We are ambitious for all our students. We believe that everyone should have equal access to the knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to make an exceptional contribution to the world we share. We deliver a knowledge-rich curriculum, which is of high-value to the individual and the community we serve.
Our aims:
- The curriculum offered to all students matches and exceeds the expectations laid out in the National Curriculum. Students study a broad and balanced range of subjects during Key Stage 3 and continue to learn in different areas once qualifications choices have been made.
- Our belief in a knowledge-rich curriculum underpins both our long and medium-term planning. The curriculum furnishes students with the specialist knowledge needed to be successful in examinations and the depth of knowledge to allow them to have a full and deep understanding of the subjects studied. The balance of procedural, disciplinary, and substantive knowledge will be subject-specific. The curriculum is sequenced in a way to help students remember specialist knowledge and apply skills in context. Metacognition helps our students know and remember more.
- Curriculum planning includes opportunities for low-stakes testing, retrieval practice and revisiting topics and themes through carefully planned interleaving and sequencing of topics.
- As students’ progress through our school, the curriculum will support their wider development and build their cultural capital through extra-curricular opportunities and events which enhance students’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.
- We ensure that all our students are equipped to make informed choices about their future through explicit PHSE provision. Our preventative curriculum is continuously under review, responding to local and national safeguarding trends.
- Literacy is a key part of the curriculum offer. There are set times for reading across the school to ensure our students are exposed to a wide range of texts. All students have access to reading material to instil a love of reading.
- A high-quality careers programme sits at the heart of preparing students for the world of work. We have a specialist Careers Advisor to enhance the careers education they receive to fully prepare them for their next step in education, employment, and training.
- The curriculum ensures that any potential equality issues are mitigated against by:
- Training of staff and sharing information about students who have additional needs so that they benefit from quality-first teaching, tailored interventions when necessary, and use of technology where available.
- Investment in high-quality subject specialists to ensure our students are exposed to the best teachers and support staff. This approach is fundamental to increasing the outcomes for disadvantaged students.
- High-quality professional development ensures staff benefit from subject improvement teams. The curriculum and professional development resource bank, crafted by the central team, supports all staff in implementing the curriculum in their school.
- We review and evaluate the curriculum annually to ensure it is adjusted and where needed improved, for different cohorts and a changing educational and employment landscape.
