Curriculum
At the Hastings Academy, we believe that every student deserves to have teachers and a curriculum that is ambitious for them in every subject, every lesson and on every day. Our overarching aim is that students who attend the Hastings Academy receive an educational experience that challenges them, enables them to reach their full potential and develops them into happy, successful and well-rounded global citizens who contribute positively to society. We want our young people to leave the Academy with the widest range of opportunities available to them including higher education or a career of their choice.
Out school’s curriculum is built on six guiding principles which are present in all our practice:
- Broad & balanced: students study the full national curriculum and beyond it only specialising in GCSEs option subjects in year 10
- High ambition: students are highly challenged with demanding learning planned across a rigorous scheme of learning
- Big Ideas: students receive coherently sequenced learning that develops ‘big ideas’ throughout their time in a subject
- Knowledge rich: students are taught key concepts, facts or skills and spend significant time consolidating learning so that they have mastered a subject
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Support pathways: students are supported in lessons to access the curriculum with personalised support pathways provided to those who absolutely need it.
- Relevant: students are offered a curriculum that connects with their ambitions and aims for the future
- Art and Photography
- DT
- English
- Geography
- History
- Maths
- Modern Foreign Languages
- PE
- Performing Arts
- PSHE and RE
- Science
Art and Photography
Overview of Department
Art and photography is part of our creative arts curriculum and engages students in a variety of artistic disciplines across their high-quality art-based lessons. All students study at ks3 study art each week with opportunities to learn about fine art, textiles, photography and 3D sculpture. At ks4, students can choose to specialise in a number of art subjects and work towards GCSEs in art, photography and textiles.
Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
Students studying are at produce creative work which explores their ideas and records their experiences so that they become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques. Students will evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design, know about artists, craft makers and designers, as well as understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms in the wider cultural, artistic and political context.
Year 7 introduces basic techniques and processes such as observational drawing, colour theory and perspective. In year 8, students build on this knowledge to look at move complex art movements that require a greater understanding of the wider context. In year 9, we introduce more specific knowledge through the different art and photography courses and experiment with varied techniques and processes. In year 10 & 11, we build upon previous knowledge to create coursework outcomes.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
Our curriculum is designed to sequentially embed key practical experience of materials, techniques and processes. This gives students a wide variety of skills to draw upon, both in the completion of coursework/exam projects and as they develop into independent creative practitioners. Through a combination of practical demonstration and making tasks, students retain knowledge and key skills relevant to the course. We link practical tasks to the wider artistic context, linking projects to a broad range of culturally diverse contemporary artists and photographers. Students also attend school trips at least twice a year in photography. We are seeking to expand this to all art groups.
Through the use of task lists that allow students to track their own learning against key objectives. This also signposts future learning and connects their work to the wider project. Through the use of exemplar projects that show students the type, quality and quantity of work required. Through scaffolded analysis tasks (an area that many of students struggle) including art literacy mats and sentence starters. Art packs have now been provided to pupil premium students to address access to art equipment. This was using grant money from the Magdalen and Lashar education charity.
Assessment
The art department regularly moderate work and create level galleries, assessing work through the use of exemplar artwork. Exemplar photographs are taken, graded and reproduced for all members of staff completing assessments. Progress sheets are used at the end of each project to allow students to articulate their progress against set criteria, live marking is used by teachers to give real time feedback. GCSE assessment is supported through attendance of AQA standardization events.
DT
Overview of Department
The design technology, business studies and computer science department comprises of a number of enterprising disciplines which students can study at ks3 and ks4. At ks3, all students study design technology including food & nutrition alongside computer science lessons. At ks4, students can continue to take these subjects at GCSE as well business studies
Business Studies Curriculum Overview
Design Technology Curriculum Overview
Design Technology and Food Prep Nutrition Curriculum Overview
Design Technology Learning Journey
English
Overview of Department
The English department comprises a passionate and well-qualified team of professionals that has expertise in a number of specialist areas of study and a broad range of interests. All students study a variety of key texts during ks3 alongside English Language lessons on grammar, reading and writing. At ks4, students work towards to their GCSEs in English Literature and English Language.
Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
To enable the learner to communicate effectively and appropriately in real life situation. To use English effectively for study purpose across the curriculum. To develop interest in and appreciation of literature. To develop and integrate the use of the four language skills - reading, listening, speaking and writing.
We meet national curriculum requirements for ks3 and ks4. Through the schemes of work students read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts including; whole books, plays, short stories and poems. These cover a range of genres, historical periods and authors.
Students are specifically taught new vocabulary and how to make inferences from a text. Students are taught to analyse language and structure in a text. Through our schemes of work students learn to write clearly, fluently and for different purposes. They also learn to write with technical accuracy.
From year 7 students are introduced to key knowledge they will need to be able to access the curriculum as they move through the years. Key knowledge is repeated and built upon. Literacy starters build on their knowledge each time. Retrieval practice builds on their memory of key knowledge. Key skills are repeated in every scheme of work.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
We choose ambitious texts and each lesson has specific tasks available to stretch and challenge the higher ability students. All students learn the same scheme of work and same key skills – teachers differentiate texts and tasks to support.
Differentiation in text choices, activities, questioning, sentence starters, modelling, recap and revisit.
Assessment
Pre and post-test in each scheme of work to track pupil progress. We moderate these assessments within the department. Colour coded marking to support pupils to make progress. Medals and missions used to give students specific targets. Targeted green pen lessons to improve work, whole class feedback sheets.
Geography
Overview of Department
The Humanities Department is made up of History and Geography with all students studying both subjects discretely at ks3 before choosing to specialise in either history or geography at ks4. The department comprises of passionate, expert geography teachers who support students in their learning and ensures that they leave with valuable humanities qualifications that support their understanding of the world as global citizens as well as their understanding of the local area.
Geography Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
To enable students to become global citizens, have an understanding of the relationship between the physical and human world, to develop an understanding of current global issues and events along with geographical processes and skills.
By developing students understanding of places and processes at different scales as well as covering knowledge on China, Middle East, Russia which are set out by the national curriculum. This is then built upon in GCSE where the students can use their knowledge from ks3 to understand different geographical themes.
Students are given the opportunity to conduct fieldwork and gather data which can then be interpreted and analysed at ks3 and GCSE.
Content is supported by sources such as maps, diagrams, photographs, graphs and geographical information systems (GIS) in all units throughout ks3 and GCSE allowing students to develop analytical approaches to information.
Literacy and maths skills are incorporated into all topics and deepened as the students' progress through the course. The ks3 units have been planned to build on knowledge and skills developed at ks2 based on a topical learning approach so that students learn in a way that is familiar to them, whilst incorporating and developing new geographical skills, which prepare them for GCSE.
As the students' progress through ks3, their ability to argue and evaluate geographical sources of information becomes more important and forms the foundation for their skills at GCSE. Skills are revisited through ks3 units and embedded so that they are able to thoroughly use them with confidence, alongside the application of knowledge. Students will explore questions they will have discussed but build upon prior knowledge and apply to different places and situations.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
The lessons are differentiated to stretch and challenge all students. The course gives the students the necessary skills to be able to succeed at GCSE and beyond.
Students are supported in their learning by a focus on key terminology in all lessons, word banks given, sentence starters to support with literacy and think, pair, share opportunities planned into the lessons.
Students with specific learning needs are identified and supported however possible.
Geography Assessment
At GCSE, past paper questions are used at the end of topics to accurately gauge the students understanding of that topic. As the students move through the course, we are able to build up a good picture of student progress as the scores are amalgamated. By using mark schemes and grade boundaries for the year the exam was taken, we are able to ensure the levels given for students are valid and reliable.
At ks3, skills and knowledge are assessed to show knowledge of learning up to that point in the term or unit. The criteria mirror the assessment objectives at GCSE: knowledge, understanding, application and geographical skills.
History
Overview of Department
The Humanities Department is made up of History and Geography with all students studying both subjects discretely at ks3 before choosing to specialise in either history or geography at ks4. The department comprises of passionate, expert history teachers who support students in their learning and ensures that they leave with valuable humanities qualifications that support their understanding of the world as global citizens as well as their understanding of it’s history.
History Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
The aims for history are to help students to understand the processes of change and continuity, cause and consequence and the impact these have on society and the students themselves. We also aim for students to understand the methods for historical enquiry, including how sources are used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
These aims meet the needs of the national curriculum. We focus on British history as required but also try and include wider historical perspectives to broaden students understanding of the world. We focus on extended writing, which not only prepares students for GCSE history and supports literacy, but also meets the national curriculum target of writing their own structure accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
In history we approach our topics in chronological order. This ensures knowledge is sequenced in a logical manner that supports students understanding. This chronological order is important because the exact order in which events occur helps students grasp the cause/consequence & change/continuity of historical events. This enables students to step back and view the "big picture" of our history - how and why events unfold in the way they do, and how they are related. We also do sequencing through social, economic, religious, and political history and cover these themes in each, chronological time period we study.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
There is plenty of challenge and the opportunity for students to explore topics in greater depth through the presentations we set. The history curriculum reflects the diversity of our student body and encourages students to venture further than their own social and cultural experiences. The history team share a passion and vision for the history curriculum and use their own areas of expertise to communicate this to the students.
We provide writing frames and sentence starters for our less able students. We frequently revisit higher concept skills (sequencing) to ensure they are embedded for students. We explicitly share subject specific vocabulary with students help them secure any new vocabulary. We encourage full sentences, oracy and extended writing throughout the history curriculum and provide tools to ensure students can achieve these and feel proud and accomplished.
History Assessment
We do a termly deep mark of an extended piece of writing with a focus on one of our key concepts or skills, using GCSE style language and questions. We check the validity and reliability of our assessment through regular moderation and we use a marking template to ensure accuracy across classes. We also provide knowledge and skills tests at the end of the units to ensure understanding. At ks4 we continually assess students through regular exam questions to ensure familiarity and confidence through repetition, ready for their GCES’s. We do full exam tests at the end of each unit of work at ks4. This enables us to identify any weaknesses or knowledge gaps. There are also regular ‘golden thread’ tests at the start of each lesson.
Maths
Overview of Department
The maths department comprises of a dedicated team of subject specialists who supports students to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. During their lessons at ks3 and ks4 students learn to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
- To become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- To reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
- To ensure that students can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
The scheme of learning follows the national curriculum content with well sequenced lessons. It builds on prior attainment and stretches all with depth and breadth of skills and knowledge. The stage 3 and 4 programmed of study is embedded through the scheme of work. Our curriculum shows the national curriculum progression in the scheme of work from ks2 through to ks5. Lessons are sequenced, with challenge for the most able students as well as scaffolded support for the low attainers. We have end of block and termly assessments which are differentiated.
The GCSE Edexcel specification has been chosen because it provides excellent support to teachers in terms of resources and pedagogy.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
Our curriculum is designed to produce a coherent journey form year 7 through to year 11 and onwards to A Level. It allows for challenge at every level with stretch in depth and understanding. These skills are built upon in further years, when topics are revisited and explored in greater detail.
The scheme is formed of two closely related overlapping strands, carefully designed both to maximise progressions and allow flexibility. They are the Foundation and Higher strands.
Some content is met in the Higher strand earlier then the Foundations strand. For those students not yet attaining as highly as their peers, there will be more time for consolidating and revisiting concepts before rushing on to new content.
We follow a curriculum that a provides interleaving, revisiting topics within new contexts. This allows students to revisit and consolidate concepts which aren't embedded and still providing challenge for our more able students.
Assessment
We use assessment to check for prior knowledge which allows teachers to build on the understanding already embedded. Diagnostic questions are used in every lesson along with white boards to record answers. Teacher are very quickly able to access understanding at any point before moving on. End of unit tests are used to check for recall and summative tests provide levels of attainment. All marking is scrutinized and time given within departments for moderation, to ensure standardisation and reliability of the data.
Modern Foreign Languages
Overview of Department
The modern foreign languages (MFL) curriculum is a challenging and ambitious curriculum designed for all students to offer them the chance to learn a second language and open cultural experiences to then. All students study one language at ks3, choosing to specialise in either French or Spanish. At ks4, students can continue studying the language they have studied at ks3 and take a GCSE in the subject with more and more students opting to do this each year.
Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
Our aim is to develop pupil’s understanding of different cultures and develop a sound foundation and grasp of a foreign language to be a confident and efficient communicator in a foreign language.
You can choose French or Spanish.
Teaching of MFL builds on the foundations of language learning laid at ks2 (where they have had experience of language within that key stage), whether pupils continue with the same language or take up a new one. Teaching will focus on developing the breadth and depth of pupils’ competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing, based on a sound foundation of core grammar and vocabulary.
- Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
- Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
- Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- Improve communication skills – learn a language. Be open-minded individuals. Develop cultural capital. Have an understanding of the language mechanics. To develop a love of exploring different cultures and languages.
- To enable pupils to understand and communicate personal and factual information that goes beyond their immediate needs and interests, developing and justifying points of view in speech and writing, with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy.
- To provide suitable preparation for further study.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
You have the choice of two languages: French or Spanish- All learners study one language at ks3 then are invited to pursue their chosen language at ks4.
Both curriculums (French or Spanish) are designed to produce a coherent journey form Year 7 through to Year 11 and onwards to A Level. It allows for challenge at every level with stretch in depth and understanding. These skills are built upon in further years, when topics and grammar are revisited and explored in greater detail.
The MFL lessons are adapted to meet the needs of all learners. We provide tools to ensure students can achieve : model answers, writing frame, scaffolding, knowledge organiser to support students and we encourage the use of full sentences.
Assessment
Formative assessment tasks throughout the course and end of module summative assessment for all year group.
The MFL Department uses the Pearson Edexcel Steps system at ks3 - small steps progression ladder ‘I can’ statements across 4 skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing) – criteria made visible for students and designed to promote progression. GCSE Grades at ks4.
KS3 French Curriculum Overview
KS3 Spanish Curriculum Overview
KS4 French Curriculum Overview
PE
Overview of Department
The PE Department is made up of a number of excellent subject specialists with a wide range of experiences and sporting knowledge. The PE Department strives to provide accessible and competitive sport for every student both in their lessons and through the additional and extracurricular opportunities offered at the Academy.
Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
We recognise the importance of PE and the role it has to play in promoting long term, healthy lifestyles and making a positive impact on physical, mental and social health. The intent of our PE curriculum is to provide all students with high quality PE and sport provision, not only as a participant but in leadership roles such as a coach, official or choreographer. It is our vision for every child to succeed and achieve their potential as well as to lead physically active lifestyles beyond their years at secondary school.
To cultivate a passion for lifelong learning and enjoyment of dance and physical education where students constantly strive to ‘believe in their best’. Develop physical literacy, knowledge, understanding and confidence to lead a healthy active lifestyle. To enable students to develop character and life skills to equip them for employment and life.
We strive to inspire our students through fun and engaging PE lessons that are enjoyable, challenging and accessible to all. We want our young people to appreciate the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle. Through our teaching of PE, we will instil our core values and transferable life skills such as resilience and mutual respect as well as providing them with opportunities to take part in competitive sport through our extensive extra-curricular program.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
The PE department’s has constructed a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all learners, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or high needs, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We have ambitiously challenged at the students in ks3 to aim for the highest possible accolades in the sports they enjoy and embrace.
We have also added to the ks3 curriculum with elements of the ks4 curriculum, which is above and beyond the national curriculum subject content, and this has been achieved through the delivery of a sports with the holistic head, heart and hands approach.
In PE we make sure the curriculum we deliver to students meets the needs of pupils with specific barriers to learning by ensuring all activities have opportunities for differentiation.
We have researched how to adjust all equipment for all users, with the ethos of access for all, without narrowing of the curriculum. For example, in Badminton we have shorter rackets for students who possess a poor hand to eye coordination and are struggling to hit the shuttlecock successfully. By having a shorter badminton racket, it enables students with poor hand to eye coordination to successfully hit the shuttlecock as the distance from the racket head to the hand becomes shortened therefore easier to hit.
Assessment
PE - We have created a new holistic assessment system with Sport England and The Burgess Hill Academy
Key stage 3 - we assessment the student throughout the year with a the following criteria:
HEAD
Knowledge - The understanding of the rules, regulations and tactics in each activity.
Decision Making - Making a choice about something important under pressure in a group/team of people.
Analyse & Evaluate - Examining you or someone else to help understand more about the performance.
Leadership - The position of being in charge and being a leader, with the ability to lead & demonstrate skills such as fairness and listening etc.
Problem Solving/ Creativity - The act of finding out ways of dealing with problems and finding solutions.
HEART
Communication - This is how we speak, write or use body language.
Team Work - How you work with others in a group effectively, taking on a role and having responsibility to overcome challenges.
Commitment - Being dedicated to the activity or challenge.
Resilience - Be able to continue when faced with challenges and setbacks.
Self-Regulations - Be able to control your emotions and behaviours, by changing them to the situation.
HANDS
Skill Development - The advancement and progression of skills.
Fitness Levels - This refers to your; cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility & body composition.
Skill Application - Applying skills to competitive and game scenarios.
Performance - It is not just about winning, it’s about your team and individual performances and how much effort you have given.
Tactics and composition - How you plan to gain an advantage or delivering success.
At ks4 we continually assess students through regular exam questions to ensure familiarity and confidence through repetition, ready for their GCES’s. We do full exam tests at the end of each unit of work at ks4. This enables us to identify any weaknesses or knowledge gaps. There are also regular ‘golden thread’ tests at the start of each lesson.
In addition to this throughout Dance AFL is embedded in every lesson, through effective questioning, self, peer and teacher feedback, verbal feedback. Videos of the student's work is stored and students and view to internally assessment/moderate and allow peer/self-feedback. A key aspect for success is sharing the success criteria with students every lesson, ensuring a clear understanding of the ‘What/How/Why’ and summative assessments occur at the end of every SOW to round of the knowledge and identify areas of miscommunication or lack of understanding to allow for progressive planning.
Performing Arts
Overview of Department
Performing arts comprises of drama, music and dance with students studying all of these subjects at ks3 and many students choosing to continue to study one or more of these subjects at GCSE. Furthermore, there is a wealth of extracurricular opportunities within the performing arts department with numerous trips, visits, clubs and performances organised throughout the year.
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
Dance as a subject is unique, in that it blends artistic practice with physical and mental activity. Dance has an affirmative impact on young people’s education and learning and offers opportunities for all young people to gain knowledge and skills in performance, choreography and analytical skills. The topics studied within dance exhibits more positive changes in well-being and the use of high-quality dance, promotes whole school improvement through influencing the culture of the school, raising aspiration and enhancing the profile of the school in its community. Dance cultivates a passion of lifelong learning and enjoyment, establishing key life skills along the way, to allow successful development of student's skills required for a well-rounded individual to equip students for life.
Dance is under the national curriculum as a stand-alone subject, and is layered into physical education curriculum. This allows a sense of freedom but also ensuring these requirements aim are addressed to meet the aims of the national curriculum for physical education, including:
- Developing competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- For all students to be physically active for sustained periods of time
- To engage in competitive dance and activities
- To lead healthy, active lives.
Our students have access to dance lessons once a week in ks3, and three times a week at ks4. Students learn a variety of different dances styles, from contemporary to street dance. Students will develop individual and group skills through project-based work, working towards whole class performances, small groups and as soloists in a variety of genres and topics. The skills and techniques involved in performance and choreography involved are developed and fine-tuned over ks3 into ks4.
- Take part in outdoor and adventurous activities which present intellectual and physical challenges and be encouraged to work in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group
- Analyse their performances compared to previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best
- Take part in competitive dance competitions and activities outside school through community links or dance clubs.
We aim to deliver a curriculum that has a golden thread throughout ks3 and 4 that has a holistic theme towards style of dance, dance performance and healthy exercise. In each year, skills in all dance styles are recapped and consolidated, which helps to build on the knowledge and techniques of the previous year within the same dance themes. We focus on physical and theoretical aspects of the subject, which prepares students for GCSE dance and supports their literacy in other subject areas.
This approach helps to build a long-term memory of key terminology needed for the ks4 topics, enabling the students to step back and view the "big picture" of how to live a healthier lifestyle. The course from ks3 into ks4, allows students to set high ambitions for themselves, to strive beyond GCSE level onto further education and ultimately leading onto a professional career within dance and other work field, through learning life-long skills such as confidence, commitment, resilience and teamwork.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
The dance department’s aim is to construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all learners, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or high needs, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We do this by challenging students at all levels of skill and ability through the delivery of a holistic head, heart and hands approach.
Dance Assessment
- AFL is embedded in every lesson, through effective questioning, self, peer and teacher feedback, verbal feedback.
- Videos of the students work is stored and students save their tech work in their student drives which make it accessible.
- Success criteria are shared ensuring a clear understanding of the ‘What/How/Why’
- Summative assessments occur at the end of every SOW.
- Work scrutiny and moderation happen across all teachers to ensure all classes are making successful progression towards goals and targets.
In dance, we make sure the curriculum we deliver to students meets the needs of pupils with specific barriers to learning by ensuring all activities have opportunities for differentiation.
Alongside this within the studio space and other teaching dance spaces; there are a variety of tools, resources and posters to support and develop those students who struggle to create/develop without guidance. Each unit of work within dance are interlinked with a PowerPoint to support the learning in each lesson. Specific fonts are used to support visual aids (SEN) and each task is clearly stated and differentiated for each task and outcome for students to revisit the tasks and how best to achieve.
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
In drama the skills, discipline and confidence students will learn will last a lifetime.
Drama is a unique, powerful subject that blends artistic practice with physical and mental activity. Drama has an affirmative impact on young people’s education and offers opportunities for all young people to gain knowledge and skills in performance, creative and analytical skills. The topics studied within drama enable students to understand the world they live in, develop their own cultural capital as well as develop and raise their own aspirations and the overall culture of the school.
Drama cultivates a passion of lifelong learning and enjoyment as well as establishes key life skills along the way. These skills include soft skills such as public speaking, working under pressure and to a short deadline and group skills. It also includes performance skills such as acting skills, creating a role, understanding devising techniques and evaluating and analysing texts
Students learn a variety of different drama genres, from Shakespeare to slapstick and we align much of our curriculum with the English department to ensure the skills and knowledge are fully embedded.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
The Drama department’s aim is to construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all learners, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or high needs, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We do this by challenging students at all levels of skill and ability through a varied and ambitious curriculum and exposure to a breadth of views, values and culture.
Drama Assessment
AFL is embedded in every lesson checking understanding language & vocabulary as well as technique. This is done through effective questioning alongside self, peer and teacher feedback. Students are encouraged and able to use drama specific terminology when speaking confidently as well as tier two vocabulary words to create more complex sentences.
Assessment is on-going within class as well as a formal assessment at the end of the term. This end of term performance allows the students to demonstrate the skills they have learnt across the unit. We assess the following areas
- Making: How students work together and interact as a group/giving ideas
- Performing: Students perform work to class peers/invited audiences.
- Responding: Being able to feedback on the work of others as well as self-assess.
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
In music we aim to create a community of musicians who are not only successful in their academic and musical achievements but also benefit for from the many emotional, mental and social advantages the subject brings. Students gain knowledge and skill in performance and composition while developing their listening and appraising skills. The topics and projects encourage creativity and innovativeness giving them confidence to be independent musicians, sharing their own unique styles and interests through their performances and compositions. We have a vocational theme running alongside each SOW giving the students an authentic experience, showing them they many career avenues, experiences and opportunities music can bring.
Our students learn a variety of instruments, guitar, bass, drum kit, keyboard, vocals, samba drums and ukulele. They play and whole class performances, small groups and as soloists in a variety of different genres. The skills and techniques involved in performance on these instruments are developed and fine-tuned over ks3 into ks4.
Through our traditional music topics improvisation is encouraged and explored with performance and throughout our music tech schemes. Compositional activities are embedded throughout our music technology curriculum, this is as it would be in the music industry, giving them the opportunity to take on the role or composer/ producer as it would be in real life.
As well as being introduced to staff notation in year 7 our students are also introduced to chord charts, tab and lead sheets across many different genres and cultures. The musical elements are covered from the very start, once they have a good knowledge of these we then move onto a more detailed ad sophisticated look at how they are used within different styles and genres. Different scales are explored, particularly when improvisation is explored, tonality and other devices make a big part of our compositional activities.
From western classical tradition to reggae, minimalism to rock we explore and celebrate the music of many different genres and composers from across the world.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
Our curriculum stretches and challenges all students, it encourages them to take risks and as they’re exploring new genres and styles it pushes them out of their comfort zones. The standard of year 11 coursework demonstrates this, particularly the free compositions. Our students find their identities through music, there are no barriers or endings, it is all embraced in the qualifications we do. In year 11 our students are given freedom, what allows this is the great preparation and development of skills and knowledge in the years leading to this. All job roles and industry experiences are visited and there is no reason why they can’t aspire to achieve whatever goals they may have in their musical journeys
The great thing about music is it’s a universal language, if a child is struggling academically it does not mean they will struggle with music. All topics are differentiated to embrace all abilities, there is no ending to each topic meaning students can continue to develop and fine tune their work. Instrumental lessons are offered free of charge to pupil premium students from year 9, giving them extra tuition, taking their instrumental skills to the next level. Work is tailored to the groups ensuring there are levels of success for all abilities.
Music Assessment
- AFL is embedded in every lesson, through effective questioning, self, peer and teacher feedback, verbal feedback.
- Videos of the students work is stored and students save their tech work in their student drives which make it accessible.
- Success criteria are shared ensuring a clear understanding of the ‘What/How/Why’
- Summative assessments occur at the end of every SOW.
- Work scrutiny and moderation happen across all teachers to ensure all classes are making successful progression towards goals and targets.
PSHE and RE
Overview of Department
Students study both personal, social and health education (PSHE) and religious education (RE) through a number of ways including discrete lessons at ks3, during and part of the tutor time programme as well as on drop-down days to ensure that all students are safe, understand the social and cultural world around them and are active participants in their personal development.
Science
Overview of Department
The science department is a large department with a broad range of experience and expertise in numerous science disciplines. All students study a comprehensive science curriculum at ks3 which incorporates all of the individual sciences to provide the best quality science education to our students. At ks4 students either study GCSE combined science or GCESE separate sciences with their teachers supporting them to achieve their full potential.
Curriculum Statement:
Values & Aims: What are the aims of this subject and how is knowledge sequenced?
Our aim for the science curriculum is to curate committed and passionate scientists whose level of scientific literacy and science capital enable them to fully engage with challenging scientific concepts. We aim to nurture resilient and able leaners with strong characters, who are well equipped with scientific skills and knowledge and replete with science capital, so they are able to thrive in a modern scientific world.
Over the five years students spend with us, they will make outstanding progress towards becoming well rounded scientists, equipped with an intimate knowledge of the big ideas in science, as well as an understanding of the scientific method and a strong well-rounded character.
Knowledge has been sequenced based around big ideas in science.
- In biology, these are: ecosystems, cells, genetics, evolution and health
- In chemistry, these are: Earth chemistry, substances, particles and chemical reactions
- In physics these are: energy, electricity and magnetism, waves, matter, space, forces and motion
These big ideas represent the powerful knowledge of science - the game changing ideas that led to entire paradigm shifts in the way we view the universe.
Within each big idea, the knowledge has been broken down further into relevant topics, and sequenced to allow progression. Lots of factors influenced our decision to sequence topics in the way they have been. For example, covering relevant prior learning, age-appropriateness and relevance. There is a focus on threshold concepts, allowing students to break through in the understanding to gain a deeper appreciate of science.
Equality & Access: How is the curriculum sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils?
We employ quality first teaching to make scientific concepts accessible, promoting assimilation of new information into schema, which are revisited through deliberate practice. Activities are varied to take account of the strengths of all pupils, giving each a chance to excel.
Assessment
All assessments are made using material provided by Pearson/Edexcel. This includes ks3. We use steps to monitor students' progress. These ensures consistency and accuracy of assessment. Pearson provides documents detailing the accuracy of using steps as a form of assessment on their website.