Curriculum Policy: Walton High School

WaltonHigh School

Curriculum

Member of staff responsible: Deputy Headteacher Curriculum

Governor’s Committee Responsible: Curriculum

Aims:

The school’s curriculum follows statutory requirements and the requirements of the national curriculum

It is balanced and broadly based, and promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of our students and of society and prepares our students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.

The school provides fulltime supervised education for students of compulsory school age, which gives students experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education, appropriate for their ages and aptitudes.

Students are expected to acquire skills in speaking and listening, literacy and numeracy skills.

WaltonHigh School sets out to:

Ensure that students develop the essential literacy and numeracy skills

Provide students with a full and rounded entitlementto learning

Foster student’s creativity and develop essential skills, including learning skills

Promote a healthy lifestyle

Inspire students with a commitment to learning which will last a lifetime

Promote high standards in all learning and teaching

Ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn and make progress

Religious education is also provided for all students The Religious Education Policy may be found in the departmental handbook (Reviewed June 2004) and is in line with the Agreed Syllabus of Staffordshire County Council

Equal Opportunities

Entry to all programmes of study is based on academic suitability and appropriateness, regardless of sex, race, disability, religion or belief.

Disabilities: In accordance with the statutory requirements the school aims to make the curriculum accessible to all students as far as is reasonably practicable. Parents can obtain the current level of access from the school business manager.

Differentiation: A variety of differing teaching and learning methods and materials are used in all courses to suit students’ different needs.

For further information refer to the School Teaching and Learning Policy

YEAR 7, 8 AND YEAR 9 Curriculum

Subjects offered

WaltonHigh School has a weekly timetable consisting of thirty 50 minute periods

Y7

English 4 periods per week

Maths 4 periods per week

Science 4 periods per week

Art 2 periods per week

Geography 2 periods per week

History 2 periodsper week

Information Technology 1 period per week

Modern Foreign Languages 3 periods per week

Music 2 periods per week

Physical Education 2 periods per week

Religious Education 1 period per week

Technology 3 periods per week

Plus 8 personal development mornings

Y8

English 4 periods per week

Maths 4 periods per week

Science 4 periods per week

Art 2 periods per week

Geography 2 periods per week

History 2 periods per week

Information Technology 1 period per week

Modern Foreign Languages 4 periods per week

Music 1 period per week

Physical Education 2 periods per week

Religious Education 1 period per week

Technology 3 periods per week

Plus 8 personal development mornings

Y9

English 4 periods per week

Maths 4 periods per week

Science 4 periods per week

Art 2 periods per week

Geography 2 periods per week

History 2 periods per week

Information Technology 1 period per week

Modern Foreign Languages 4 periods per week

Music 1 period per week

Physical Education 2 periods per week

Religious Education 1 period per week

Technology 3 periods per week

Plus 8 personal development mornings

YEAR 10 AND YEAR 11 Curriculum

The statutory curriculum

Under the National curriculum the following are compulsory at Key Stage 4.

English

Mathematics

Science

Information and Communication Technology

Physical Education

Citizenship

Religious Education

Sex Education

Careers Education & Work Related Learning

The entitlement areas

Our options system provides students with full access to their entitlements within the national curriculum. It is designed to give maximum choice and flexibility. Our curriculum structure has been recently revised to meet the statutory changes and entitlements of the 14-19 curriculum.

The curriculum structure is as follows:

Plus 8 personal development mornings

All WaltonHigh School students who intend to go on to post 16 studies are advised to choose a modern foreign language.

OPTIONS FOR YEARS 10 AND 11

Option A, B, C, D

Students choose any three options from the list below plus one reserve option. Please note that a ‘double option’ is the equivalent of two choices:

In the event of the school being unable to provide the first three choices, the reserve choice subject would be used. This would take place after further consultation between school and home.

YEAR 12 AND YEAR 13 Curriculum

Sixth Form Entry requirements

Students will normally be expected to have a minimum of 5 grade C’s at GCSE level to follow an advanced course

Students will normally be expected to have obtained at least a grade C at GCSE in any subject which they wish to follow at AS/A2. Individual subjects may specifyother requirements which are clearly set out in the options booklet

All students are expected to complete a work experience fortnight placement and a work experience assignment, and also attend induction in addition all students undertake a course of Key Skills and an AS/A2 course in General Studies

Most students choose four AS subjects from a wide range of courses offered in the Stafford Collegiate Prospectus. Not all subject combinations are possible and students need to consider the viability of choosing courses which are taught on different sites.

WholeSchool issues

Disapplication

In accordance with the law the school has the right to respond to individual needs by modifying the National Curriculum programmes, or disapplying the National Curriculum for the duration of Key stage 4, to:

Allow a student to participate in extended work-related learning

Allow a student with individual strengths to emphasise a particular curriculum area

To allow a student making significantly less progress than other students of his/her age to consolidate his/her learning and progress across the curriculum

Decisions about any of the above will only be made after discussion with the student and parent.

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Religious Education

Religious Education is available to all students. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education.

Collective Worship

All students are expected to take part in collective worship. The school has a programme of collective worship involving some year group assemblies and weekly themes which provide an opportunity for collective worship and for which materials are available in tutor groups

Political Education

The promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school is forbidden by law. Political issues are introduced in a number of courses and are presented in a balanced manner.

PE and Games

All students are expected to take part in the school’s Physical Education and Games programme. Students can only be excused from the practical element of PE and Games lessons for medical reasons, for which a note from the parent will suffice.

Homework

The school expects homework to be set as appropriate. As guidance the school expects pupils to spend the following times on homework:

Special Educational Needs

The school has a special educational needs policy for statemented and non-statemented students. The school will determine the appropriate courses in consultation with the parents.

Concerns and Complaints

Parents who have concerns about any aspect of the curriculum should discuss these in the first instance with the tutor and if this proves unsatisfactory with the Head of Year

If the issue is not resolved parents should make an official complaint in writing to the Head

The school has a Complaints Procedure in place, which can be obtained from the Head.

Monitoring and Review

This policy will be monitored by the Deputy Head Curriculum, who will report to the Head on its implementation on a regular basis.

The Curriculum Governors Committee will receive reports on the progress of the policy and will recommend to Full Governors any changes.

Appendix

STUDENTS WHO WISH TO CHANGE OPTIONS GROUPS

AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE AUTUMN TERM IN YEAR 10

A student wishing to change option subjects after the beginning of the Autumn Term in year 10 will have their request considered by the Curriculum Deputy if the request fulfils the following criteria:

1. That the request is made in writing from the parents or guardian.

1. That the move is possible within the timetable blocking.

1. That the request is made before the end of September.

1. The curriculum deputy has taken into account the views of the head of department of the subject the student wishes to move from.

1. The curriculum deputy has taken into account the views of the head of department that the student wishes to move to.