Curriculum Intent

 

The curriculum offers a broad and balanced education suited to students of all abilities and across the full age range.

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The curriculum is ambitious but accessible, flexible, challenging and inclusive and ensures entitlement for all learners offering continuity and coherence whilst promoting high standards.

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Students are offered choices which enable them to follow personalised learning pathways within a framework of equality of opportunity.

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Our intention is that all students leave St Matthias with the qualifications, skills, knowledge and character to access their chosen Educational next steps and lead to a life that includes positive relationships, resilience and financial independence.

 

Principally the curriculum aims:

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• To prepare students for the next stage of their education, training or employment;

• To raise student attainment in all subjects, particularly in English and Mathematics;

• To contribute effectively to students’ intellectual, physical and personal attainment and development;

• To develop all the cognitive levels of Bloom’s taxonomy for all students;

• To be engaging, motivating, exciting and allow students to achieve, as well as developing inquisitive and reflective minds – fostering a love of learning;

• To be appropriate for the age, ability, gender and ethnicity of students;

• To provide continuity and progression throughout the key stages;

• To provide a suitable and effective learning environment for those students requiring enhanced provision, including very able students and those with statements of special need, and for those who have English as an additional language;

• To provide equality of access and opportunity for all students to learn and progress;

• To provide access to extra-curricular activities for the purpose of enrichment;

• To widen students’ vocabulary and use of Academic language;

• To foster determination, reasoning, communication and curiosity (DRCC);

• To encourage high expectations and aspirations – a culture of success;​

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Curriculum Implementation

 

In order to fulfil these ideals, our five-year ‘through-curriculum’ model requires students to engage with a wide range of subjects in Years 7 to 9 and then provides a more bespoke approach through our ‘options routes’ in Years 10 and 11.

 

The school’s curriculum follows statutory requirements and the requirements of the National Curriculum.

Our timetable spans 5 days with 6 fifty-minute lessons each day.

 

In all subjects, we aim to manage the progression from Primary schools by building on the learning that has taken place during KS2, whilst preparing our students for GCSE qualifications at the end of Year 11.

 

Students are set (based on KS2 data and/or a range of standardised assessments) so that they can learn with their peers of similar ability and to ensure that the teaching can be targeted to meet their academic needs and so reach their potential in Year 11.

 

Three yearly data collections, based on a wide evidence base, ensures students’ progress is monitored and interventions are put in place for students who are considered to be ‘not on track’.

 

Within KS4 some ‘option’ subjects are mixed ability groups however targeted teaching ensures appropriate challenge.

 

Literacy, Numeracy and the use of new technologies are embedded within the delivery of all subjects.

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Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9)

 

Within Key Stage 3 students follow a broad and balanced curriculum based on the National Curriculum. The Core subject block weekly allocations are stated below for each subject. The Carousel block for Year 7 and 8 runs on a 5-6 week rota and by the end of the year students will have studied all subjects in this block.

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