Curriculum Overview

The Governing Body

The Governing Body will monitor the effectiveness of this policy and hold the Principal to account for its implementation.

The Governing Body will also ensure that:

• A robust framework is in place for setting curriculum priorities and aspirational targets.
• The school is complying with its funding agreement and teaching a "broad and balanced curriculum" which includes English, Maths, and Science, and enough teaching time is provided for students to cover the requirements of the funding agreement.
• Proper provision is made for students with different abilities and needs, including children with special educational needs (SEND).
• All courses provided for students below the age of 19 that lead to qualifications, such as GCSEs and A-levels, are approved qualifications.
• The school implements the relevant statutory assessment arrangements and adheres to exam boards’ conditions and criteria.
• They participate actively in decision-making about the breadth and balance of the curriculum.
• Students from year 8 onwards are provided with independent, impartial careers guidance.

Principal

The Principal is responsible for ensuring that this policy is adhered to, and that:

• All required elements of the curriculum, and those subjects which the school chooses to offer, have aims and objectives which reflect the aims of the school and indicate how the needs of individual students will be met.
• The amount of time provided for teaching the required elements of the curriculum is adequate and is reviewed by the governing board.
• Where appropriate, the individual needs of some students are met by permanent or temporary disapplication from all or part of the National Curriculum in order to support them to gain wider life skills.
• Requests to withdraw children from curriculum subjects, where appropriate, are managed.
• The school’s procedures for assessment meet all legal requirements.
• The governing board is fully involved in decision-making processes that relate to the breadth and balance of the curriculum.
• Proper provision is in place for students with different abilities and needs, including children with SEND and curriculum provision is discussed and reviewed annually with leadership.

Other Roles and Responsibilities

Other staff will ensure that the school curriculum is implemented in accordance with this policy. Roles and responsibilities are monitored and quality assured, including processes for curriculum review.

Leadership Team

• High levels of accountability for all staff.
• Quality Assure methods to check what students know, can do and understand so that the right work is taught/informs teaching (assessment). ‍
• Check the implementation of the curriculum through progress checks, book looks quality assurance procedures.
• Monitor and challenge departments to ensure that all groups of students can access the curriculum.
• A programme of lesson learning walks and observations by the senior and extended leadership team.
• Student interviews at specified moments throughout the year.
• Regular calendared ‘work reviews’ of students’ work based on curriculum intent documents and assessment maps.
• Annual surveys of parent and student views on the Academy.
• Curriculum Area Department Profiles to be carried out by the Leadership Team.
• Create opportunities to share identified good practice (staff meetings, INSET days, twilight sessions, Trust collaboration).
• Ensure that there is access to resources for parents/carers to support their child’s learning, and that information about the curriculum is shared with families on a regular basis.

Subject Leaders

• Carry out a curriculum area self-evaluation using the standard SEF pro-forma.
• Ensure that review of curriculum plans takes into account students’ views.
• Have full awareness and up-to-date knowledge of curriculum developments, changes and opportunities in their subject area.
• Ensure all staff have the adequate subject knowledge.
• Articulate ‘unique selling points’ and intentions of curriculum plans and what makes learning their subjects’ special at Abbey Grange Academy.

Teachers

• Base the content of lessons on agreed curriculum plans.
• Reflect on the content and effectiveness of their lessons on a regular basis.
• Plan engaging and inspiring lessons that generate curiosity amongst the students.
• Provide the opportunity for students to reflect upon curriculum plans.
• Ensure that criteria for key assessment tasks are shared with students.
  

Students

• Assist in the development of the curriculum through questionnaires, the student council and interviews with different student groups.
  

Parents and Carers

• Complete questionnaires.
• Parent Council feedback.
• Form an active partnership with the Academy in promoting their child’s learning.
• Where appropriate, attend twilight courses run by the Academy designed to assist parents in supporting their child’s learning, for example, ‘Moving On Evenings.’

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For further information about our curriculum, please contact Mrs J Thornton, Vice Principal on jthornton@abbeygrangeacademy.co.uk

Intentions:

• Abbey Grange C of E Academy offers a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all students, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
• It is a broadly academic curriculum, with sights set firmly on the highest possible percentage of students achieving or exceeding their potential, and going on to further their education at university, college or on an apprenticeship. We have entered 80% of our students for EBacc for several years, in line with DfE targets and the prior attainment of the vast majority of our students.
• Through high expectations, quality first teaching and targeted support, students from all beliefs, backgrounds and starting points are able to achieve.
• Timetabled lessons are enhanced by a varied and motivational enrichment programme, creating a well-rounded educational and spiritual experience for Abbey Grange students, with the development of skills that will help them to succeed in further education and employment.
• The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of our students. At Abbey Grange we place a great deal of emphasis on building the character of our students.

Our curriculum aims to:

• Provide a broad and balanced education for all students.
• Enable students to develop knowledge, understand concepts and acquire skills, and be able to choose and apply these in relevant situations
• Support students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• Support students’ physical development and responsibility for their own health, and enable them to be active
• Promote a positive attitude towards learning
• Provide an understanding for mental wellbeing.
• Ensure equal access to learning, with high expectations for every student and appropriate levels of challenge and support
• Provide subject choices that support students’ learning and progression, and enable them to work towards achieving their goals
• Develop students’ independent learning skills and resilience, to equip them for further/higher education and employment.
• Be underpinned by the SIAMS Framework (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools)

Curriculum Rationale:

The vision for education outlined by the Church of England Education Office states:

‘Our purpose in education is to enable the children, young people and communities we serve to flourish as they experience education for wisdom, hope, community and dignity and discover life in all its fullness which Jesus offers’.

As an Academy we train our staff and create a curriculum which asks:

How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling students and adults to flourish?’

The Academy underpins its curriculum with the John 10:10 quote:

“My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” John 10:10

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If there are any questions on the Curriculum, please email: info@abbeygrangeacademy.co.uk

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• Independent Learning is an essential part of students’ education at Abbey Grange. In order to become lifelong learners, students must learn not only to study when supervised in the classroom, but also independently, as they would have to do at university.
• Students who do not have a home environment conducive to longer periods of study are able to take advantage of the Academy’s homework club to complete their work.
• Teachers carefully plan and set tasks that not only consolidate learning from previous lessons, but also contain new challenges so that students continue to progress beyond the classroom. Independent learning, therefore, must be an integral part of medium and short-term planning, and this is reflected in all curriculum plans.
• A variety of tasks is set, including extended writing, in-depth reading, research tasks and online activities in order to awaken students’ curiosity and motivate them to complete tasks to the best of their ability.
• All curriculum areas are supported by having the latest resources at their disposal and receive training on managing the marking load generated through peer assessment, self-assessment, self-marking online tests, and effective time management.

High quality home learning is linked to one of the following:

• Learning content for future retrieval
• Synthesising prior or future learning in preparation for application
• Applying knowledge or skills to tasks which mirror future assessment

Examples include:

‍Independent Home Learning. Students can typically expect in each Key Stage:

‍Key Stage 3: 30-60 minutes per subject per week ‍

Key Stage 4: 60-90 minutes per subject per week (with the exception of PE and PSHCE) ‍

Key Stage 5: 5 hours per subject per week minimum.

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

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What is it?

Promotes careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics using diverse and engaging activities across all key stages.

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Why is this important?

Over the next 20 years 62% of all new jobs created in the UK will be STEM related, and we currently have a skills shortage.
These jobs are essential to keep the UK competitive within global markets.
STEM graduates will earn on average £250 000 more than non-graduates over their lifetime.

In Partnership

What we offer:

Activities across all key stages including:

• KS3 – STEM club, CREST Star Awards, Rotary club competitions, IMYC link projects.
• KS4 – Trips (e.g. Science Live), visits from industry (e.g. Rolls Royce, RSC) CREST, STEM Leaders awards.
• KS5 – Headstart work placements, Visits (Rolls Royce, Festival of Science), invited expert speakers.

Throughout the academic year we provide a wide range of STEM related activities which our students can become involved in.

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We also have a weekly STEM related form time fact sheet and computer screen saver we send out to all students and staff to promote and raise awareness of STEM related activities.

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Dr Shaw within the science department is happy to speak to any parent/carer or student who wishes to get more involved in STEM related activities.

How you can help at home:

Use STEM career activity packs for parents/carers (e.g. futuremorph.org).
Watch Science, Technology and Engineering programs on TV/ internet together.
Access and discuss current news articles linked to STEM subjects.

Visit local STEM related attractions:

Eureka National children’s museum,
Sheffield, Magna Science adventure centre, Rotherham,
Science, Technology and Medicine Museum, Leeds.
Leeds City Museum