Curriculum
PrinciplesThe aim of the curriculum is to provide breadth, balance, coherence, relevance, differentiation and progression.
- Breadth - To provide the opportunity for the student to gain knowledge, understanding of concepts, and the development of skills and attitudes.
- Balance - Each area will be given appropriate attention both through timetabled provision and through extra curricular activities.
- Coherence - A curriculum planned as a whole, utilising, for example, opportunities to develop skills in areas such as literacy, decision making and ICT, across the curriculum.
- Relevance - A curriculum that builds on prior learning and seeks to promote the skills of independent learning for each student.
- Differentiation -Matching the curriculum to each student's ability to ensure appropriate challenge as the foundation for effective learning.
- Progression - Achieved through ensuring that learning is planned in order to focus on previous experience and with a clear focus on future learning needs. Parents are informed of the progress that each student makes through the school's assessment and report procedures.
The school is committed to a broad based curriculum incorporating most aspects of the National Curriculum although we are able to offer greater breadth of study in some subjects.
SATS exams are taken by KS2 and KS3 at the end of May and GCSE science modules are taken in Nov. March and June. Most GCSE exams are taken at the end of year 11 enabling pupils to gain the highest possible grades in the key subjects. Science, however, may be taken at the of year 9 ( depending on the dynamics of the year group) with chemistry, physics and chemistry then being studied to GCSE in years 10/11.
