Curriculum Overview

Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 5

Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum:

  • is sequenced to enable students to build their knowledge and skills over time.
  • provides deep, sustained and valuable learning for all students, including those with SEND.
  • provides opportunities to develop levels of literacy and numeracy across all curricular areas.
  • promotes opportunities across the curriculum for the development of good student health and well-being.
  • recognises the importance of digital literacy and provides opportunities for the development of the skills students need to function safely and responsibly in a technological world.
  • provides a range of academic, technical and vocational courses which challenge, engage and motivate students.
  • develops cultural capital across a wide range of contexts and experiences.
  • ensures that all students make good progress irrespective of their starting point and those young people facing disadvantage are lifted from educational poverty.

We recognise that to provide our young people with rich learning experiences in a range of contexts it is crucial to work in partnerships with others. Expertise often lies beyond the school and learning opportunities are regularly planned with partner organisations including statutory and voluntary organisations as well as employers and charitable organisations.

Curriculum Offer

Towards the end of Year 9, students and their parents/carers make choices about which courses they will follow in Year 10, leading to the Key Stage 4 examinations and assessments at the end of Year 11.

The Academy promotes “EBacc for All” meaning all students study the core curriculum of English, Mathematics, Science, Geography or History, MFL, Physical Education and LIFE. This takes up approximately 80% of curriculum time.  Students are then able to choose from a wide range of courses in Key Stage 4, leading to both GCSE and BTEC qualifications. Full details of these courses are in the options booklet, which is distributed to all students and parents/carers during the course of Year 9.

Workskills is available for individual students on a bespoke timetable, for whom it may not be appropriate to study the full EBacc suite of subjects. This decision is made in collaboration between the student, parents/carers and pastoral staff.

All of the pathways available to students in Key Stage 4 lead on to further study in the Sixth Form.

EBacc

The Academy positively promotes the EBacc, and the majority of students now study the full Ebacc suite of subjects.

Our EBacc figures:

  • 2022 = 113/302 = 37%
  • 2023 = 206/300 = 69%
  • 2024 = 286/298 = 96%

How to obtain further information

If you require further information about the curriculum, please contact us by emailing  info@garforthacademy.org.uk