Curriculum Intent:

We aim to provide a high quality, rigorous, stimulating and coherent curriculum. We believe that each school must meet the specific needs and aspirations of its community and so each school has its own curriculum statement.

All schools work within our Trust principles, which are:

• To meet the needs of all learners, whoever they are, and whatever their ability.
• To inspire and motivate pupils/students and to encourage them to explore new subjects and ideas.
• To inspire and support staff to develop, apply and share their expertise for the good of all.
• To secure the best possible academic results for all learners.
• To ensure substantial knowledge, skills and language acquisition.
• To ensure high quality thinking and learning over time (eg: through mastery and fluency in problem-solving).
• To provide regular practise and development of transferable skills and independence in learning.
• To provide memorable experiences (eg: putting learning in a wider context and developing cultural capital).
• To provide a rigorous programme of personal development and character education.
• To prepare learners for the next phase of their education or employment, and life in.
• To develop well-rounded, confident and open-minded young adults and citizens.

Running through all of our curriculum, including the pastoral curriculum, are strands of personal development which covers themes such as:

• Making and maintaining positive relationships(including Relationships and Sex Education).
• Staying safe and healthy(including understanding grooming/radicalisation and cyber-safety).
• Respect of self and others.
• The ability to discuss and reason.
• Equality and inclusion – especially tolerance, respect and understanding of people from protected groups, including those with different faiths and beliefs.
• Employability and preparedness for next-phase education and training.
• Fundamental British values eg: rights and responsibilities, democracy and the rule of law.

Curriculum Implementation:

The curriculum consists of far more than a list of subjects or topics:

• The taught curriculum (main lessons).
• The enrichment curriculum (learning outside lessons).
• Homework and independent learning.
• Well designed sequences of learning over time.
• A core of essential vocabulary, knowledge and skills, both subject-specific and transferable.
• Rigorous formative assessment which supports high quality information advice and guidance for staff, pupils/students and parents.
• Cross-curricular literacy (reading, writing and oracy appropriate for each phase) and numeracy linked to developing reasoning and cultural capital for all.
• Cross-curricular personal development, preparation for life in modern Britain, careers education and employability
• Modelling of, and encouragement to develop positive relationships and character behaviours.
• The support curriculum to boost or close gaps and develop recall and revision skills.

At cross-curricular level, the following is taught and developed:

• Learning skills – resilience, intellectual initiative, taking on board feedback, choosing appropriate resources and working methods.
• Subject specific skills – linked to the ability to access and explore the subject.
• Examination skills – techniques which help pupils/students pass exams.
• Transferability – how knowledge and understanding from other subjects is applied elsewhere (typically English, maths, personal development).
• Employability skills –team working, communication, leadership, presentation, use of register, taking on challenges, responsibility.
• Recruitment skills – CVs, letters of application, interview skills
• Life skills –staying safe, healthy living, making and maintaining relationships, respecting and contributing to life in modern Britain.

Our curriculum design is underpinned by:

• The recruitment, development and retention of strong teachers and curriculum leaders.
• Freedom for teachers to apply their professionalism and expertise.
• Memorable experiences which puts learning in a wider context.
• A wide range of opportunities for personalised stretch, challenge and support.
• Varied option choices for all groups of pupils/students including the most able and SEND.
• Varied progression routes for all pupils/students: post-Y6, post 16 and post 18.

Curriculum Impact:

At school level, impact is “measured” against each school’s statement of intent. At Trust level, we look at the impact on learners across all the schools. In general we look at:

• Outcomes
• Quality of learning and progress of current year groups.
• In-school variation (across subjects / year groups).
• Differences in performance between groups of pupils/students with the same starting points.
• Impact of funding (eg: Pupil Premium Grant, Sports Grant, SEND allocations).
• Participation in the wider school.
• Behaviour and attendance figures.
• Destinations and NEETS data.
• Stakeholder surveys and other feedback.
• Retention of pupils/students between phases.
• Other school-specific criteria.