflects real-life issues. From sustainability and equality to digital literacy and global citizenship, our curriculum helps pupils become responsible, informed citizens.

  4. Responding to the Needs of Employers
    We prepare learners for life beyond school with skills for learning, life, and work. Our curriculum links directly with local and national job markets, and we work closely with employers to provide work experience, apprenticeships, and career education.

Our curriculum is underpinned by a strong school ethos and values: Ambition, Excellence, Respect, and Success. We create opportunities for every learner to succeed and feel proud of their achievements—whether academic, personal, or social.

By working in partnership with pupils, families, and the wider community, we ensure that our curriculum remains dynamic, inclusive, and forward-thinking.

The Curriculum Structure

At Keith Grammar School, our school week is delivered over 33 periods in the week. The number of periods allocated to subjects in the curriculum varies depending on which year of school your child is in, and also which level of course they are studying if they are a senior pupil. 

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S1 & S2 (Broad General Education)

Pupils in S1 & S2 are in the Broad General Education phase of the school curriculum. This means that they experience a wide range of experiences and outcomes across a variety of subject areas, all of which are mandatory. This ensures that pupils gain the skills and knowledge required to be able to access more challenging courses, qualifications and pathways when they become senior pupils. This also allows pupils to get a better idea of what interests them and where their strengths lie before having to refine their curriculum to make course choices in the Senior Phase. 

All pupils in S1 & S2 receive four periods of English and Four periods of Maths. In addition, they have one dedicated period per week allocated to both Literacy and Numeracy. The rest of the school week is distributed across other subject areas whilst ensuring that pupils also receive their national entitlements to Physical Education, Personal & Social Education and Modern Languages. 

S3 (Broad General Education)

In S3, pupils are still in the Broad General Education Phase of the curriculum, but are given the opportunity to refine their curriculum before choosing subjects for qualifications in S4. This offers pupils more personalisation and choice in their curriculum, whilst also ensuring that they maintain a breadth of experiences and outcomes. 

Pupils in S3 continue with Maths or Applications of Maths (as advised by their subject teacher), as well as English and at least one Modern Language. Pupils also continue to receive dedicated periods of Literacy & Numeracy, Physical Education and Personal & Social Education (including Religious & Moral Education). This ensures that pupils receive all of their national entitlements in the curriculum. 

The remaining 16 periods are allocated as follows:

  • One period per week dedicated to Wider Achievement (including Inter-Disciplinary Learning)
  • Five subjects of the pupils' choosing that receive three periods per week each; totalling 15 periods. Pupils are guided through the subject choices process to ensure that their five subject choices still provide breadth of experience, whilst refining their curriculum to link to their strengths and chosen career pathways

S4, S5 & S6 (The Senior Phase)

Pupils in S4-S6 are in the Senior Phase of the Curriculum, where pupils complete qualifications and prepare for life beyond school, regardless of their desired pathway. The Senior phase curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils are able to access qualifications that are suited to their needs and that also provide the skills and knowledge that pupils will need to progress to Work, Training, Further education or Higher Education. Depending on your child's age, they can choose to leave school at any of the following exit points:

  • End of S4
  • Christmas of S5
  • End of S5
  • End of S6

Pupils in S4 (and some in S5, depending on what level of qualification they are sitting) choose seven subjects that they will complete qualifications in. These qualifications can be at SCQF levels 3-5 (e.g. National 3, 4 and 5). Pupils receive four teaching periods per week for each subject, as well as core periods of Physical Education, Personal & Social Education and Literacy & Numeracy).

English and Maths or Applications of Maths are mandatory choices. The remaining five choices are free choices for pupils, although support and guidance is given to ensure that pupils choose subjects that allow them to maximise their attainment and are linked to their chosen pathway beyond school.

Pupils can also choose to attend courses taught at UHI Moray for one day per week. This widens the offer of courses avialble to pupils. We strongly advise that pupils choose UHi Moray courses if they intend this to be their last year at school as it provides a good stepping-stone to Further Education beyond school.

Pupils in S5 & S6 choose five subjects that they will complete qualifications in. These qualification are at SCQF Level 6 & 7 (e.g. Higher & Advanced Higher, Foundation Apprenticeships or National Progression Awards). Pupils receive six teaching perods per week for each subject as well as core periods of Physical Education and Personal & Social Education. 

As we have a responsive curriculum, the qualifications offered each year will change to suit the needs and abilities of the pupils in each cohort. As we are a smaller sized secondary school, it is important that we vary our offer to suit pupils' needs, as we cannot offer every combination of subjects every year due to the number if staff allocated to the school. We also work closely with partner schools to seek out Consortia arrangements for individual pupils if we are unable to deliver certain qualifications in any given year.

More information about which subjects are offered in our Senior Phase can be found each year in the Course Choice page on our website.