Curriculum

At Winterton Community Academy, the National Curriculum is broadly followed, with the needs of pupils placed at the heart of the curriculum.  Please click on the link below to view the details of the national curriculum.

Secondary National Curriculum

Please click on the link below to view the further aims and intent of our subject curriculum.

Curriculum intent

It is the intent of our curriculum to ensure that all pupils attending Winterton Community Academy are ‘Safe, Happy and Successful’ and are prepared for the next phase of their education and life.  Our curriculum intends to provide our pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens.  It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

Winterton Community Academy is inclusive with high aspirations for all learners, ensuring that disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils are provided with the appropriate and relevant support to ensure their potential is not limited by their context, as supported by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.

We aim to provide a broad range of enrichment opportunities as a part of our wider curriculum to enhance pupil’s experience and build on our values of Respect, Hard Work and Positivity.

     The academy curriculum is intended to broaden our pupils’ emotional and multicultural awareness, developing values and building respect and tolerance.  We seek to reward success, balancing the need for hard work with a sense of enjoyment for school life as a whole.

At Winterton Community Academy, we believe that our Relationship,Sex and Health Education (RSHE), Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Spiritual, Social, Moral and Cultural (SMSC) provision contribute to a positive and tolerant culture in our community. We pride ourselves on delivering a curriculum which develops students holistically, ensuring that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain. They are able to envision ‘the bigger picture’ and show that learning is linked to the real world and experiences. These themes are carefully chosen in order to encourage students’ awareness and understanding of their protected characteristics within The Equality Act 2010.

   Our intent is to equip students with the essential learning skills of literacy and numeracy, ensuring they do not become limiting factors to accessing the curriculum, with a focus on developing the range of complex vocabulary.  The development of student language and oracy is paramount because we understand how vital it is for our students to build confidence in their communication skills, not only for their time in school but also to prepare them for life.

     The academy curriculum intent is to provide the foundations for life and the progression to the next phase.  This includes careers education which is guided by the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Implementation

The timetabled week is 25 x 1 hour lessons, with tutorial for 20 minutes (5 lessons and tutorial each day), where pupils are in tutor groups with pupils from within the same year group.

Prior to pupils beginning in Year 7, the transition phase prepares both the staff and pupils.

Staff in both Mathematics and English work with primary feeder schools to develop continuity in teaching and learning between Key Stages 2 and 3.

Pastoral staff visit the primary schools to facilitate the transfer process.

Open Days / Evening and other transition days enable pupils to familiarise themselves with the working day at the academy.  Additional visits for specific pupils are also encouraged to enhance the transition experience.

Key Stage 3

The curriculum in Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) offers breadth, built around the foundations of progressive knowledge and skills required to enable progress.  It is important that it is appropriately sequenced.

The Subject Leaders are the experts and are responsible for the construction and implementation of the curriculum within each subject, ensuring that every individual has an opportunity to progress.

Students in Key Stage 3 are ‘streamed’ based on their academic ability.  In English, Mathematics and Science, students are placed in ‘Sets’ based on their ability.

This is predominantly informed through the use of Standard Assessment Tests (SAT’s) in Key Stage 2 and also Cognitive Ability Tests (CAT’s) upon entry to the academy.  They provide key information about the academic ability and potential of each student and enable us to group students with others of similar ability and learning style.

Through the use of additional assessments, including Reading Tests and subject formative / summative assessments, we develop a profile of each student that supports decisions regarding the appropriate groupings.

At Key Stage 3 each subject follows the National Curriculum, providing the pupils with the knowledge, skills and attributes to be proficient learners and also providing an effective transition into Key Stage 4.

In Key Stage 3 the pupils will study:

·   English Language & Literature

·   Mathematics

·   Science

·   History

·   Geography

·   Religious Education

·   French

·   Design & Technology

·   Physical Education

·   Performing Arts

·   Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)

During the Spring term of Year 9, pupils will prepare for the beginning of their Key Stage 4 courses in Year 10. 

Guidance is offered through:

·   Careers within the curriculum

·   Tutorial

·   Subject presentations

·   Careers Convention

At Winterton Community Academy we are determined to ensure this guidance process is a well informed and positive experience in order for the right decisions to be made.  The structure of the programme has the individual pupil as a focus, with consideration given to the expectations placed on the academy and also by the academy to offer professional advice and guidance.  All learners and parent/carers are also invited to a guidance presentation in the Spring Term of Year 9.  The process of consultation and assigning the pupils to subjects continues through to July of Year 9.

Key Stage 4

The Key Stage 4 curriculum is studied in Years 10-11 (a 2 year curriculum) following guidance and support when pupils are in Year 9, offering pupils the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding as they prepare for end of KS4 exams.

At Key Stage 4 the following subjects are compulsory and form the core curriculum:

·   English Language & Literature

·   Mathematics

·   Science (Separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Combined / Trilogy Science)

·   Physical Education (Core)

·   Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)

In English, Mathematics and Science, students are assigned to ‘Sets’ based on their academic ability in those subjects.

In addition, the following subjects form the foundation curriculum and are available to all students as part of the ‘Options’ process and transition to Key Stage 4.

·   French

·   Geography

·   History

·   GCSE PE

·   Art

·   Photography

·   Health & Social Care

·   Business / Enterprise

·   Performing Arts

·   Hospitality & Catering

In addition, the AQA Unit Award Scheme is studied to support specific pupils in their transition to the next stage of their life and to develop confidence through regular recognition. 

Whatever programme students eventually follow, staff, in partnership with students and their parents / carers, will encourage each individual to achieve their best personal growth and academic progress.  Furthermore, we will work together to nurture the development of engaged, happy and aspirational young adults who have the skills, character and qualities to progress with confidence into the wider adult world.

The Subject Leaders are responsible for the implementation of the curriculum within each subject.

Impact

The curriculum sets out what is being taught and must enable pupils to have a deepened understanding of the required knowledge and application skills.  How the impact of that is assessed has a direct impact on the quality of provision moving forward and will be measured in a variety of ways, including:

·   Planned and scheduled assessments for each year group across the breadth of the curriculum with a particular focus linked to the appropriate curriculum        content

·   Literacy assessments for pupils on entry to the Academy, acting as a baseline, prior to subsequent actions and secondary assessments to assess the              impact of interventions given

·   Termly data collections to monitor pupil progress and identify the required subsequent actions

·   Student Voice activities

·   Pupil engagement in Extended Learning tasks

·   Monitoring of Teaching and Learning within lessons

·   Work scrutiny activities

·   Academy Leadership Meetings

·   Line Management Meetings

·   Departmental Meetings

These qualitative assurance methods are not definitive and others will be included.  However, they are essential in evaluating the impact of the curriculum, leading to subsequent actions.