Student Engagement
Opportunities for students to experience achievement and choice are maximised and promoted across our five year secondary curriculum. Effort and success are recognised and encouraged. Students become motivated and engaged by their improving subject fluency and achievement and their right to choose how to deepen their studies as they progress across key stages. Advice and guidance underpin our curriculum modelling ensuring our students have regular points of discussion with senior leaders and parents/ carers about their study choices, changing interests and developing aspirations.
We provide points of flexibility and personalisation within our broad and balanced offer to enhance student engagement and success. At Level 1 and Level 2 (including GCSE) every subject / qualification is open to every student. There are no pathways that prevent students from studying certain subject combinations. We build our timetables around our students’ choices removing the restriction of option blocks to create greater freedom for students to deepen their selected study. Level 2 courses are all studied across 2 years (see curriculum model).
Curriculum Planning
We foster an appreciation of the importance of all individual subjects highlighting links and connections to other subjects studied. Each subject provides a narrative or journey of study detailing the what, why and how of its content and assessment. Subject delivery is collaboratively planned by our expert subject directors and department teams. Content is mapped to the National Curriculum and for older students mapped to examination specifications etc. Our schemes of work are structured to build subject knowledge and skills, revisiting and recapping information to enhance recall and help all students to learn well. In lessons teachers share with students what they are learning, how it will be learned and why it is important. We believe knowledge is powerful when remembered as it enhances our students’ understanding and application of subject specific and transferable skills. Our curriculum prioritises strong literacy and numeracy skills as all students require these core skills to achieve. We operate a knowledge engaged curriculum approach believing subject knowledge supports and strengthens the application of subject skills.