The school’s Vision of “Developing Ambition and Achieving Excellence for All” is at the heart of the school’s curriculum intent to ensure clarity of purpose for all.
Our curriculum:
1. We have an ambitious curriculum that develops academic resilience and active, independent learners who work towards agreed end points.
2. Our curriculum focuses on providing students with a secure substantive and disciplinary knowledge.
3. The curriculum ensures students develop strong communication skills.
4. All students experience positive personal development through the curriculum.
At Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 the curriculum conforms to the National Curriculum programmes of study and all other statutory requirements. There are clear and diverse pathways through from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.
Our curriculum has been developed to meet the requirements of current national guidelines and our commitment to the provision of a wide range of subjects, including breadth in our modern languages.
We cover the following subjects:
Key Stage 3 (Years 7 – 9):
English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science, Modern Foreign Languages, History, Geography, Computing, Art, Drama, Food Technology, Music, Design Technology, Physical Education, Religious Studies, PSHE, and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education.
Students will study a Key Stage 3 curriculum for three years, with guided choices made at the end of Year 9.
Key Stage 4 Curriculum (Years 10 -11):
As students enter Key Stage 4, we aim to provide a personalised curriculum for them as appropriate, working with external agencies to ensure appropriate course provision. We engage students and parents in decisions regarding their guided choices. All students are entitled to examination entry in their chosen subjects if they have met the basic requirements of attendance and coursework or controlled assessment completion.
The curriculum offered at Key Stage 4 ensures that there are clear progression routes to prepare students for post 16 / higher education and / or the world of work.
Support for students with Special Educational Needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, is provided in class and by specialist staff. Students are provided with opportunities to extend their skills and talents, which includes the provision of additional classes and extension opportunities for more able and talented students, as well as intervention and support provision as required.
Formal assessments of learning are conducted according to our Assessment, Recording and Reporting schedule and targets are shared with students and their parents regularly. Assessments of students’ learning are also made more informally and frequently.
Students select 4 option subjects to study towards GCSE or vocational qualifications. All students study GCSEs in English Language and Literature, Mathematics and Science in Key Stage 4.
We cover the following subjects at Key Stage 4:
English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science, Modern Foreign Languages, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Information Technology, Art, Drama, Product Design, Film Studies, Sport Studies, Music, Statistics, Food & Cookery, RSE, PSHE and SMSC.
Information for Parents
Knowledge organisers are included in all student exercises books for parents and students to access when they take their books home. This details key information and signposts key assessment information as well as potential homework. By following the knowledge organisers parents can support the work being done in the school through further enrichment activities or independent study.
Reports
After each formal assessment point, parents will receive a report with information about their child’s progress and an indication of the end of year or end of qualification grade. Effort is assessed so that parents can see the fullest picture of their child’s progress during the year.