The traditional curriculum

Traditional Curriculum

We want our key stage 3 curriculum to provide the knowledge and understanding of a broad range of subjects both academic and technical or vocational which best prepare students for success in their later academic or training careers.

Our curriculum time is planned to best provide depth and breadth in academic subjects like English, Maths, History and Geography, Science and Languages while at the same time providing meaningful opportunities for learning in arts, sports and technical subjects like Art, Drama, Dance and PE.

We also provide adequate curriculum curriculum time for education about religion, ethical and philosophical issues and personal, social, health and economic issues. 

Our traditional curriculum is substantially supported, especially in English, Maths, History, Science, Geography, Religious education and personal, social, health and economic learning by our scholarship curriculum.

In years 7 and 8 our traditional curriculum provides the following

Subject	Curriculum time per week*
English	4 hours
Maths	4 hours
Science	4 hours
Languages**	4 hours
Geography	2 hours
History	2 hours
Religious education and PSHE***	2 hours
Prep (see scholarship curriculum)	2 hours
Dance, Art, Drama or Design technology****	2 hours
PE	2 hours

* Each '2 hour' lesson actually lasts 1 hour and 55 minutes and so '2 hours' above is actually 1 hour and 55 minutes and '4 hours' actually represents 3 hours and 50 minutes.

** Sudents can choose from Spanish, French, Latin or Mandarin

**** PSHE stands for personal, social, health and economic education

**** Students are exposed to these subjects on a term by term basis for 2 hours* per week during year 7 or 8 (or both) 

Choosing subjects for year 9

During the spring term of year 8 students will choose subjects for year 9.

Our draft year 9 traditional curriculum is as follows

Subject	Curriculum time
Subjects that all students will study
English	4 hours
Maths	4 hours
Science	4 hours
Languages**	4 hours
History or Geography	2 hours
PE	2 hours
Students complete their timetable by choosing from
Psychology, Philosophy & Ethics, History (if not chosen above,) Geography (if not chosen above,) Product design, Food and nutrition, Art, Dance, Drama, Music, Computing, a second language**, Business Studies, ICT, theory of sports or physical activity, advanced Maths or further Science.
Duty of care
The academy has a duty of care to students and parents or carers in respect of choosing subjects and so will advise and encourage students to choose subjects which provide them with the best chance given the academic climate. In certain cases, the academy may exercise the right to refuse choices where in the opinion of quaified staff, the choice is likely to be detrimental to the student.