Curriculum Rationale

"We engage with all within our Trust and beyond to enable them to show the world their particular strengths, their ideas and their passion." Lydiate Learning Trust

Lydiate Learning Trust schools believe that all our students have the right to a fully inclusive and diverse curriculum. A curriculum that is knowledge-based and which will equip our students with key skills for every stage in their educational lives and beyond. We believe we empower individuals through learning producing confident young adults with high levels of perseverance, proficiency and integrity.

Our schools plan their curriculum based on proven research but aim to encourage curiosity, discovery, creativity, co-operation, resilience and independence.

At LLT we include not only the formal requirements of a curriculum but also extra-curricular and deeper learning that are carefully planned in order to enrich the student’s experience. We look to enhance everyone’s cultural capital. We promote an enterprising culture that creates close working partnerships with businesses and wider partners.

We place a strong emphasis on reading, writing, oracy and mathematics in every year group.

In addition, the individual school based within LLT is centred around its locality and community and our students are encouraged to contribute to the development of the local community and economy. Our students are developed as active citizens both in terms of their personal health and wellbeing and also support others.

Trust schools build on the work students undertake and the curriculum followed at KS2 working closely with feeder primary schools. Similarly, our schools prepare students for the next stage in their education journey taking extra care at each transition point throughout KS3 and KS4 and working in partnership with Higher Education establishments and employers at KS5.

LLT provides overall guiding aims and principles to assist the development of the curriculum in each school.

The Deyes High School curriculum is structured in a way that equally values all National Curriculum subjects in providing our young people with an exceptional learning experience.

Our curriculum structure is enabled through:

• a 2-week timetable that allows for careful allocation of time to each subject and experience

• a 5-7 year learning journey that ensures students have sufficient knowledge from a broad and balanced curriculum before personalising their pathway
• equal and open course choice for students of all abilities and backgrounds

The curriculum is delivered in a way that:

• actively seeks to creatively engage, inspire and capture the imagination of learners

• carefully sequences and presents curriculum content in a way that enables students’ retention and fluent recall of knowledge

• identifies and addresses gaps in learning and common misconceptions

• develops students’ reading and mathematics skills as the building blocks of effective learning

• caters for special educational needs and disabilities at all times

• promotes equality, fundamental British Values the schools’ core values

• explicitly places all learning within its ‘bigger picture’ and its relevance to the world of work

• facilitates meaningful feedback that enables all students to improve performance

• explicitly develops students’ study and recall skills, thus empowering them to lead their own learning

• fully enables parents to support their children’s progress through the curriculum

• ensures that students in Key Stage 4 have an entitlement to study subjects from each of the statutory entitlement areas (the arts, design and technology, the humanities and modern foreign language).

• allows for the development of all students at Level 3 through the curriculum in years 12 and 13.

• encourages strong links with parents, neighbouring primary and secondary schools, industry, higher education, and other external agencies.

The curriculum is structured so that: -

• Each subject has a curriculum intent statement that ensures implementation develops the knowledge and skills appropriate for students of all ages.

• Knowledge and skills are built upon and curriculum plans take prior learning into account to avoid repetition and appropriate starting points.

• Each subject area has a clear subject and curriculum rationale including the subject sequence and how it builds knowledge and skills over time.

• Departments work with primary schools to avoid repetition and all key stage 3 planning is informed by a full review of Key Stage 2 coverage.

• All subjects are members of subject specific associations to ensure they keep abreast of subject developments

Curriculum Model

The School operates a 2-week timetable consisting of

• 50 x 55 minute lessons, including a specific lesson for the personal development curriculum

• 10 x 30 minute reading

• 10 x 20 minute pastoral/registration

Key Stage 3 – Year 7, Year 8, and Year 9

In Key Stage 3, each year group is split into two, roughly equal, populations, L and M. In Year 7 students are grouped by ability for English and mixed ability for Maths. Students study Spanish in Year 7. In Year 8 students are grouped by ability for English and have a high ability set in each side of the year for Maths and mixed ability in other classes. Students study French in Year 8. In Year 9 students are grouped by ability for English and Maths. Students study French in Year 9. In KS3 Technology and PE are grouped within mixed ability cohorts.

Lesson allocations per fortnight in Key Stage 3 are as follows:

Key Stage 4 – Year 10, Year 11

In Key Stage 4, each year is split into two, roughly equal, populations, L and M. Students study English, Maths, Science, Core PE, PEAK with 4 options. Students are guided through an open and equitable process to find the offer which suits them.

A wide range of option subjects are offered; Art & Design, Business Studies, Catering, Construction, Computing, Dance, Design Technology, Drama, Engineering, French, Food Technology, Geography, History, IT, Music, Photography, Psychology, RE, Separate Science.

Lessons allocated per fortnight are as follows:

Key Stage 5

The post-16 curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure that we best meet the needs of our students. Students follow study programmes based on their prior attainment at Key Stage 4 and focused on ensuring that courses match student’s abilities, career aspirations and/or university choices. A comprehensive programme of individual advice and guidance is offered to ensure that each student opts for the course that is most suited to them.

The school has a long-established collaborative arrangement with the two neighbouring high schools. Two of the four options are timetabled at the same time across the three schools resulting in an increased Level 3 provision (over 30 different Level 3 courses each year) and greater flexibility of course choices.

GCSE English and GCSE Mathematics are provided for those students who have not already achieved grade 4.

All Level 3 students are encouraged to opt for and follow 3 subjects with the option of additionally submitting a Level 3 Extended Project. In some cases for students with high attainment scores from KS4 4 subjects are allowed and supported to stretch the most able.

Level 3 Courses (A level unless stated) on offer at Deyes High School in 2020-2021 are Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, Further Mathematics, Geography, Health & Social Care (CTECH), History, IT(CTECH), Business (CTECH), Computing (BTEC) Photography, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, Mathematics, Applied Science (BTECH), Engineering (BTECH )Religious Education (Philosophy & Ethics), Sociology, L3 Core Maths. The facilitating subjects are available within each of the options.

Enrichment Core Studies is timetabled each Wednesday afternoon and allows students to opt from a range of enhancement courses such as Extended Project, work experience, sports leadership.