KS3 & KS4 Curriculum

Curriculum

At Somercotes Academy, we pursue excellence for our students in all areas of school life irrespective of their background or needs.

Academically, we value the acquisition of powerful knowledge as a goal in itself. We invest significant time and resource into ensuring that students gain a knowledge base that has academic rigour, is ambitious in scope, coherent, and well sequenced so that it can empower them as active citizens of their community now and in the future.

The Somercotes curriculum is based upon research to ensure that all students develop the knowledge to understand the world, themselves and their place in the community. Our teachers bring subjects to life and pass on the knowledge which has been gathered and understood by others so that our students can be better placed to challenge and question. Students are encouraged to make meaningful contributions and to ask questions in order to stretch their own education. The fundamental knowledge developed in our subject areas gives them the opportunity to question and challenge to help them be successful in the future.

An appreciation of how knowledge is established, its degree of certainty and how it continues to be debated and revised by scholars, artists or professional practice is integral to this. We do not limit access to powerful knowledge for our students, by narrowing the curriculum, or teaching to the test. Instead, we broaden their horizons through a deep and rich understanding of the world around them, as we now understand it. This means that we value the power each subject provides, and we endeavour to ensure students can accomplish a secure foundation in every subject.

At Somercotes Academy we aim to provide a high-quality curriculum which is enhanced by a broad range of enrichment activities such as sport, art, and musical opportunities to shape the individual by giving them space to develop confidence and grow. The curriculum aims to provide students with powerful knowledge and the skills to become well rounded members of the community by developing their knowledge of health and wellbeing, social awareness, and what it means to be a good citizen, living a healthy life including Relationships and Sex Education; preparing for the world of work, including Careers, higher education, apprenticeships and finances.

At Somercotes Academy we aim to ensure students leave with the knowledge and skills to become life long learners and responsible, successful, well-rounded members of the community.

Our 4 underpinning principles of the curriculum

Scope: Ambitious with the knowledge that manifests over time, through complexity (depth) and breadth. We are at least as ambitions as the National Curriculum.

Rigour: Knowledge selection that is underpinned by a subject’s traditions, practices, and truths, creating academic challenge.

Coherent: Knowledge is attached to the subject’s underpinning concepts, themes, threads, and skills.

Well-Sequenced: Knowledge is mapped across the curriculum with new knowledge linking to prior knowledge.

The Learning environment

The Academy promotes positive behaviour in relation to students' personal, social and moral development. We prepare students for the demands of educational establishments, employers and society in how they expect them to present themselves and behave.

We regard it to be a highly important aspect of students' education and development that they learn to behave well towards others and towards the community in which they live. Good behaviour underpins effective learning, and students' need good personal and social skills in order to live fulfilling and rewarding lives as adults.

Secure foundations for progression

Starting in Year 7 our curriculum builds the knowledge and understanding that students need to help the Academy to focus on the needs and aspirations of each student both whilst in education and when they enter the world of employment. Beginning in Year 7, students start working towards meeting the Gatsby benchmarks. Students will look at career aspirations and work on their Unifrog Profiles to help provide a student focused careers program. In each subject, students will have information about how their subjects enable them to move onto further study and careers both locally and nationally and at the same time raising aspirations. Students are given a range of opportunities to meet educational providers, employers and independent careers advise to help support and guide their aspirations.

Curriculum Organisation

The Academy has six periods a day with each period lasting 50 minutes.

The Academy models the curriculum to the needs of individual students. This means the Academy will adjust the curriculum plan for different groups of students in order to meet their needs.

Key Stage 3

In Years 7, 8 and 9 we offer a rich broad curriculum. Students build on their Key Stage 2 studies and build on this foundation by studying a range of subjects which it ignites passion for learning.

Students will have the following number of lessons per week.

Key Stage 4

Students are given opportunities for deeper learning. These allow for greater stretch and challenge, differentiation and personalised learning.

• Students are motivated by starting their own personalised education programme and this increases their personal investment in their education.
• Students have more time to have encounters with employers and further education providers in order to guide their education and future choices.

In Years 10 and 11 we offer high quality courses which meet the needs and raise the aspirations of all our students. The GCSE course structure ensures that all students can experience in depth their chosen subjects.

As an Academy, planning is sequenced in order that the cross curricula nature of subjects ensures that the broad, deep educational journey continues even when students start their GCSES.

At Somercotes Academy, we encourage all students, regardless of ability to study a wide range of courses beyond the core subjects and the EBACC. Students are encouraged to study a practical subject such as Technology, Food, Art, Music or Performing Arts to ensure that their curriculum is broad and enables students to be a fully rounded member of society.

The Academy provides a variety of stretch and challenge opportunities both inside and outside the classroom such as trips and visits, expert visitors and taking part in work experience.

Students will have the following number of lessons per week.

Assessment

Students are banded when they first join the Academy based on their Key Stage 2 Scores and CAT tests. They then sit two Progress Point tests each year until the end of Year 11. Using this quantitative data and teachers' qualitative information about the student including student effort, teachers will set realistic but aspirational targets. Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are in the correct band to ensure the correct level of support is given and that students are given the ability to be stretched academically. Students are also assessed on entry for their Reading and Spelling Ages, this information is used to target appropriate intervention and highlight potential learning needs and is shared with teachers to support their planning of lesson content and resources.

How do we know we offer a broad, rich and deep educational experience?

• Students achieve outstanding outcomes in a range of subject areas.
• Students take up and are prepared for Post 16 education or Higher Education.
• Students are active members of the wider school community with involvement in inter house competitions and Academy teams.
• Student feedback shows that lessons are interesting and varied.
• Lesson observations show that students are being given the opportunity to explore subjects in depth.
• The number of NEET students is minimised.