CURRICULUM

Our curriculum is designed to foster thought, curiosity and a desire for learning in all pupils, regardless of their backgrounds, strengths and needs. It should be a gateway to opportunity and to a fulfilling and prosperous life in modern Britain and beyond.

Our curriculum also reflects national policy and priorities. The School’s curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need  to  be  educated  citizens,  and  also  helps  to  engender  an  appreciation  of  human  creativity and achievement. The  curriculum  provides  an  outline  of  core  knowledge  around  which  teachers  can  develop  exciting   and   stimulating   lessons   to   promote   the   development   of   pupils’   knowledge,   understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum. This  page  sets  out  the  curriculum  that  underpins  teaching  and  learning  at  the  School.  The  curriculum  will  serve  the  aims  of  the  School  and  its  community.    This  is  defined  through  the  School’s mission of educational excellence, character development and service to communities.

In line with the Star Quality Standards, the curriculum actively promotes equality for all through both its content and delivery. Full details are contained in the Annual Equalities Statement.

We aim to ensure that all pupils have access to the curriculum and are not disadvantaged by any disabilities or special educational needs. Full details are contained in the SEND Information Report, Policy and Guidance.

Our curriculum serves the aims of Star Academies the Multi-Academy Trust which manages the school:

  • To transform the educational achievement of our young people.
  • To elevate the life chances of young people in areas of social and economic deprivation – from all backgrounds – to help them succeed at the highest levels of education, employment and the professions.
  • To lead a drive based on rigour and high expectations designed to improve standards.
  • To mould pupils into active British citizens, with a sense of responsibility for their actions.
  • To encourage pupils’ social participation within their community.
  • To promote the development and nurturing of young leaders.
  • To give pupils a practical and more successful understanding of their rights and responsibilities in society.
  • To allow pupils to develop their individuality.
  • To promote the physical and mental development of pupils.
  • To empower pupils with the necessary skills and abilities to play a full and inclusive role within society, consistent and comfortable with their beliefs and principles.
  • To fulfil Trust and statutory requirements.
  • To support the mission, vision and values of the Trust and its establishments.
The Star Curriculum Offer

The curriculum will operate at three levels and will address its pupils’ academic, personal and social development.

The three individual elements of learning will each provide a different component to the education of every pupil. Intellectual, personal and social maturity will be the goal of these structured layers of learning at the School.

Element 1: Educational Excellence

At the core of the School’s curriculum will be a specialist and obligatory menu at Key Stages 3 and 4 for all pupils of academic subjects leading to the English Baccalaureate and including English, mathematics, sciences, languages, humanities, arts and technology.

Subject content will largely be driven by the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 and by specifications of national examinations at Key Stages 4 and 5.

The School believes that every pupil can benefit from an ambitious, rich and deep, academic curriculum that is supplemented by vocational courses to provide a breadth of experience. Therefore, Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications (GCSEs, A Levels and vocational courses) will be appropriate for all bar a very small number.

For these small number of pupils with special educational needs, the School will design a bespoke route which will be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the pupils concerned in any specific cohort. A personalised pathway for these pupils would be likely to include entry level and pre-GCSE courses. The School will, nevertheless, expect these pupils to participate fully in mainstream lessons, and to gain the full benefits of the school’s Leadership Specialism.

The school also believes that there should be opportunities for learning in performance and creative arts – including music, drama and/or art. Furthermore, pupils should also have teaching related to technical learning – including subjects such as computer science, Digital Information Technologies, Graphics Design and/or textiles.

Element 1 will be delivered mainly through the formal taught curriculum.

Element 2: Character Development

Concurrently with the core academic curriculum, pupils will participate in a programme of leadership development organised around Star’s five leadership foundations of sport, creativity, performing arts, enterprise and careers, charity and social action.

The leadership specialism will help pupils develop key personal skills and aptitudes, including oral communication, personal effectiveness, entrepreneurship, self-actualisation, problem-solving and enhanced emotional intelligence. Through a focused and integrated approach to arts, culture and tradition, pupils will benefit from deep learning through direct experiences, visual displays, handling artefacts, live performances, cultural exchanges and outside visits. These extra-curricular dimensions of learning will be at the heart of the school.

Element 2 will mainly be delivered through extra-curricular activities and pupils’ independent studies in their own time.

Element 3: Service to Communities

The curriculum for this element is linked to leadership foundation of Star Citizens and will be structured to help the development of social enterprise, volunteering and service to communities.

Pupils will acquire, through a range of individualised programmes, insights into social education and experiential community activities; with ‘hands-on’ and participative learning at the fore. For example, Key Stage 4 pupils may have the opportunity to undertake an extended placement working for a charity or for another community organisation. Key Stage 5 pupils will undertake a ‘finishing’ element to acquaint them with the customs, morals, behaviours and expectations of contemporary adult and professional life.

As this element is based on pupil voluntary work, there will only be limited taught time in school. As well as the service learning and placements via the Citizenship curriculum, all pupils will aim to undertake 50 hours of voluntary work a year.

Leadership Specialism

The School believes that the Leadership specialism will extend and enrich the central core of the school curriculum, thus enabling pupils to deepen their knowledge and skills through application and enquiry. They will create opportunities from which pupils will acquire ‘employability,’ and make contacts which will increase their chances of progressing to work or on to Further or Higher Education.

The School’s Leadership offer is designed to instil the three interdependent Star Leadership Virtues of Performance Leadership, Moral Leadership and Civic Leadership – virtues that together ensure our pupils not only ‘do their best’ but ‘do the right thing’ and play a full role in society.

Curriculum time will be allocated to the Leadership Specialism in a number of ways:

  • Through timetabled periods;
  • Discretely in half-termly Leadership Days;
  • Through cross-curricular working;
  • Through the project-based learning involved in the service to communities element of the School’s offer.

The leadership Days will:

  • Offer pupils the opportunity to apply their developing leadership skills in real and simulated situations;
  • Expose pupils to new ways of considering leadership through guest speakers, lecturers and facilitators;
  • Offer pupils the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of leadership through research and enquiry;
  • Develop further pupils skills in debating and public speaking through competitions and showcases;
  • Allow pupils to develop a leadership portfolio.

Leadership development will also be a focus in every faculty and subject:

  • Every faculty in the School, and every subject offered, will make a contribution to the achievement of the Star Leadership Virtues.
  • A key feature of the delivery of the GCSE core subjects will be the application of their knowledge and understanding to the specialism where the connections are meaningful.
  • Relevant qualifications in leadership, which have currency and recognition with higher education and employers, will also be utilised to support progression.

Careers Guidance, Work-related Learning and Enterprise Skills

The School will have a structured careers’ programme published on the school website. There will be an identified senior leader with oversight for the programme. Careers guidance will meet the Gatsby Benchmarks in line with the Careers and Enterprise Policy. Careers’ education will be provided in four major strands:

  • In the first strand, the school will facilitate the delivery of impartial information, advice and guidance. This will allow all pupils to receive advice and guidance on career progression at regular intervals throughout the year.
  • The second strand is the provision of careers’ guidance and development of work-related skills in the PSHE curriculum.
  • The third strand of the careers guidance comes from Star’s five leadership foundations and provision of community service, work experience opportunities, visits from employers and a careers fair for pupils at Key stage 4 and 5. This will include at least one meaningful encounter with an employer each year, starting in Year 7.
  • The fourth strand is the explicit linkage of the taught curriculum to careers with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to raise aspirations.

In addition to the careers guidance and work-related experiences, enterprise skills will also be developed through the delivery of ‘Leadership Days’ for all pupils.

The School will monitor the effectiveness of their careers programme by:

  • Taking annual feedback from pupils, parents, teachers and employers;
  • Maintaining and tracking each pupil’s records of careers guidance and agreed decisions. These records will be shared with pupils to support their career development;
  • Maintaining accurate data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations for at least 3 years after they leave school.

Enrichment through the curriculum

The School has a firm commitment that learning in each curriculum area should not just be about delivering a Scheme of Work or programme of study to achieve outstanding examination results, but should also be about pupils enjoying learning and developing creativity within that subject.

Each curriculum area will be expected to develop enrichment activities for learners and to signpost these activities.

Enrichment within curriculum areas should be aimed at:

  • Increasing enjoyment within that curriculum area;
  • Providing challenge and developing independent learning in gifted and talented pupils in the curriculum area;
  • Developing the profile of the curriculum area or particular skills and themes within that area;
  • Linking the curriculum area to the School’s Leadership specialism and providing access to activities within each of Star’s five leadership foundations of sport, creativity, performing arts, enterprise and careers, charity and social action.
  • Each curriculum area will develop their enrichment activity in the coming academic year. Enrichment will include:

– Development of clubs linked to one or more curriculum areas;

– Development of faculty-based trips and outdoor learning opportunities;

– Identifying external facilitators to engage pupils;

– Celebrating a particular ‘National Day’ or ‘World Week’ related to an issue of relevance to the curriculum area and the school’s Leadership specialism.

– Participation in competitions relating to the application of learning across the curriculum.

The enrichment activities will be delivered during:

  • Weekday evening sessions on particular days of the week when intervention sessions are not usually scheduled;
  • Lessons to celebrate a particular ‘National Day’ or ‘ World Week’ related to an issue of relevance to the curriculum area;
  • Weekends and early mornings/evenings where appropriate.

The current after school enrichment programme can be seen here:

Key Stage 3 and 4

At the core of the Academy’s curriculum will be a specialist and obligatory menu at Key Stages 3 and 4 for all pupils of academic subjects leading to the English Baccalaureate including English, Mathematics, Sciences, Languages and Humanities.

To view our Year 7 Curriculum Guidance Booklet, please click here.
To view our Year 8 Curriculum Guidance Booklet, please click here.
To view our Year 9 Curriculum Guidance Booklet, please click here.
To view our KS4 Curriculum Guidance Booklet, please click here.

Key Stage 3

The Academy operates a three-year Key Stage 3 in all core subjects. All pupils will follow a traditional model of study, which involves core and foundation subjects following the national curriculum. Pupils are offered extra time for English and Mathematics where necessary.

Key Stage 3 will:
• Be focused on deep body of knowledge (what they know) & diverse skills (what they can do) to succeed.
• Involve teaching a coherent, sequenced & ambitious scheme of work for each subject.
• Include enrichment activities enhance learning beyond the classroom.
• Allow for an ambitious Key Stage 4, which has real depth (increasing complexity and rigour) and breadth (coverage of the full extent of the curriculum).

Courses Available at Key Stage 3
Subject Exam Information
English Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Mathematics Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Science Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
History Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Geography Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
French Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Arabic

Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3

 

Urdu Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Computing Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
P.E. Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Religious Education Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
PSHE Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Art Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Music Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
D & T Non-examinable course at Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4

The Academy operates a two-year Key Stage 4 in all subjects. Pupils make their GCSE choices in vocational subjects towards the end of year 9 .Across Years 10 and 11, most pupils will follow a combination of subjects which will enable them to achieve the English Baccalaureate, where they are also offered extra time for English and Mathematics where necessary. The primary focus is to ensure that every pupil makes above expected progress in English and Mathematics.

Key Stage 4 will:

  • Provide real ambition, depth, complexity and rigour in each subject.
  • Emphasise extensive breadth in each curriculum area, to avoid ‘teaching to the test’.
  • Include time dedicated to forging links between topics and themes, applying knowledge to increasingly complex settings and developing skills through an iterative process and refinement.

A very small number of pupils will undertake an alternative vocational pathway. This will be a targeted pathway which will ensure SEN pupils, including those supported with an educational health care plan (EHCP) and those newly arrived to the country, are supported in their learning to ensure they make rapid progress. Pupils will complete nationally and industry recognised awards and qualifications, developing a personalised portfolio to include GCSE’s and vocational achievements.

Courses Available at Key Stage 4
Subject Course Title Core/Option Exam Board Specification Start Finish
English GCSE English Language Core AQA 8700 Year 10 Year 11
GCSE English Literature Core AQA 8702 Year 10 Year 11
Maths GCSE Mathematics Core Edexcel 1MA1 Year 10 Year 11
Sciences GCSE Science (Combined Trilogy) Core – pupils study either combined or separate science AQA 8464 Year 10 Year 11
GCSE Separate Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) AQA

Biology (8461)

Chemistry (8462)

Physics (8463)

Year 10 Year 11
Humanities GCSE History Core – pupils study one of the Humanities courses AQA 8145 Year 10 Year 11
GCSE Geography AQA 8035 Year 10 Year 11
Languages GCSE French Core – pupils study one language starting from year 10 AQA 8658 Year 10 Year 11
GCSE Arabic Edexcel 1AA0 Year 10 Year 11
GCSE Urdu AQA 8648 Year 10 Year 11
Computing GCSE Computer Science Pupils study one of the computing courses OCR J277 Year 10 Year 11
Interactive Media Level 2 NCFE 60308527 Year 10 Year 11
Religious Studies GCSE Religious Studies Core AQA 8062 Year 10 Year 11
Physical Education Sports Studies Level 1/2

 

Option

OCR J813 Year 10 Year 11
Physical Education Core n/a n/a Year 10 Year 11
Art GCSE Art and Design Option AQA 60180882 Year 10 Year 11
D & T GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition Option AQA 8585 Year 10 Year 11
Withdrawal from Curriculum

The school curriculum is designed to provide broad and balanced, knowledge-rich and deep leadership experience. The School believes that it is important that pupils participate in all aspects of the formal and informal curriculum.

Parents and carers may ask that a pupil should be wholly or partly withdrawn from Religious Education. Parents wishing to do so should contact the Principal to discuss this request as the School remains responsible for supervision and for ensuring that the request does not impact on a child’s attendance at school. As all subjects within the curriculum contribute to developing pupils spiritually, morally, socially and culturally there will be occasions when spontaneous enquiries made by pupils on religious matters arise in other areas of the curriculum. Circumstances will vary, but responses to such enquiries are unlikely to constitute Religious Education within the meaning of the legislation and a parent would not be able to insist on a child being withdrawn every time issues relating to religion and spiritual values were raised.

The 1996 Education Act (Section 405) gives parents the right to withdraw their child from all or any part of the SRE programme other than those elements in the Science curriculum. Any parents who may be considering the exercise of this right should first make an appointment with the Senior Leader responsible for pastoral support to discuss what such a decision may involve.

Organisation of Learning

The organisation of learning and the curriculum will be structured around a series of faculties. Each faculty will have responsibility for delivering a range of subject areas and will ensure that the quality of learning reaches the highest standards.

Formal assessments of learning are conducted according to our Assessment, Recording and Reporting Policy and targets are shared with pupils and their parents regularly.

For more information on our curriculum, please contact Mrs Daria Makarova, Assistant Principal, info@ebbhameast.staracademies.org