Our school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences we provide for our pupils. As a maintained school, we teach the latest National Curriculum as prescribed by the Department for Education.
CURRICULUM INTENT
The Curriculum at Broughton High School is stimulating, exciting, challenging and wholly inclusive, providing pupils with opportunities to ‘achieve together’ and be the best person they can be.
“Our aim is to provide an education and curriculum which achieves outstanding outcomes and opportunities for all”, encouraging every individual to ‘be the best they can be’ and to flourish in a learning environment where the pursuit of excellence based on the highest expectations from and for all, is the norm. Our curriculum is characterised by the desire that all our pupils want to succeed and have the belief that they can.
Our rigorous curriculum consists of everything that develops pupils’ intellectual, personal, social and physical development. As well as lessons and extra-curricular activities, it includes our approaches to teaching and learning, assessment, the quality of relationships within school and the values we uphold. We want our pupils to develop into resilient, confident, independent young people with high aspirations, who experience the joy of success and are ready to make significant contributions to society.
Our curriculum is broad, balanced, exciting, challenging and relevant, allowing all pupils to acquire the knowledge, skills and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. It is necessarily ambitious, reflecting the interests, aspirations and destination profiles of our pupils.
We have a 3-year KS3, delivering the entirety of the National Curriculum, ensuring our curriculum is as broad for as long as possible. This approach leads to a firm grounding in a range of subjects and subsequently, to more informed choices at KS4.
We have a full range of abilities and we are determined to deliver a curriculum that is ambitious and appropriate for all abilities. This ambition of a wholly inclusive curriculum model is reflected in our consistently outstanding outcomes ‘achieved together’ at KS4 and the extremely high percentage of successful destinations post-Broughton. Click here to find out more about the destination profiles of our recent Y11 school-leavers (2020-21) and (2021-22)
At KS4, all our pupils, including disadvantaged and SEND, can pursue qualifications in each of the four National Curriculum entitlement areas.
The EBacc plays a strong role in our curriculum and is an inclusive pathway, available to all pupils. However, we also recognise the importance of delivering high quality performing arts, technology and vocational subjects, so our curriculum is flexible to respond to the needs, talents and aspirations of our pupils, and can be personalised for the individual.
To support our pupils to progress further into education, training or employment, we also aspire to provide expert independent, up-to-date careers guidance that gives our pupils the best information about the opportunities available.
Throughout all year groups, the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of our pupils and the promotion of fundamental British values, are at the heart of our learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom. We want our pupils to co-operate, embrace diversity and to show tolerance, respect and fairness.
The development of our curriculum is an ongoing process and one that is the responsibility of all staff. Teachers work collaboratively, in and across curriculum areas, to develop learning schemes that provide a programme of study, which includes the knowledge to be gained, that empowers pupils to ‘know what’ and ‘know how’ and to remember it in the long term, and determines what our pupils will be able to go on and do by the time they are ready to leave Broughton in Year 11.
An ambitious, extensive and exciting extra-curricular programme, enhances the taught curriculum, enabling pupils’ growth and development. The mantra of ‘Get Involved’ is supported by a vast and varied range of opportunities, allowing pupils to be creative, to participate, to try something new and to enjoy. Click here to see our current extra-curricular programme.
We aim to ‘achieve together’, so our pupils are ready for the demands of the 21st century and can be the ‘best person they can be’.
CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION
Quality first teaching has always been, and will always be, a top priority. A CPD programme tailored extensively, but not exclusively, to improving teaching and learning has been the key focus for a number of years. It is a priority to allocate time for departments to work collaboratively on curriculum development and progression, considering both pedagogy and assessment.
Considerable thought, planning and time is devoted to a consideration of the content and sequencing of the curriculum in each subject. Strong leadership from every subject leader ensures that relevant knowledge, skills and concepts are incorporated from Year 7 onwards, and subsequent years build on prior teaching and learning. Each Department has its own vision of the most relevant and appropriate subject content to be delivered. There is a model of curriculum progression in every subject. No Departments slavishly follow commercial Schemes of Work or GCSE exam syllabuses. All teachers are subject specialists and they cooperatively plan relevant and well-designed resources which are designed to engage and inspire all pupils. This high level of expertise has an impact on the quality of the curriculum design. Curriculum Leaders also have autonomy when designing their curriculum. Staff have considerable control in curriculum decision-making through a trusting relationship with senior staff.
At Broughton High School, groups are purposely not numbered, for example, 1 to 7. There will be no numerical labelling of groups. Pupils placed in, for example Sets 3 - 5 at Broughton High School often have very similar prior attainment and labelling a proportion of these pupils as Set 5, may result in low aspirations and low expectations. In short, all pupils are encouraged, stretched, challenged and supported to ‘achieve together’ and do their ‘best at Broughton’.
Pupils are allocated the most appropriate teaching group in each subject. If the group is not based on mixed ability then the predominant factor, in allocating pupils to teaching groups, is prior attainment. However, there may be a variety of other valid reasons taken into consideration, when deciding the most appropriate teaching group for a pupil eg. key groups (PP, CLA, SEN, EAL), social factors etc.
Click here to find out more about: KS3 teaching groups KS4 teaching groups
Key Stage 3
Pupils receive an engaging and varied curriculum in Y7, 8 and 9, in accordance with the National Curriculum, enriched by a variety of additional opportunities for learning and personal development. We have always and will continue to deliver a three-year Key Stage 3 curriculum, to ensure pupils have the opportunity and time to study a wide range of subjects, enabling them to make more informed choices at KS4.
By utilising the best teaching and learning strategies, the aim is for pupils to enjoy learning and develop the attitudes, understanding, skills and confidence to thrive and ‘achieve together’ their ‘best at Broughton’.
A summary of the time allocation for each subject at Key Stage 3 is shown below.
In Years 7, 8 and 9, our pupils follow a common curriculum, based on the National Curriculum. As the table shows, it includes English, Maths, Science, Art, Computing, Technology, Drama, Geography, History, Languages, Music, PE, CPSHE and Religious Studies.
In Year 7, a coherent programme of CPSHE (Citizenship, Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is delivered during time allocated to Humanities lessons, by specialist Humanities staff. In Years 8 and 9, CPSHE is delivered as a discrete subject, solely delivered by the CPSHE subject leader, ensuring both consistency and quality in delivery of our CPSHE curriculum.
SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) and FBV (Fundamental British Values) of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths, beliefs and points of view, are embedded into the curriculum and delivered through all subjects.
In Year 7, pupils study a single modern foreign language, namely French. In Year 8 and 9, the vast majority of pupils study a second foreign language, German. Each year, we have a small number of pupils who benefit from a 'Reading Enrichment' programme, led by our lead practitioner specialist English teacher. These pupils continue to focus on just one modern foreign language, alongside the reading enrichment programme.
These lessons are one aspect of an overall emphasis on reading across Broughton High School. Reading has always been a strong focus for us, as we continually strive to raise the profile of reading, with targeted strategies, including ‘Thinking Reading’ and ‘Bedrock Learning’, both to support reading across the curriculum and to foster a lifelong love of reading for pleasure.
No pupils at KS3 are withdrawn from modern foreign languages; all pupils study a minimum one of French and/or German.
Toward the end of Year 9, pupils make their option choices. Although the options process begins earlier in the year, we feel allowing pupils to submit their option choices late in the academic year (end of half-term 5), we believe that they are better equipped to make an informed choice about which subjects they wish to pursue at KS4.
To support pupils in making informed and correct option choices, as well as the annual ‘Y9 Options Evening’ for parents, each subject leader has produced a short video presentation, available via the school’s VLE, about what their subject area entails at GCSE. Final option choices are arrived at, after consultation between Deputy Headteacher, subject leader, class teacher, pupil and parent.
Key Stage 4
The option choices made at the end of Year 9 ensure all pupils continue to follow a broad and balanced curriculum that is suited to their individual needs. Pupils study a sensible number of qualifications, thereby allowing appropriate curriculum time to be devoted to all subject areas.
At Key Stage 4, pupils work towards predominantly GCSE qualifications. We offer a traditional curriculum based on the core subjects, which provides every pupil the opportunity to study a Modern Foreign Language and Geography or History as part of our commitment to Ebacc (English Baccalaureate). We also offer a range of other approved high value 14-16 qualifications, both GCSE and Technical Award, that meet the destination profiles of our pupils, and broaden the curriculum and pathways available. Details of these can be found in the Options Booklet available on the school website. The opportunity to follow some Level 1 qualifications is appropriate for some of our pupils and although not all these are included in progress data, they are invaluable in supporting the needs of these particular pupils.
At Key Stage 4, in line with National Curriculum requirements, all pupils have some curriculum time devoted to non-examinable subjects PE and RESPECT (RE/CPSHE). As regards examination subjects, all pupils study English Language, English Literature, Maths and Science, either Combined Science or Triple Science. If a pupil opts for Combined Science, they make four further option choices. Those opting for Triple Science, study Biology, Chemistry and Physics separately and as this requires extra curriculum time, they make three further option choices.
We aspire for every individual pupil to achieve their ‘best at Broughton’ to take them to the next stage of learning whether that be further education, employment or training.
The tables below give a summary of the time allocation at Key Stage 4 dependent on the pathway chosen, Triple Science or Combined Science.
A summary of the time allocation for each subject at Key Stage 3 is shown below.
Pupils studying separate Science choose three additional subjects, whilst those studying combined Science choose four additional subjects from the following list:
Art
Business
Computer Science
Drama
DT - Engineering
DT – Food Nutrition & Preparation
DT – Graphics
DT – Product Design
DT - Textiles
French
Geography
German
History
iMedia
Music
Physical Education
Religious Studies
Travel & Tourism
Vocational course (delivered offsite)
Click here to find out more about: Options
CURRICULUM IMPACT
The success of our curriculum is measured primarily but not exclusively by pupils’ performance across a range of measures. These include the headline measures of progress and attainment, progress against pupils nationally from similar starting points and their destinations post-Broughton.
However, we also measure the success of our curriculum throughout Year 7 – 11, not just at the end of KS4. How well our pupils are learning the content outlined in the curriculum is measured using a variety of formative and summative assessment. These assessments are designed thoughtfully to measure progress and shape future learning. Moderation across teachers in a department is a matter of routine.
Results at both KS3 and KS4 are analysed in detail to ensure parity across and within subjects and cohorts. With this high level of scrutiny, areas for development in our curriculum are identified and are included in the school improvement plan.
It is important to acknowledge other ways we measure the impact of our curriculum. We measure pupils’ enjoyment and engagement through attendance, participation and attitude to learning.
Feedback from our stakeholders is also a fundamental way we can measure the impact of our curriculum. Pupil voice, parental questionnaires, parent consultation evenings, governors’ meetings and daily professional conversations within departments and across the school, are all vital in evaluating the impact of our formal and informal curriculum.
By using a variety of sources, we can judge the effectiveness and success of our endeavours and make the necessary adjustments to ensure we ‘achieve together’ our ‘best at Broughton’.