CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Through our curriculum we aim to personally empower students by developing in them the ability to act in pursuit of positive personal fulfillment.
Our approach is underpinned by a belief that:
- Strong academic outcomes provide students with the foundation to excel in the next and future stages of their learning.
- Highly developed character attributes provide students with the means to develop positive emotions, build and sustain positive relationships, find purpose and meaning in their lives and feel a sense of accomplishment.
The curriculum for each subject can be viewed by exploring the curriculum map for the particular subject/qualification. To find out more about the topics and character development within each subject please click here to visit our dedicated curriculum map and class arrangement website. This website also explains how hours are allocated across the subjects and how our classes are organised throughout Years 7-11.
KEY STAGE 3
Our curriculum throughout Years 7 and 8 is broad and balanced. It ensures that students have the opportunity to study a range of subject disciplines so that they not only develop their knowledge and skills in a wide range of contexts, but are able to discover what excites them as individuals and what ignites their passion for learning.
Our curriculum is designed to engender strong literacy and numeracy skills, including a focus on developing a rich vocabulary so that students are fully able to express themselves both in school and beyond. To ensure that students are 'world ready', all students learn about emotional literacy, social issues, health education, citizenship and world affairs through the 'Learning about Life' curriculum and tutor program..
Our extra curricular program is diverse providing an arena for students to further develop their character and explore their passions. Some of our activities include Rugby club, Acapella group, STEM club, the school eco-council , and our twilight Latin programme.
The curriculum is timetabled in a ten-day cycle of one hour lessons. The size of our school enables us to cover a wide range of courses and meet students’ individual needs.
YEAR 8 GRADUATION : A SPRINGBOARD FOR SUCCESS AT KEY STAGE 4
At Warden Park Secondary Academy, we believe that grades are important, however becoming a successful young adult is also about being able to show resilience, determination, kindness, pride and self-motivation. The graduation program is also about supporting your child to develop the excellent learning habits and routines needed for success in Key Stage 4 and beyond.
Becoming a successful graduate is about excelling in five key sections : Excellent attendance, Excellent character for learning (CfL), Excellent Progress, Grit, and Kindness in the community. Students need to score well in each section. The scores will all go towards determining their level of graduation at the end of the year. There will be a special graduation ceremony in the summer term where all students will be celebrated and certificates will be awarded.
There are a number of ‘Subject Specialisms’ that students can choose to complete which will enable them to graduate in a certain area. Sometimes these areas of specialism are outside of our normal curriculum which gives students the opportunity to learn about new and exciting subjects e.g. Specialisms in Philosophy and Business and Enterprise.
KEY STAGE 4
Students begin their GCSE studies in Year 9. This enables students to:
- focused on chosen subject areas allowing for deepening of understanding and development of key skills.
- to personalise their learning
- participate in enrichment options within curriculum areas
In order to ensure that students are studying a varied curriculum, students must select one option from the following: History, Geography, Spanish, French or Computer Science. These subjects provide excellent progression opportunities to a variety of qualifications at A-Level and beyond. They are considered to be subjects of extremely high value in helping to ensure all students study a broad and balanced curriculum at Key Stage 4. Through this requirement we ensure that all students have access to the Ebacc and in 2020 62% of students were entered for the Ebacc compared to a national average of 40% (2019).
As a result of our three year Key stage 4, we encourage almost all students to undertake 3 single science GCSE’s. Students study a core curriculum, in addition to 4 GCSE options alongside non-examined qualifications PE and learning about life.
Our learning about life lessons in Year 9 & 10 also offer students a further enrichment opportunity, whereby in the final half term students must opt for an enrichment option outside of their regular curriculum. This could include art, graphics, environmental awareness and sustainability, a South American cultural study or the holocaust to name a few.
Our Key Stage 4 curriculum is enhanced by our Twilight Curriculum, where students have the opportunity to study a range of formal qualifications and accreditations in addition to their regular curriculum. At present this includes qualifications such as The Higher Project, GCSE Latin, Enterprise & Marketing, AS Computer Science, Young Enterprise & The Duke of Edinburgh.
For more information on our Key Stage 4 Curriculum, click here
