Subjects
Curriculum Key Stage 3:
Students will receive double lessons for Food/Textiles and PE rather than separate single lessons. This will have the obvious benefit of reduction in movement time but also allow departments to be more innovative in their approach to teaching and learning. Students will have a block of a full morning each week with the Humanities and Arts Teams rather than three separate lessons. This has allowed provision for a much more innovative approach to focus on personal, learning and thinking skills and has incorporated delivery of Citizenship based around a competency based curriculum.
We are piloting, with two classes, one lesson each week that focus on delivering Science, Technology, Enterprise and Maths. Students build on prior knowledge and develop new skills based around the subjects mentioned above. They will be designing and marketing products to pupils and members of the local community. We intend to deliver these lessons in collaboration with our business partners in the neighbourhood.
Curriculum Key Stage 4:
When your child is in Year 9 they will pick which subjects they wish to study at GCSE. These are called Option Choices. For the first time ever we have introduced a personalised core curriculum which will allow us to tailor the curriculum to the needs of each individual student. We have created three ‘Pathways’ with different core content, these pathways are known as Arnold, Hill and School (A,H & S).
All students study statutory RE and PE. Citizenship is delivered during Tutor Time.
Heartstart is a course which runs each year and provides instruction for students in Years 10-11 in resuscitation techniques.
QISS—Quality in Study Support. Awarded in 2006, it recognised the wide range of activities in school that were being offered to students outside lessons. This not only related to clubs and residential visits, but study support coaching towards exam success.
There are lots of new courses this year which reflect an expansion in our provision of Applied and Vocational Learning opportunities. We aim to provide students with the most appropriate form of education possible so that they can achieve their personal best. There are several Intervention Strands to ensure your child has a personalised curriculum at Key Stage 4.
Technology in Teaching & Learning:
There are currently 700 PCs available for student use within classes and Resource areas, all of which are equipped with the relevant software and hardware for the subject areas they are in. There are also widespread printing facilities and opportunities for students to become involved in exciting projects utilising the Technnology the school has invested in. These include - but are not limited to - the IQ Prints Business & Enterprise Printing Project; the AHTV Television Channel project, focused on providing interesting and informative examples of school life through our digital signage systems and the opportunity to get involved with the school's STEM programme, which utilises all aspects of the school's Technology and ICT provision.
All staff are equipped with laptops. All classrooms are equipped with laptop docking stations, projectors and speakers. 28 of these classrooms also house interactive whiteboards. All classes have been redesigned or remodelled to allow ease of use of these IT facilities. We take pride in being a forward-thinking and innovative school, making full use of the IT facilities for the furthering of our students' education. All IT resources are used to their full extent.
