Curriculum Structure and Organisation
The structure of our curriculum and timetable is reviewed annually and agreed by our Governing Body.
We operate a 2 week timetable with 6, 50-minute lessons per day (30 per week and 60 per fortnight).
Most subjects are delivered in double lessons of 1 hour and 40 minutes. This enables teachers to develop the depth of learning and understanding, and also allows practical activities to take place. At Key Stage 3, Languages are taught in single lessons to allow language learning to be spread across the fortnight, which allows students to experience up to 3 languages. Year 7 and 8 have their break and lunch time in the middle of a double lesson.
1.1 Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9) Curriculum Structure
Number of 50-minute periods per subject each fortnight:
|
|
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|
English |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
Maths |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
Science |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
MFL (Languages) |
6 |
6 |
5 |
|
Geography |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
History |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
RE |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
Computer Science |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Technology |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Art |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Music |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Drama |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
PE |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Personal Development (including RSHE and Careers) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
In Technology, students study Product Design, Food, Textiles and Graphics on a rotation basis. All students experience each subject every year.
In MFL, all students study French and Mandarin. Most students also study German. Students opt for one Language in Year 9.
1.2 Key Stage 4 Curriculum Structure
Number of 50-minute periods per subject each fortnight:
|
|
Year 10 |
Year 11 |
|
English |
10 |
10 |
|
Maths |
8 |
8 |
|
Science |
12 |
12 |
|
Specialism A |
6 |
6 |
|
Specialism B |
6 |
6 |
|
Specialism C |
6 |
6 |
|
Specialism D |
6 |
6 |
|
Core PE |
4 |
4 |
|
Personal Development (including RSHE, Careers and core RS) |
2 |
2 |
This curriculum model enables most students to achieve 9 qualifications. We encourage all students to follow a broad and balanced curriculum with a strong academic core.
Core Subjects:
Almost all students are entered for the following GCSEs: English Language and English Literature, Maths and either Combined Science (worth 2 GCSEs) or Triple Science (worth 3 GCSEs). Students who take Triple Science need to opt for this as a Specialism subject and meet the suitability criteria. Students who are working at a Grade 9 in Maths in the Spring term of Year 11 are encouraged to also take Further Maths GCSE which is taught as an additional course.
Both English and Science start to teach parts of the GCSE curriculum during Year 9, having covered the content of the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum.
Academic Core:
- We encourage students to take a Humanities (History, Geography or RE) GCSE and a Languages GCSE, as this provides a broad academic education in subjects which are highly regarded by employers and higher education institutes.
- Students can take more than one Language or Humanities subject, and can also combine a Language and Humanities GCSE with Triple Science and a further specialism of their choice.
- Triple Science and Computer Science have suitability criteria.
Other specialism subjects:
We offer a total of 21 specialism subjects including the subjects listed above.
GCSEs in: Art, Food and Nutrition, Product Design, Textiles, Music, Drama, PE, Business Studies, Economics, Psychology, Photography, and Media.
Vocational qualifications in: iMedia, Health and Social Care and Music Technology.
During the Spring term of Year 9 we run our Specialisms process to guide students and parents in ensuring that they select a suitable combination of subjects. The subjects offered in each specialism block are determined by practical constraints and student specialism choices, and in order to maximise the number of students who can follow their preferred specialisms.
1.3 Student Groupings
We use the grouping arrangements that will maximise student progress, while also considering any logistical and operational constraints. Grouping arrangements are reviewed annually and are agreed by Curriculum Leaders and SLT. Where grouping arrangements are changed, the rational is explained to students and parents. A range of evidence will be used to ensure that students are placed into the most suitable group for them.
Year 7-8:
Students are taught in their tutor groups for most subjects. The subjects where this is not the case are PE, Languages and Technology.
Year 9:
In English and Maths, students will be taught in mixed attainment groups that are not tutor groups. This is to support them in getting used to more variation in their groupings ready for Year 10-11.
In Year 9, pupils will be studying one language. Students taking French will be taught in 2 broad attainment sets in each year half. German and Mandarin are taught in one mixed attainment group.
Students are taught in tutor groups for many subjects.
Year 10:
The Year 10 timetable is arranged very differently from Key Stage 3. Students may be in classes with other students from across the year group, rather than only half the year group.
In most specialism subjects, there is only one group taking each subject, or where there are more than one, which group a student is in will depend on their combination of specialism subjects.
In English, there is a blended model of 3 secure / mastery groups, 1 group of students working to consistently reach secure, and 2 groups of students currently working at emerging / developing.
In Maths, there are 2 Higher tier groups, with 4 mixed attainment groups.
In Science groupings depend on whether a student is taking Triple Science or Combined Science. For Triple Science, where there is more than one class, groups may depend on the student’s combination of subjects and which block they are in for Triple Science. For Combined Science, students will be taught in groups targeting Higher or Foundation tier dependent on their progress in Year 9. The 2 Foundation Tier groups are parallel.
In French and German students will be taught in broad attainment groups (sets).
Year 11:
In most subjects, all students take the same exam at the end of the course. In Maths, Science and Languages, students sit a Higher tier (Grade 5-9) or Foundation Tier (Grade 1-5) paper. Final decisions about which tier your child will sit do not need to be made until the Easter of Year 11.
In Maths, we move from 6 groups in Year 10 to 7 groups in Year 11. Students are grouped according to whether they are working towards taking both Maths and Further Maths GCSE, Higher tier or Foundation tier GCSE. We do not have a strict setting policy, and the Foundation tier groups are parallel groups.
In Science, the Higher Tier Combined Science groups are regrouped based on progress in Year 10. Other groups will remain the same with a few individual changes to support progress.
In other subjects, groups will remain the same as in Year 10.