The Curriculum.

Curriculum design and provision are the foundation stones for high-quality teaching and learning. It helps us to ensure that we meet the aims of the school:

• A curriculum aiming for excellence where each student receives a high-quality and challenging education.
• A curriculum aiming for inclusion through an equity-based approach where each student is provided with what they need to be successful.
• A curriculum that develops a student’s resilience through a diverse range of experiences in different subject areas, challenging them in academic, creative and practical disciplines. 

Aims: 

Our curriculum aims to give:

• Personal Improvement – Young people taking control
• Cultural transmission – Knowing what’s expected
• Preparation for citizenship – Participating in society as British & global citizens
• Preparation for work – Achievement = prosperity

Nature of the Curriculum

Our curriculum is all the learning experiences, planned or guided by the school, whether carried out in groups or individually, inside or outside the school buildings.  It is planned proactively and reactively to ensure students have the knowledge, understanding and skills to succeed.

The curriculum is based on key principles. The principles provide a set of ideas in which the school and curriculum leaders keep the curriculum under review, ensuring that there is the right balance between them for the students at our school.

Principles of Curriculum Design at Connaught School for Girls

1. A Balanced Curriculum

Anticipating what is yet to come, we future-proof our students with a broad and balanced curriculum where technology and creative arts subjects are considered as important as the traditional Ebacc disciplines.  Students study all subjects in a 3-year Key Stage 3 to encourage them to discover personal fulfilment from finding their personal passions.  Students go on to study a more focused selection of subjects at GCSE level.  85-90% of students study subjects in each Ebacc pillar plus subjects from a range of options including technology and a variety of creative arts. 

Approximately 30% of students study three separate science GCSE’s and can have the option to choose two languages by entering a ‘fast-track’ programme in Year 9.  Approximately 10% of students are guided to study a reduced GCSE curriculum by studying a ‘Supportive Studies’ programme in place of one GCSE Option – usually Geography or History. This programme gives students more time to focus on work in core subjects and additional guidance and support. 

2. Rigour

Each subject develops key thinking skills that are developed through sustained engagement with the subject discipline, e.g:

• provenance and context in history
• cause and effect in science
• inverse relationships in mathematics.

Important capabilities of problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity skills are developed within each subject discipline to broaden and deepen what is taught. Particular academic rubric is enforced to ensure students know what is expected of them, e.g. structuring scientific investigation reports in science or laying out calculations in maths.

3. Coherence

Subject areas recognise the importance of drawing students to explicit connections between the different experiences they encounter, through identified cross-curricular links between subjects: 

• manipulation of equations or interpreting graphs in maths and science
• using coordinates and bearings in maths and geography
• transferring literacy and communication skills across all subjects

4. Vertical Integration

In every subject taught, there is a clear and planned sequencing of learning. Careful curriculum design for each subject is based on research and professional knowledge and each subject has its individual curriculum intent. It is clear that material taught at one point in time builds upon materials taught earlier and feeds into what is to be taught after, regularly ensuring learning is consolidated, revised and tested.

5. Focussed

Subjects are clear about the ‘big ideas’ of their subject area that encompass all the material they intend to be taught.  Each subject has a clear and focused curriculum intent and implementation schedule (how the content is taught, and appropriate to each year group).

6. Relevance

Every subject develops a curriculum relevant for the students at our school and curriculum areas strive to empower their learners. They teach in ways that are:

• enriching
• engaging
• enjoyable
• motivating

Students engage in a very broad and enriching range of subjects for their first three years at secondary school.  The curriculum and options process for study in the two years of studying GCSEs help students make informed decisions in which to study in more depth, e.g.:  The KS3 Geography curriculum includes both human and physical geography projects, KS3 Technology projects in KS3 all follow a thorough design process.

The school has an excellent CCPHSE and Careers programme that encourages students to explore a variety of careers/ occupations across all subjects and disciplines so that students are not limited whilst they themselves are discovering their social identity.  Similarly, students are given accurate and timely advice on essential subjects for particular careers.