Ark Walworth Academy Curriculum principles

Intent Statement

We serve to empower young people to make their contribution to the world, enabled with meaningful choices based on a strong portfolio of experiences and qualifications. We promote resilience in learning and character in order to grow successful, fulfilled and happy adults.

Principles

The curriculum at WA is unashamedly inclusive and rigorous.  Our belief is that all young people have the right to a curriculum in which their entitlement today enables choices for tomorrow. The curriculum is structured and sequenced to ensure all young people make progress is over the 5-7 years pathways. We ensure every learner has a portfolio of qualifications enabling them to be successful at university, their chosen apprenticeship or in the world of work.

We believe that high levels of literacy are the key to unlocking student potential and we therefore support this through our teaching practice across the curriculum and through a whole-school reading programme during tutor time. Furthermore, additional time is given to English for students who are not yet reading at their chronological age to ensure they have the essential skills needed for life and to access the full curriculum.

CARES time and Community Days are opportunities for young to address emotional growth, developing their aspirations and other aspects of the curriculum. This is supplemented over the year through visits, outside speakers and opportunities to learn in different ways.

Additional time is offered every week for enrichment from 7-13 to ensure all students have the cultural capital and emotional resilience to take their next steps.

Year 7-9 Curriculum

This highly effective curriculum is built upon work undertaken by subject leads at Ark. Senior leaders work closely with department leaders to ensure all aspects of the curriculum are planned in detail and continually being improved to meet student need. Currently we are transitioning to a 3 year KS3 curriculum; by September 2022 this will be in place

The Walworth Academy curriculum is consciously broad and balanced, while also clearly responding to the school’s context and broader mission. Where national curriculum subjects are not taught discretely, there is detailed tracking of where statutory requirements are met elsewhere within the curriculum. In this way, we can be confident our students receive the full national curriculum.

For example, statutory objectives for Design and Technology are met through the art, design and photography curriculum and objectives for citizenship, sex and relationships education are met through the CARES curriculum community days.

Subject

Y7 lessons

Y8 lessons

Y9 lessons

English Language and Literature

6

6

6

Mathematics

5

5

5

Science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry)

4

4

5

Geography

2

2

2

History

2

2

2

Walworth Way

1

1

1

Business

 

MFL – French or Spanish

3

3

3

Physical Education

2

2

2

Computing

1

1

1

Music

1

1

1

Art, Design and Technology

2

2

2

Dance

1

1

0

Enrichment

1

1

1

Year 10-11 Curriculum

Young people follow a full curriculum until they select their GCSE options at the end of Year 9. The majority of our young people study nine subjects at GCSE level, in comparison to the national average of 8. They are encouraged to take both GCSE and BTEC qualifications in order to build skills in portfolio learning and in summative processes, and so they have the strongest portfolio to continue studying at post 16.

The subjects are separated into two categories: Core and Optional.

  • Core subjects are compulsory and will be studied by all young people
    • All students will study English Literature and English Language and Mathematics.
    • All students will also study two or three Science subjects, which is a decision taken in Year 10
    • All students will study Physical Education and the CARES Curriculum which includes Personal Social and Health Education and Religious Education which are all are non-examined courses
  • Optional subjects Students can choose to study up to four optional subjects. Some Optional subjects are offered as alternatives and some are recommended to students. Staff will offer guidance and support to ensure appropriateness of optional subjects.
    • Continue a course of study in at least one course in the humanities – History and/or Geography
    • Continue a course of study in at least one performance subject –Art, Performing Arts in Dance, Drama or Music*, Music GCSE*, Photography, Sport and/or Textiles

Recommended subjects;

    • All students who have been achieving well in French or Spanish are anticipated study this to GCSE. Languages are strongly recommended for all students
    • All students select a ‘world of work’ subject – Business, Computing or IT
    • If your child speaks, reads and writes another language at home, we will support them to study this to GCSE level. (Currently we offer Italian, German, Portuguese, Arabic and Turkish lessons)

*Music GCSE and Performing Arts Music are subjects that will also requires your child to continue with their instrumental lessons throughout their course.

Subject

Lessons

Number of Level 2 qualifications gained

English Language and Literature

6

2

Mathematics

5

1

Combined or Triple Science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry)

6

2  or 3

Core PE

1

  

French or Spanish*

3

1

Music or Preforming Arts Music

3

1

Business

3

1

Computer Science or Digital Information Technology

3

1

Art or Textiles

3

1

Photography

3

1

Performing Arts Drama or Dance

3

1

Sport Studies

3

1

History or Geography

3

1

6th Form

The Sixth form places a strong emphasis on not just gaining high quality qualifications but also on a genuine preparation for the world of work which has its roots in work shadowing, work experience and networking. A range of opportunities in school and beyond prepare students for their post+19 choices and our exceptional pastoral support team work with individual students, preparing them not just to access their chosen degree course but to find their vocation.

Walworth is leading the way with a brand new Ark designed course for sixth formers aimed at closing the gap between school and the world of work. Ark’s Professional Pathways programme will allow students to gain high quality insights into the world of work. This is taught explicitly in Y12, along with study skills.

Walworth Academy also offers a unique and bespoke enrichment curriculum designed to increase the cultural capital of students so they can flourish in new contexts such as leading universities like LSE, UCL and Oxbridge. Our innovative enrichment curriculum includes partnerships with organisations such as Sherman and Stirling Law Firm, and personalised support and guidance that fully prepares students for the best universities. Work Experience is taken up by every young person to ensure they have the best portfolio to enable their next steps.

Walworth Academy offers outstanding teaching and learning, with students given access to private study spaces and shared study areas. All students are offered a laptop, free of charge, to enhance their study at home and at school.

 

Subject

Lessons Year 12 (13)

History

5 (6)

Geography

5 (6)

English Lit

5 (6)

Biology

5 (6)

Further Maths

5 (6)

Economics

5 (6)

Chemistry

5 (6)

Spanish

5 (6)

Maths

5 (6)

Art

5 (6)

Sociology

5 (6)

Psychology

5 (6) 

Physics

5 (6)

Foundation Business & English or Maths GCSE Resit

10 +5

Business Btec

15 (18)

Applied Science

15 (18)

Applied IT

15 (18)

Adaptations of the curriculum for young people with additional needs:

  • There is no narrowing of the curriculum for young people with additional needs, nor is there lowering of expectations. The school is relentlessly ambitious for all young people and expects all young people to meet the school’s very high standards. Some young people will need more support than others to meet these standards, however, and the school varies the level of support on offer to scholars according to their prior educational experiences, additional needs and disabilities and academic progress.
  • In addition to the bespoke, personalised support that will be offered according to young peoples Education, Health and Care Plans, the following support is in place to help young people with SEND make rapid progress:
    • Bespoke literacy and reading interventions for young people who are reading significantly below their chronological reading age.
    • Seating plans ensure that vulnerable scholars have premium seating in the classroom and have specific in-class interventions to meet their needs

 

Intent Statement:

We serve to empower young people to make their contribution to the world, enabled with meaningful life choices based on a strong portfolio of experiences and qualifications. We promote resilience in learning and character in order to grow fulfilled and happy adults.

Implementation Key Principles:

  • Content is rich, relevant and reflective of the diverse world in which we live.
  • Learning is sequenced to enable young people to develop knowledge and skills.
  • Literacy is explicitly delivered across the curriculum. 
  • Learning is adapted to support the specific needs of individuals.
  • A sustainable approach is supported through the curriculum.
  •  Resilience is promoted for students by frequent (low stakes) assessment to inform teaching

In classrooms, this may look like:

  • Carefully planned shared schema, developed by experts and tailored by teachers to meet the needs of teaching groups
  • DO NOW tasks drawing on prior learning
  • Signature strategies used for Checking Understanding, such as Show Call, Show Me, Intentional Monitoring
  • Shared literacy and reading strategies in place, such as Inside Outside Beyond and whole class reading work
  • Precise pedagogical decisions made for students with additional needs (EHCP, SEND K, PSP, Behavioural, PA) including additional adults, alternative resources or outcomes, seating arrangements, precise deployment of signature strategies
  • Teaching which alters according to student understanding demonstrated both from assessment points and within lessons

In work produced, this may look like:

  • Regular feedback, which addresses knowledge or skills gaps
  • Opportunities for conscious practise by students (reteach episodes, ‘fix-it’ sessions, revision)
  • Opportunities for self and peer assessment, engaging with success criteria
  • As relevant to Key Stage, opportunities to engage with exam-style content
  • Home learning will promote digital literacy in line with school strategy

For students, this experience may include:

  • Consistent staffing in lessons with teachers who know them and similar learning journeys across year groups
  • Regular opportunities to engage with feedback on progress (parents’ evenings, progress grades, reports, assessment feedback, in-class feedback, marking)
  • A clear sense of the curriculum journey leading to CEIAG – how can you pursue this field of study? What might it lead you to?
  • Where students are taught by professionals at the start of their career, they can expect additional adults in classes supporting through a range of strategies (live coaching, learning walks, observations, team teaching)

Impact Key Principles

In evaluating the impact of our curriculum, we will consider:

  • Outcomes data, such as A level and BTEC Results, GCSE results, Additional qualifications (sports leaders, community languages, Entry level qualifications) and the performance of vulnerable groups within that data
  • Destinations data at common points of transition from the school (Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5)
  • Internal and external Quality Assurance processes (Ark review processes, governor accountability processes, internal audit processes, Ofsted)
  • The development of professionals into experts in their field through their work in supporting colleagues, supporting other schools, developing curriculum resource, becoming examiners etc.