Curriculum overview
What is our belief?
It is our belief that exceptional communication skills enhance the spiritual development, life chances and opportunities of all in the community.
Our curriculum is designed to ensure every child becomes an exceptional communicator.
Our curriculum mission:
· We want every child to flourish!
· We will offer an exceptional ‘pathway to success’ to sixth form, university and employment. So that every child enjoys lifelong learning and personal development.
· We will provide the very best teaching and learning in all subject areas
· We will offer opportunities that will enhance all student’s personal development
The Griffin Way at KS3:
We offer a personalised curriculum made up from 3 pathways. The ‘C’, ‘A’ and ‘R’ pathway. Pathways are identified individually for each student based on their ability and performance in English and Maths at KS2. In order to fully support this, we will offer:
• Fully supportive pastoral system with Pastoral Leads:
• Clear supportive schemes of learning in all subjects to map the Curriculum Intent for all teachers to implement.
• All lessons following the PAINSLEY model of teaching and learning.
• Success criteria in each and every lesson to support your son/daughter in achieving their true potential.
• Direct knowledge and spaced learning embedded into Schemes of Learning.
• Regularity of assessment and feedback to ensure your child understands how well they are progressing and what they need to do in order to further develop.
• Planned intervention and support sessions for those not on target.
Our enrichment curriculum, which includes extra-curricular activities, educational visits and leadership opportunities, is extensive and is available to all students. Our wide range of enrichment opportunities enables students to develop our core values of respect and friendship, whilst developing new skills, self-confidence, personal character and new friendships. Our enrichment curriculum opportunities can be accessed by clicking the following link:Our options offer at the end of Key Stage 3 maintains its breadth. We have a core curriculum offer which is accessible for all students and students personalise their examination pathways by selecting three option choices from an extensive list which is inclusive of GCSE and BTEC qualifications. Our core curriculum offer and our option choices can be seen below:
Key Stage 3 Pathway Example:
Year |
English |
Maths |
Science |
RE |
MFL |
History |
Geography |
DT |
PE |
Music |
IT |
Art |
Total |
7 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
50 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
50 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
50 |
Our options offer at the end of Key Stage 3 maintains its breadth. We have a core curriculum offer which is accessible for all students and students personalise their examination pathways by selecting three option choices from an extensive list which is inclusive of GCSE and BTEC qualifications. Our core curriculum offer and our option choices can be seen below:
Core Curriculum Offer |
||
English Language |
English Literature |
Mathematics |
Science |
Religious Education |
Geography / History |
French |
Core PE |
|
Option Subject Offer |
||
Computer Science |
Geography* (to allow students to study both History & Geography) |
Music |
DT Product Design |
Business |
Art |
Creative Imedia |
Sport |
Performing Arts |
Health and Social Care |
Key Stage 4 Pathway Example:
Teaching groups from Year 7, 8 and 9 no longer exist in Year 10. Pathways are identified individually for each student based on their ability and performance in English and Maths and Science. Students in Year 10 will be in sets within their pathway for each subject. Therefore, a student may be in A1 for some subjects and A2 for others. Option subjects are all taught in mixed ability.
Year |
English |
Maths |
Science |
RE |
MFL |
History/ Geography |
Core PE |
Option A |
Option B |
Total |
10 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
50 |
Key Stage 5 Academic Curriculum
Pupils in Key Stage 5 (Years 12 & 13 - Sixth Form) can choose from a selection of both academic A-Levels, NVQs and Vocational BTEC courses in a variety of subjects. See our current Prospectus for further information - Sixth Form Prospectus.
How can you support your son/daughter across the College?
• Providing the suitable time and space for work at home. See our homework timetable for expectations for each year group - Homework Timetable
Download the ‘Satchel 1’ app to help organise your son/daughter to meet deadlines effectively.
• Log into the SIMs app to track the conduct of your son/daughter.
• Make full use of ‘Unifrog’ to research different career paths
• Make use of the school website, which contains key information for your son/daughter’s curriculum areas.
• Be aware of assessment dates and display them in the home and encourage the implementation of a revision timetable.
• Throughout Key Stage 4 make use of examination board websites where mark schemes and past papers can be found.
Wellbeing
We are committed to the promotion of positive emotional wellbeing and mental health education.
Mental health and wellbeing is:
• at the heart of the school development plan.
• embedded in the Mission Statement and motto.
• evident in our anti-bullying work.
• supported through our pastoral structures, lay chaplain and family liaison worker.
• evident in our Safeguarding procedures – Safeguarding Lead (Mrs Kolawole) and Deputy Safeguarding Leads (Mrs Power, Mrs Walker, Mrs Turner, Mrs Shakespeare and Mrs Wynne-Jones).
• a key section of the Formation programme and Pastoral/Citizenship provision.
• shared with all staff through staff training and input from outside agencies.
PSHE AND RSE Formation
2 hourly session every month for Year 8 - 13 (Year 7 have timetabled PSHE, 1 hour per week)
• Personal development and the formation of whole child
• Citizenship, RSE, Careers, Well-Being, Study Skills
• Delivered by Formation Tutors
Our Wider Curriculum and Communication
Our wider curriculum aims to develop our students’ communication including their speaking, listening, reading and writing. Our classrooms are places of academic talk and our students are encouraged to use the language for learning during their classroom-based discussions and also in their written responses.
Development of Communication for the Whole College Community
It is our belief that exceptional communication skills enhance the spiritual development, life chances and opportunities of all in the community.
We have developed a staff/student and parent communication charter. Please see the link below for these charters:
Curriculum Pages: