Our Curriculum

At The Castle School, our vision is to have;

“An exceptional school at the heart of the community where every student has the curiosity,  skills and confidence to make the world a better place"

Our core values of aspiration, fairness and kindness are at the heart of everything we do.  We set high expectations to ensure that every student excels across all aspects of school life.

Curriculum Intent

Our intention is to ensure that all students are supported to make outstanding progress across a broad curriculum, which removes any potential barriers to learning.  Our students develop knowledge, skills and confidence to access excellent life opportunities and are prepared exceptionally well for all aspects of life beyond school.  It is equally important that our Personal Development curriculum ensures that all students become citizens who will make informed, positive contributions to life in Modern Britain.

We intend our carefully design our curriculum to be:

• Broad for everyone; all students will access a full and rich curriculum

• Ambitious for all students; students will enjoy their learning, and will be supported to achieve very well

• Inclusive and accessible to all students

• Well-sequenced and evidence based to ensure knowledge is learned to be remembered

• Knowledge, vocabulary and reading rich

Curriculum Implementation

We are incredibly proud of the breadth of our curriculum; throughout KS3 (Year 7-9) all students study Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, RS, four Arts subjects, four DT subjects, PE and Computer Science.  All students also study a modern foreign language throughout KS3, and the vast majority continue to do so to GCSE level.  

In Year 7 students join a mixed ability tutor group which often stays together for 5 years.  In Years 7& 8 only they are taught in these tutor groups for approximately 60% of lessons. Students are set by ability in Maths, are taught in different groups for French / German, are in single sex groups in PE and are placed into smaller groups for DT.   From Year 9 onwards, students are re-grouped but are again taught in mixed ability groups for the vast majority of subjects with setting in Maths, MFL and PE. 

Curriculum hours per fortnight for KS3 are summarised below:

Our curriculum remains broad at KS4. As a large school we are proud to offer 20 Level 2 subjects at KS4, comprising both GCSE and vocational courses, with students having free choice in their option selection to pursue their talents, passions and areas of interest.  Creative subjects are highly valued alongside academic subjects, which each comprise approximately half of the option subjects on offer.    A summary of the curriculum hours, with further context around how these relate to qualifications gained, is below:

Our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and accessible to all students, regardless of their starting points.  All students are supported to attain well across the breadth of their curriculum and all students access the full range of subjects on offer.  At KS4, the majority of students will aim to achieve nine examinable qualifications, GCSEs or equivalent.  In addition, all students will achieve a Short Course GCSE in RS at the end of Year 10 and some more able students will have the opportunity to study triple science to achieve an additional GCSE at the end of Year 11.  The vast majority of students continue to study their modern foreign language to GCSE, whilst we offer some students, in consultation with parents, the opportunity to study a more flexible curriculum in place of their language.  We also support students to complete an additional GCSE qualification in a fluent language where students and families have a desire to do so. Our KS4 provision ensures that all students are able to transition into the next stage of education or training effectively.  

Our well-sequenced and evidence-based curriculum ensures that students acquire essential knowledge with a deep understanding across a range of subjects; it is carefully designed to ensure that fundamental knowledge and concepts are learned to be remembered.  Opportunities are built into every lesson to allow students to retrieve previous learning though accurate planning and sequencing.  This is designed to ensure knowledge is secured and built upon. Regular low stakes activities in lessons allow this knowledge to be assessed in a way which builds confidence; these build into timely assessments throughout the year including annual examinations. 

Our curriculum is knowledge, vocabulary and reading rich.  Throughout KS3 all students in Year 7-9 have timetabled library lessons to foster a continued love of reading, as well as dedicated lessons which explicitly develop vocabulary and comprehension. Castle School students enjoy a wider reading package within, and as an extension to, our taught curriculum, including our tutor reading programme which provides opportunities for students to enjoy reading and discussing challenging texts in their tutor group families.  Reading and comprehension is carefully planned into the curriculum at all Key Stages; vocabulary and comprehension is explicitly and cohesively taught and developed. Students who arrive below expected reading age from KS2 are quickly caught up through expert teaching and appropriate intervention.  At all stages, reading attainment is assessed and gaps are addressed quickly and effectively.  Similarly, numeracy skills are embedded across the curriculum.  Students who arrive with below expected maths skills are quickly caught up through expert teaching and incisive intervention.  The school ensures that students are literate and numerate, achieving above average outcomes in both Maths and English, enabling them to flourish, thrive and access the next stage of their education, employment or training.

Our curriculum explicitly and cohesively facilitates students’ cultural, moral, social, mental and physical development. A key aim of our curriculum for all students is a desire to help all of our young people to become citizens who will make informed, positive contributions to life in Modern Britain. All aspects of school life contribute to this in addition to the two strands which deliberately cover many of the explicit aspects of this curriculum intention. SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) and FBV (Fundamental British Values) are embedded into the curriculum and delivered through all subjects as per our curriculum map, with a particular emphasis in Personal Development and RS.  The RS curriculum is designed to encourage students to consider the many ethical and moral questions that face all societies and all citizens, and also to consider the ways in which British society can deal with issues such as extremism, racism, issues of sexuality, democratic participation, and many others. Its aim is to encourage students to listen to and appreciate the views of others, contribute to discussion and debate and develop their own individual opinions and skills of oracy. Our Assembly programme is cohesively planned to align with fundamental concepts taught across the curriculum. Students are also encouraged to take part in a range of sporting, cultural and charitable activities.  Links with local and national business enrich the curriculum and help to contextualise learning.  

Our wide range of trips, visits, diversity days, community days and visiting speakers ensures that students have an opportunity to be reflective of their own beliefs (religious or otherwise), perspective and contributions to their community. Students are encouraged to participate in a variety of community and social settings including volunteering and leadership opportunities.  A wide range of artistic, cultural, sporting, and musical opportunities are offered to enable students to participate in activities which develop their social skills and specific aspects of their personal development.

Students secure foundations for progression.  It is our intention to ensure students have secure foundations for progression into further and higher education and apprenticeships. From Year 7, students receive career information with a clear focus on the Gatsby benchmarks, and Employability is one of the key strands in our taught Lifeskills programme.  Over the course of 5 years, and continuing into the sixth form, students receive a rigorous and bespoke aspirations program that exposes them to a huge range of voices and experiences.  All students will have done a work experience placement, as well as having personal guidance, before completing Year 11. We work with Compass to provide tailored individual guidance to students, and we make use of a wide network of local employers, known as Premium Partners, to provide a range of first-hand experiences for students. These include Aspirations weeks, networking breakfasts and additional work experience opportunities. Students and parents can make use of an online platform, Unifrog, to access up-to-date careers and vacancy information, and a weekly drop-in lunchtime Careers Hub allows all students to access additional help on any aspect of CEIAG. There is a strong programme to support with university and apprenticeship applications, including a bespoke programme for those applying for Oxbridge and other highly competitive courses.

Curriculum Impact

Outcomes across the breadth of our curriculum are consistently above national average. Students achieve very well; outcomes prepare students very effectively for their next stage of education, employment and/or training.   Over 50% of our students continue on to our provision of our Post-16 Centre which offers level 3 programmes across over 25 courses.  Our wide Enrichment programme and Post-16 guidance supports students in progressing, with the majority moving on to university or higher-level apprenticeships.  Our academic and wider curriculum also facilitates Post-16 students to act as positive role models in our school community, and  to actively support younger year groups.  

Students build their character.  Whilst students gain disciplinary knowledge which supports strong and above average outcomes, it is equally important that they develop into curious, confident individuals who are able to make a positive contribution to their community.  Students grasp, internalise and live our core values of Kindness, Fairness and Aspiration.

Students are enriched by both our academic and wider curriculum.  We are committed to improving the life chances and aspirations of all students.  The Personal Development curriculum, comprising weekly taught lessons, assemblies, Personal Development days (such as Diversity Day), and student leadership development ensures that students are able to engage in wider thinking, cultural reflection and personal development. Uptake to our free and accessible extra-curricular programme, which provides numerous opportunities in sport, creativity, performing, world of work, volunteering and membership, is consistently strong and enables students to flourish in their areas of interest.  Our wide programme of visits, including overseas travel, widen students’ cultural awareness and knowledge.  

Students develop into strong leaders. Our extensive student leadership programme provides leadership development opportunities for hundreds of students.  Our Junior Leadership team, Post 16 Leadership Team, Sports Leaders and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors work regularly to shape our provision for all children, and as individuals develop strong leadership, communication and collaborative working skills. 

Curriculum Review

The curriculum hours and subjects offered will be analysed by the senior leadership team and governors on an annual basis.  Curriculum delivered in each subject is reviewed annually by subject leaders to ensure the sequence of delivery allows pupils to build on their knowledge and that pupils are sufficiently stretched and challenged.  Implementation will be reviewed and quality assured through line management, learning walks, book looks and lesson observations.

Subject leaders will justify their curriculum to the senior leadership team every two years.

The student council will discuss curriculum content and delivery annually. This is fed back to the senior team and staff.