Curriculum Intent

A School where every child really matters!

We believe that the core purpose of our school is to engage the minds of all learners who attend in order to broaden their future by providing the opportunity to maximise life chances.

We offer everything needed to succeed, a curriculum that responds to the needs of each and every individual. Learning experiences that are diverse, flexible, rich, experiential and active. Dynamic personalised teaching and learning, high standards, high expectations and great challenges.

Our Vision:

“To enable the young people of Seaham to achieve the highest possible outcomes which they can use to continue their learning and make a valuable contribution to the global society in which we all now live. They should feel safe, secure, be free from prejudice and be able to develop a mutual respect for all others. Students should be ready to take on the challenges of the twenty-first century and leave school with hope for their future. They should have the confidence to take on new opportunities and know where to turn when a helping hand is required. When they leave, their minds have been engaged, their horizons have been broadened and they should have valued their educational experience.”

 

Context

Seaham High School is committed to doing our very best for our young people and the town of Seaham. We reach out to support everyone through developing their 6Rs and incorporate the 6Rs throughout our curriculum.

• Resilience
• Respectful
• Responsibility
• Reflective
• Risk Taker
• Responsive

 

Through developing the 6Rs, the school aims create the support and environment for our young people to be the best that they can be.

Our goal is to improve the life chances of all of our young people, working in partnership with parents, carers, employers and the wider community. We also have a newly formed Parent Council that provides a vehicle for strong and effective partnership with our parents and carers.

The school is fully committed to meeting the needs of all young people and to providing a wide range of opportunities for all members of our school community. Supporting learning and learners are core responsibilities of all members of staff.

There are eight faculties in the school:

• Maths
• English
• Languages
• Science
• Humanities
• Creative Arts
• Technology
• Support

Curriculum

• Offers opportunities for students to achieve success, including GCSE and Vocational qualifications
• Is coherent, progressive and follows national curriculum guidelines
• Provides deep, sustained and valuable learning for all students
• Provides opportunities to develop high levels of literacy and numeracy across all curricular areas
• Promotes opportunities across the curriculum for the development of student health and well being
• Recognises the importance of digital literacy and provides opportunities for the development of the skills students need to function in a technological world
• Provides a range of courses which challenge, engage and motivate students
• Promotes learning across a wide range of contexts and experiences

Our aim, through our curriculum is to develop young people:

• Who are confident, prepared to take calculated risks, can cope with change and view failure as part of the learning process (Risk Taker)
• Who feel included in their community with an active desire to contribute politically, socially, culturally and economically, with an understanding of ‘British Values’ in modern day Britain. (Responsible)
• Who have high expectations of self and an ambitious vision for their future (Respectful)
• Who have a ferocious work ethic that results in them achieving, and exceeding, their academic potential (Reflective & Risk taker)
• Who are respectful, tolerant and empathetic towards the values and beliefs of others (Respectful)
• Who are happy and have a desire to pursue a healthy, active lifestyle (Responsible)
• Who are self-aware and know their own strengths through reviewing and evaluating their progress (Responsive)
• Who have a range of transferrable skills for learning life and work including: communication; collaboration; critical thinking and willingness to challenged accepted norms and creativity skills (Resilience & Reflective)
• Who are capable of making informed decisions and are aware of their rights and responsibilities (Responsible)

 

Curriculum Implementation

 

Our curriculum intent is  delivered through a range of learning pathways that meet the needs of all learners. These pathways often include ‘blended’ learning experiences with a combination of academic and vocational learning to ensure students have the opportunity to develop across a broad range of different learning contexts.

The purpose of these experiences is to help children and young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

Our curriculum aims to deliver both excellence in terms of ensuring young people acquire a broad range of skills and capacities at the highest levels, whilst also delivering equity so that every child and young person should thrive and have the best opportunity to succeed, regardless of their social circumstances or additional needs.

At Key Stage 3 students study a broad and balanced range of subjects. A two year Key Stage 3 means lessons are fast paced and engaging to avoid the traditional drop off in Y9. A strong core of compulsory academic subjects gives students the relevant skills and qualifications to successfully progress into post 16. This traditional core of English, Maths, Science, Humanities and Languages is complimented by an extensive range of options at KS4, including: the arts, sports, design and technology subjects and a range of vocational courses. Our 3 year KS4 allows for more time in the core subjects and greater depth of study and understanding in all subjects.

 

Curriculum Construction and Principles

 

 

Our curriculum is constructed based on the following principles:

•  A three-year Key Stage 4 is a deliberate action to enable students to really enjoy their subject and learn to a depth and breadth that is beyond the published specification. There is time to study and follow students’ interests which would be more limited if a two-year programme was followed. The rigour of the new 9-1 specification demands additional time.
• Students are placed into learning pathways to better meet the needs of individual students through a tailored curriculum. The blue pathway provides a competency curriculum, which is project based learning with a literacy and numeracy focus.
• A Y7 mixed ability tutor model trialled for 2018/19 to ensure students are not placed into pathways too soon, due to a narrow assessment focus from KS2. Acquiring subject specific knowledge is key for students to be able to solve complex problems.
• Students need to practice the knowledge and skills they have learnt in lessons so that they can use them when they are needed.The vast majority of students will be working towards the English Baccalaureate in KS3 with annual increases in entry pattern. This has meant an increase in MFL for all students.
• 60-70% of P8 is reported from English, Maths and Science/Humanities. In order to make our students competitive post 16, an increase in time allocation from 2017/18 model is required.
• The transition to a one week timetable to reduce the complications from a 2 week cycle and to allow a better spread of lessons.
• Care is taken to ensure that students encounter the prior knowledge needed to access the curriculum before it is needed in class. This is achieved through careful curriculum planning and increase in independent home learning.
• Development of language is the remit of all subjects. At KS4 English Language and English Literature are to be taught as separate GCSEs with increased time allowance from 2018/19 curriculum.
• All students should experience a careers education based on the Gatsby benchmarks that underpin a world class careers education. This is to be delivered through PSHE and pastoral allocation.
• The British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect of those with different faiths and beliefs are taught explicitly and reinforced in the way in which the school operates.
• SMSC is embedded into pastoral and curriculum schemes through the schools 6R programme.

 

Curriculum Impact

The impact of the school’s curriculum is measured through several means:

• Outcomes for students at GCSE in Y11.
• Progress and attainment data for current year groups
• Progress towards the Gatsby benchmarks.
• Destinations data.
• Attendance data.
• Behaviour logs
• Engagement in enrichment activities.
• Student voice
• Quality Assurance Cycle including Lesson Observations and work scrutiny.

Please contact Mr D. Langlands – Assistant Head Teacher responsible for curriculum (LAD@seahamhighschool.com) at the school if you have any queries regarding this provision or the curriculum we offer.