Curriculum

The curriculum at King’s Hawthornes is designed to be broad and balanced, so that all students are able to master the basics in order to make the step to sixth form college, university and a successful career.

Key Stage 3 – Foundations

The purpose of the Key Stage 3 curriculum is to provide a secure transition from primary school, through Foundations and into the Senior School. We want students to have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed at Key Stage 4 –Senior School.

There are four key principles underpinning the design of the curriculum:

• All students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that supports learning.
• A strong focus on the core ensures that basic skills are embedded at an early stage, so that all students can access the wider curriculum.
• Learning pathways are offered so that students are supported and challenged to meet their potential.
• An extended curriculum exists so that students have access to catch-up, extension and enrichment.

Subjects studied and time allocation at Key Stage 3 – Foundations

The Core Group in both year groups spend more time on a literacy based curriculum to ensure that all students are supported to graduate into the Senior School; the curriculum is taught for these students in order that they focus upon specific literacy skills across English, History and Geography.

At Foundations level, the school has established a ‘Discovery Centre’ where a small group of students are given access to a highly personalised curriculum to meet their specific emotional and learning needs.

PSHE, CIEAG, RE and British Values are taught through Assemblies, Form Tutor Aspire sessions and 5 Super Learning Days, which take place across the academic year.

Key Stage 4 – Senior School

The purpose of the Key Stage 4 curriculum is to ensure that all students graduate to sixth form college or employment. The curriculum is broad and balanced, with a strong core in the EBacc subjects  (English, mathematics, Science, one language and history/geography) and a range of high value academic subject options such as computing, design technology, PE, art and business studies. We also offer a range of high value vocational students to support the academic curriculum. We have limited the number of GCSE subjects to be studied by our students to eight. This will reduce exam burden and ensure that all students are able to receive the necessary amount of support and stretch to reach their potential.

Subjects studied and time allocation at Key Stage 4 – Senior School

Year 9 follow a national curriculum pathway and select options at the end of the academic year. Year 9 selected one vocational option at the start of Year 8, to be completed by the end of Year 9.

More time has now been allocated to English and mathematics in Year 10 in light of school improvement priorities and that these subjects will be double weighted under Attainment and Progress 8 measures. All students study English Language and Literature. In Year 10, a small group of students do not study a modern foreign language. This 3 hour slot is used to develop their literacy skills in light of the new demands of the GCSE English curriculum.

In Year 10 and 11 all students selected a vocational option at the start of the 2015 academic year, to be completed in 2017.

In Year 10 and 11 the school has established an ‘Achievement Centre’ where a small group of students are taught a reduced curriculum to meet their specific learning and emotional needs.  PSHE, CIEAG, RE and British Values are taught through Assemblies, Form Tutor Aspire sessions and 5 Super Learning Days, which take place across the academic year.