This page is under review and currently being updated

All of the work we do aims to ensure that every student can thrive and be successful regardless of starting points or background.

Our curriculum is broad and balanced, aiming to allow all students the opportunities to be successful.  Our curriculum offer, along with the structure of the school day, is described in more detail through the 'Curriculum' link to the right of the page.

Whilst each subject is unique, there are some specific key pedagogies that students will experience in every lesson.  These are described below.

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria (LISCs)

Teachers share explicitly with the students the learning intention each lesson, and the success criteria by which students and staff can judge progress towards meeting a learning goal. The link below - which was an assembly to students, shares with parents / carers our approach. The key questions to ask of the students when they are at home is : What did you learn today, and how do you know if you were successful? 

No Hands Up Questioning

To encourage maximum engagement in lessons, all staff use no hands up, cold calling questioning in lessons.  Our rationale for this is explained in the following blog post: Hands down the best way to get all involved 

Silent 'Do Now' Activities

Staff start all lessons with a 'do now' task that, where appropriate, is completed in silence.  This is to ensure a calm start to lessons and maximise engagement.  You can find out more about this by reading the following blog: If Learning Floats on a Sea of Talk, When is Silence Golden?

Revision Techniques

To equip students to be successful in assessments at all levels of school, we deliberately teach the following revision techniques:

• Year 7 - Using knowledge organisers (all knowledge organisers can be accessed remotely here using the links on the right of the page)
• Year 8 - Flashcards
• Year 9 - Mindmaps
• Year 10/11 - Use of all of the above.  Flashcard revision as part of the tutor programme using the Leitner method

Pride in Presentation

Students are expected to take pride in all aspects of their work at school; this includes work in lessons, their uniform, and the way they conduct themselves in lessons and at social times.  We ask students to audit their work each half term to ensure they are following certain basic expectations, these are shown in the table below.  To help achieve these things, students are expected to bring basic equipment with them to school each day: pen, pencil ruler, rubber, calculator, pencil sharpener, glue and a different coloured pen (preferably green).

Pride in yourself and your learning.

Ensure every piece of work has a title and a date.

Ensure a blue or black pen is used along with the neatest possible handwriting.

Ensure a pencil is used for diagrams.

Ensure errors are crossed out with 1 line.

Ensure work is graffiti free.

Ensure work is organised and worksheets are ordered and glued into books.

Ensure all work is completed.

Ensure active listening occurs (sit up, listen, ask and answer questions, track the teacher; take an interest).