Curriculum Statement

Our deep, broad and balanced curriculum with extensive extracurricular opportunities has been designed to develop knowledgeable, confident and articulate young people who have the character to impress and compete.  The curriculum places a high emphasis on literacy, numeracy and creativity across all areas of study and values hard work, kindness and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Principles:

• Excellent teaching delivered by teachers with a deep knowledge of their subject.
• High expectations at all times and a belief that all students can meet those expectations.
• A strong focus on academic achievement and qualifications.
• Appropriate and bespoke support for students on the SEND and EMA registers.
• An emphasis on the development of Oracy and Articulacy across all areas of the curriculum.
• An opportunity for all to study classical subjects accessing the cultural capital this provides.
• Develop students’ key skills of teamwork, leadership, listening, presenting, creativity and problem-solving across the curriculum.
• A large and vibrant extracurricular offer which provides a huge range of opportunities developing the character and personal well-being of students.
• Using the latest technologies as teaching tools to enhance the learning experience for the student both at school and when they are learning at home.
• A flexible curriculum which allows students to follow their talent and interests as well as providing extra support and challenge.

Curriculum Design

• A broad and experiential KS3 curriculum (Science, Maths, English, Art, Classics Latin and Oracy, Citizenship, Computer Studies, Drama, French, Food, Geography, History,  Music, Resistant Materials, Physical Education, Philosophy and Religious Education, Spanish, and Textiles) which stimulates students’ curiosity and allows them to discover their passion and talent.
• A wide range of GCSE and Vocational options delivered over a 3 year KS4, to enable students to develop the deep understanding needed to be successful in GCSE examinations and beyond.   As well as allowing the time for truly academically enriching activities, students have the opportunity to choose the subjects for which they have a passion, not limited by predefined subject combinations.  Starting in Year 9 enables students a term to review their choices and make changes where appropriate.
• Coordination between subjects so that students have rich opportunities to draw on knowledge and skills from across the curriculum within each subject.
• At KS3 and 4 a wide range of timetabled support lessons (study enrichment, study plus and the stretch curriculum) are used flexibly to support students with particular needs to access the curriculum and challenge the students to achieve their full potential.
• Close relationships built with providers of alternative provision means we can continue to meet the needs of students who require a significantly differentiated curriculum or support to that which we can offer on site. Where the school feels it is in the best interests of the student, the school will implement this provision at KS3 or 4.
• A 6th Form that offers the widest possible range of A-level courses including all the facilitating subjects, so that students can specialise in the areas which interest them.
• A two year curriculum plan at KS5 to allow time for students to develop a deep knowledge of their chosen subjects.
• Baseline data and a personal knowledge of the student used to produce lessons that will stimulate and engage them enabling students across the academic spectrum to be challenged and stretched.
• Assessment strategically planned into schemes of work enabling teachers to give high quality feedback to students and parents and using the student/parent/school partnership to support the development of the student.
• Curriculum time is used in all key stages to deliver Citizenship, PSHE and Philosophy and Religious education to develop students with modern British values which are further developed through every area of the curriculum and in all aspects of school life.
• A huge extracurricular offer including Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise, Peripatetic music lessons, Jack Petchey speak out challenge, UKMT challenge, GCSEs in Ancient Greek, Astronomy and Dance, Orchestra, music groups, sporting clubs and teams, large whole school drama productions and visits within and outside of the school day.
• Students encouraged to be truly independent learners. They have access to the library, IT rooms, Sport and Arts facilities at the beginning and end of the normal school day as well as learning resources in our highly developed virtual learning environment.

The curriculum is regularly evaluated in order to ensure that it meets the needs of our learners’ development.