KEY STAGE 2
(Years 3–6 | Ages 7–11)
Key Stage 2 at Park House English School marks a time of tremendous growth, academically, socially, and personally, as children begin to take greater ownership of their learning and develop the confidence and skills that will support them in the years ahead.
This stage includes four year groups:
- Year 3 (ages 7–8)
- Year 4 (ages 8–9)
- Year 5 (ages 9–10)
- Year 6 (ages 10–11)
Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to provide a rich, broad, and engaging learning experience that supports every child’s development. With the National Curriculum for England at its heart, we adapt our teaching to reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our international student community. Learning is enquiry-led, purposeful, and tailored to individual needs—creating a stimulating environment where children feel secure, motivated, and excited to learn.
At Park House, our teaching in Key Stage 2 focuses on:
- Creating a safe and supportive environment where students feel confident to take risks and learn from mistakes
- Encouraging growth in all areas: academic, emotional, physical, creative, and social
- Embedding our PRiDE values – Perseverance, Responsibility, Independence, Dedication, and Engagement – into everyday learning
- Fostering independence and responsibility as children prepare for the transition to secondary school
- Building on prior knowledge and helping students make meaningful connections across subjects
We offer a wide range of subjects, all of which are given equal importance. In addition to the main curriculum areas, students benefit from specialist teaching in:
- Physical Education (PE) & Swimming
- Music
- Modern Foreign Languages – Spanish or Arabic in Year 3, and French or Arabic in Years 4–6
- Arabic
- Islamic Studies – for all Muslim students
- Qatar History – taught to all students
These specialist lessons enhance the learning experience and allow students to explore talents and interests beyond the classroom. A wide variety of extra-curricular activities further enriches school life, encouraging students to develop new passions, strengthen friendships, and grow in confidence.
Children in KS2 use Squirrel Finance, a web‑based platform, that helps them learn real‑world money skills; like budgeting, saving, and managing an online bank.
We value strong partnerships with parents and believe that collaboration between home and school is key to student success. Throughout Key Stage 2, we keep communication open and proactive through regular parent meetings, email updates, and individual appointments when needed. This ensures that together, we can support every child’s journey and celebrate their progress.
Key Stage 2 at Park House is not just about preparing for the next academic step, it’s about developing well-rounded, independent learners who are proud of who they are and excited about where they’re going.
We also ensure that the curriculum is carefully planned to reflect what is relevant to the backgrounds and experiences of our international student body. With the National Curriculum of England at its core, our enquiry-based approach to delivering the curriculum incorporates the Learning Goals of the International Primary Curriculum and is designed to allow students to fulfil their potential and face the future with confidence. Physical Education, Music, Computing, Spanish/Arabic in Year 3 and French/Arabic in Years 4, 5 and 6 are all taught by specialist teachers. We also provide Islamic studies for all Muslim students and Qatar History is taught to all students. Extra-curricular activities extend the learning and development opportunities for students even further.
We actively encourage parents to be involved in their child’s education. Throughout this Key Stage, there is an emphasis on teachers and parents working in partnership to address the individual needs of each child. Regular meetings, email communication and, where needed, requested appointments allow parents to discuss with teachers any issue which may impact their child’s learning.
Key Stage 2 Curriculum and Information
The transition from KS1 to KS2 can be a big step for children.
In addition to the physical move ‘upstairs’, there are a number of new skills that children need to master in KS2. They are expected to take responsibility for organising themselves and to work more independently as well as to become problem solvers and to work through difficult tasks. The children tend to embrace these challenges and feel incredibly proud of themselves by the end of Year 3.
During the children’s second year of Key Stage 2, increasing their independence and confidence in what they can achieve at school are the most important aspects that we focus on improving. They need to make decisions on how to present their work, how and when to complete homework, and how to achieve their best; understanding that mistakes can actually be a bridge to new learning. Children often ask questions, which is encouraged in all stages. However, there will be more focus, in Year 4, on them thinking for themselves and being exposed to higher order questioning within the lessons. This will require higher cognitive demand from the children, and thus prepare them for their last two years of Key Stage 2.
In Year 5, children are beginning to reach the final stages of their primary school journey. We aim to help our students develop the confidence and skills they will require as they move into Year 6 and eventually, KS3. Our goal is to encourage strong, independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning. We look to provide a challenging and stimulating classroom environment that encourages the children to show initiative, realise their potential, share ideas and become lifelong learners while building positive personal and social traits.
The final year of primary school is an exciting year for our children.
Year 6 are the oldest pupils in the primary school, and we expect them to act as role models to the rest of the school, always demonstrating the PRiDE values. We celebrate perseverance, resilience and risk taking, ensuring the children welcome challenges they meet and are not afraid to make mistakes. Opportunities for student leader roles are integrated into daily teaching and are developed outside the classroom in specialist lessons and themed days.
Throughout the year we work with the secondary school to support the children through a smooth transition. We support and prepare the children to successfully adapt to the diverse Key Stage 3 learning environment.
