Curriculum

Parklands High School

Curriculum Policy

LEARN RESPECT ASPIRE ACHIEVE

Last reviewed September 2012. Next annual review due September 2013

Rationale The curriculum policy is a statutory requirement. The curriculum policy is essential to ensure ongoing developments to the curriculum and to help stakeholders to understand the underlying principles behind decisions already made and those made in the future that impact on the curriculum delivered. The policy should reflect the aims of the school and is based on a set of principles that lie at the heart of education:

All pupils of the school are entitled to a balanced, broad, coherent, relevant and personalised curriculum to suit their own specific needs and requirements.

The learning process should be stimulating, enjoyable and worthwhile in its own right.

All pupils should be enabled to fully access the curriculum irrespective of gender, ethnicity, belief, social or cultural background, academic ability, specialised need, learning difficulty or disability.

For each pupil success and positive experiences are essential in line with the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters and the principles of SEAL.

In addition all pupils must have access to the entitlement areas laid down in the National Curriculum 2008. The curriculum consists of all activities planned by the school to promote the intellectual, social, moral, spiritual, cultural and physical developments of the pupils with the aim of preparing pupils for their life beyond. Purposes

To ensure all pupils are offered a balanced, broad, coherent, relevant and personalised curriculum to suit their own specific needs and requirements.

To provide a vocationally relevant curriculum to world of work opportunities within and beyond Chorley and South Ribble.

To shape future organisational decisions related to curriculum plans/models.

To provide all stakeholders with an understanding of the underlying principles on which curriculum decisions are made.

To state clearly the responsibilities of each group of people, to ensure the best outcome for each individual pupil.

To ensure all forms/ styles of learning are valued and given emphasis with the appropriate accreditation/recognition.

To allow the curriculum to develop for the benefit of pupils of the school and the pupils of partnership schools where relevant.


Guidelines This policy has been devised in the light of the new National Curriculum 2008, the new GCSE syllabi requirements 2009, a variety of Government documents including ‘Learner entitlement’ and guidance of the Secondary Strategy. Responsibilities The Governing body

To review regularly the school curriculum policy and make amendments to reflect any changes nationally.

To have an overview of local and national issues that will affect and shape any future curriculum.

To have an overview of the local needs and ways the school curriculum may address these needs.

To have an overview of curriculum issues both in and outside school at Key Stage 3 and 4.

To have an overview of curriculum issues relating to Key Stage 2 and post 16 and the effect this has on the curriculum within 11- 16 providers and 14-19 providers.

To have an appropriate understanding of the school’s curriculum model and the impact this has on the curriculum on offer to pupils of the school and impact on pupil achievement and progress.

The Headteacher

To have an understanding of local and national issues that will affect and shape of any future curriculum.

To have an understanding of the local needs and ways the school curriculum may address these needs.

To have an understanding of issues relating to Key Stage 2 and post 16 and the effect this has on the curriculum within 11- 16 providers and 14-19 providers.

To ensure an appropriate and relevant curriculum is on offer to pupils of the school and to monitor its impact on the pupils with regard to standards, achievement and progress.

To annually review the curriculum model/plan.

To ensure a timetable is devised to reflect the needs of the pupils and financial restraints within which the school operates.


To work in partnership with Chorley and South Ribble curriculum strategy group to provide 14 – 19 partnership provision based on need and capacity.

The Strategic Leadership Team

To have an understanding of local and national issues and consider how this may affect the shape of any future curriculum.

To have an understanding of the local needs and consider ways the school curriculum may address these needs.

To have an understanding of issues relating to Key Stage 2 and post 16 and consider the implications for 11 - 16 and 14 - 19 learning.

To annually review the curriculum model/plan and present this to Governors and consult with other appropriate groups within the school and those within the 14-19 partnership.

To question staff and suggest ideas to develop the curriculum.

To devise a timetable to reflect the needs of the pupils and financial restraints within which the school operates.

To have a working understanding of the curriculum on offer in the curriculum areas they line manage.

To evaluate the impact of the curriculum regularly through line management of faculties.

The Curriculum Leader

To have a good understanding of local and national curriculum developments in their subject area consider how this may affect the shape of any future curriculum.

To have an understanding of the local needs and consider ways may these needs maybe addressed within their subject area.

To have an understanding of issues relating to Key Stage 2 and post 16 and consider the effect this has on the curriculum within their subject area.

To analyse pupil attainment data to evaluate relevance and effectiveness of curriculum provision.

To implement changes within their subject area to improve the curriculum being delivered based on pupil needs, abilities, aspirations, local and national agendas.

To actively seek to develop the curriculum for their subject area.


To ensure the curriculum is delivered in line with other school policies including the Learning and Teaching policy.

To review the curriculum in their subject area regularly.

To support the devising of a timetable to reflect the needs of the pupils within their subject area and the restraints of the whole school.

To monitor the curriculum regularly through line management of their curriculum area.

The Classroom Teacher

To deliver the curriculum in line with the school’s Learning and Teaching policy.

To ensure they have at least a good working knowledge of the area they are responsible for delivering.

To continually develop their knowledge of the curriculum they are responsible for delivering, particularly in light of the introduction of the new National Curriculum, and new GCSE specifications

Contribute their practical experience of the curriculum in action to the development of the curriculum.

To differentiate the curriculum delivered to enable access to all learners. The Support Staff

To develop a working knowledge of the curriculum in which they support pupils.

To use any individual skills to enhance and differentiate the curriculum.

To contribute their working knowledge of the curriculum in action to the development of the curriculum.

Procedures The curriculum model/plan will be reviewed annually by the SLT and presented to Governors and staff. The draft timetable will be written for discussion at SLT early in June each year to allow amendments and improvements to be made. Monitoring will take place throughout the year by a variety of means including Line Management meetings and analysis of appropriate data. Complaints made by parents will be dealt with informally and then through the usual school complaints procedure if an informal resolution is not achieved.

Last

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2012.

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2013

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Key to Subjects

Ar Art

Bs Business Studies

Cm Creative Media

Da Drama

Dn Dance

En English

Ev Evolve

Fn Food and Nutrition

Fo Food Technology

Fr French

Ft Food Technology

Ge German

Gg Geography

Gp Graphics Products

Gs Guided Study

Hi History

It Information Technology

La Languages

La Languages

Li Literacy

Ls Learning Skills

Ma Mathematics

Mt Music Technology

Mu Music

Nu Numeracy

Pe Physical Education

Ph Photography

Pt Prince's Trust

Re Religious Education

Rm Resistant Materials

Ru Russian

S+ Study Plus

Sb Sport

Sc Science

Sp Spanish

Ts Triple Science

Ws Work Skills

Xr Cross-Curricular Research

Pathways A pathway is essentially a group of subjects which are made part of the curriculum for a specific cohort of pupils. A differentiated pathway allows for a more bespoke approach to curriculum design for targeted pupil groups. Once differentiated, the needs of the pupils following a specific pathway can be more easily targeted, with the inclusion or exclusion of specific subjects. Pathways at Parklands are labelled a, b, and c. These pathways contain common elements as well as parts which are unique to that pathway and therefore that specific cohort of pupils.

Aspire, XR and Evolve

Our new transferable skills curriculum subjects Aspire, XR & Evolve have been developed in response to a recognition of the exponential development of technology in the workplace and life in general. The programmes of study for these subjects are underpinned by the principles of enquiry and immersive learning principles, giving relevance and depth to learning experiences This provides a framework within which a personal and group research project can be constructed to suit a pupils interpretation of a chosen themes. This structure also informs lesson planning, chronology, assessment and the development of schemes of work. XR and Evolve are study-skills and cross-curricular research programmes for years 7 and 9 pupils respectively, designed to develop personal competencies that will aid an effective transition from key stage 3 to 4. The main foci being research and independent learning skills.


Aspire focuses on Personal learning and thinking skills (PLTS), which are a fundamental part of developing lifelong learning attitudes and skills (problem solving, team working and self management). These skills are taught in response to the increasingly rapid changes in the work place, in part due to changing technology and as a result of changing social needs in the context of globalisation.

Respect Days

Each Year group is involved in one Respect day every half term. These days include elements of personal, social and health education as well as incorporating the citizenship programme. The delivery style is in a combination of large group presentation and 'break-out' discussion forums. The programme of study includes external providers as 'expert' deliverers giving the topics covered real world relevance and purpose. Option Choices

Year 9 Year 10

Creative Option Creative Option Option X Option Y

Art Art Art Business Studies

Computing Creative Media Drama Computing

Creative Media Drama Food & Nutrition Creative Media

Dance Music Technology Geography Dance

Drama Music Graphic Products Geography

Graphic Products Physical education Health & Social Care History

Music Photography History Music

Music Technology Sport Resistant Materials Sport

Triple Science

Year 11

Option X Option Y

Art Art

Drama Business Studies

Food & Nutrition Creative Media

Geography Dance

Graphic Products Geography

Health & Social Care German

History History

Resistant Materials Music

Triple Science Physical Education


Key Stage 4 Courses and Qualifications The following table indicates the courses studied at Key Stage 4, whether the course id optional or core (studied by all) and the qualification it leads to.

Course Type Qualification

Art Pupil option GCSE

Business Studies Pupil option GCSE

Computing Pupil option GCSE

Creative Media Pupil option BTEC

Dance Pupil option BTEC

Drama Pupil option GCSE

English Core for all GCSE

Food and Nutrition Pupil option GCSE

French Pathway core GCSE

Geography Pupil option GCSE

Graphic Products Pupil option GCSE

German Pathway core GCSE

Health & Social Care Pupil option GCSE

History Pupil option GCSE

ICT Core for all OCR National

Mathematics Core for all GCSE

Music Pupil option GCSE

Music Technology Pupil option NCFE

Physical Education Core for all GCSE

Photography Pupil option GCSE

Prince’s Trust Award Pathway core Prince’s Trust

Religious Education Core for all GCSE

Resistant Materials Pupil option GCSE

Science Core for all GCSE

Sport Pupil option BTEC

Triple Science Pupil option GCSE

Workskills Pathway core BTEC

Documents

Curriculum