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Curriculum Statement
School Mission Statement
Our Lady’s Catholic High School enables all in our school community to achieve their highest potential and prepares our students to become compassionate and caring citizens, aware of their global responsibilities.
We achieve this by maintaining high expectations of the individual, appreciating that we are all members of a diverse community, living our Catholic faith and embracing the Servite values.
Shaping Tomorrow, Inspired by Faith
“Nitendo Vincamus”
Curriculum Vision
We intend our curriculum to support our mission statement by enabling students to transform their worlds allowing them to become:
- Ethically enabled: so they are able to make ethical judgements in relation to others and have the capacity to make the world a fairer place guided by our Catholic Servite Values
- Agents of change: so they can change the conditions of the world in which they are embedded
- Empowered relationship to knowledge: so they can know, own and transform culturally valued knowledge
- Emotionally conscious: so they are mindful of their emotions and are able to manage them in a way that supports their emotional health and social success
The school and each subject area is on a journey of continuous development and improvement. Our focus over the next five years is to develop:
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Rational Curriculum |
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|---|---|
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Principled curriculum |
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Integrated curriculum |
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We aim to offer a broad and balanced curriculum which is annually reviewed to meet the needs of all our students and enable them to fulfil their potential.
The school day consists of 6 lessons of 50 minutes each. We operate a two week timetable with a fortnightly allocation of learning over 60 lessons or 50 hours (25 per week) of teaching.
The subject allocations for students are outlined below.
Key Stage 3 curriculum (Years 7, 8 & 9)
In Year 7-9 –students study a broad range of subjects mainly based in form classes which helps the transition from primary to secondary education. They follow the National Curriculum and have lessons in the subjects shown below.
Summary of Teaching Periods
|
Subject |
Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Art |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Design Technology |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Drama |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
English |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Geography |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
History |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
ICT |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Mathematics |
4 |
4 |
5 |
|
MFL - French or Spanish |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
Music |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
P.E. |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
PSHE |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
R.E. |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Science |
4 |
4 |
4 |
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Total number of periods |
30 |
30 |
30 |
Teaching periods are 50 minutes long and the school operates a 6 period day.
Key Stage 4 curriculum (Years 10 & 11)
Our school has a long tradition of providing a broad key stage 4 (KS4) curriculum based predominantly on GCSE qualifications. The KS4 curriculum aims to maintain breadth, with creative and performing arts subjects offered, as well as vocational subjects, such as Health & Social Care. The Government accountability measures expect schools to offer students a broad range of at least eight subjects which must include English and Mathematics.
In order to meet these expectations and maintain our tradition of a broad KS4 curriculum, we run the curriculum over two years giving students the opportunity to study up to ten GCSE equivalent courses with additional qualifications available during twilight language classes, if desired.
Students will study: Religious Studies, English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Combined Science and most students will study a Modern Language (French or Spanish). In addition, they will follow non-examinable courses in PSHE and general PE.
We aim to provide a curriculum that allows students to meet academic thresholds that are highly regarded by employers, universities and the government. This means that we encourage students to take a humanities subject (either Geography or History) which, along with the above combination, will allow them to gain EBacc (English Baccalaureate). We also encourage them to choose an Arts subject so that their full range of choices gives a broad and balanced curriculum. Universities and employers value creativity and ‘soft-skills’ along-side academic qualifications; it is our aim to provide that experience for our students.
Summary of teaching periods
|
Subject: |
Year 10 |
Year 11 |
|---|---|---|
|
Religious Studies (GCSE) |
3 |
3 |
|
English Language and English Literature - 2 GCSE |
5 |
6 |
|
Maths - GCSE |
4 |
5 |
|
Combined Science |
6 |
6 |
|
MFL - choice of French or Spanish - GCSE |
3 |
3 |
|
Physical Education (non-examined) |
2 |
2 |
|
PSHE and Careers (non-exmainted)* |
1 |
In Form Time |
|
Option 1 |
3 |
3 |
|
Option 2 |
3 |
3 |
|
Total |
30 |
31 |
In Year 11, PSHE and Careers are offered during Form Time, during other curriculum time and as part of “drop-down” days.
There is an additional English lesson for Year 11 after school, once a week.
What choices does the Government Advise?
Click here to read 'How to help your child make the best GCSE choices' from the Department of Education.
Key Stage 5 curriculum (Years 12 and 13)
Our Sixth Form offers A level courses and BTEC courses in a broad range of subjects:
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BTEC (Level 3) courses
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Please contact our school office for further information on the school curriculum.
Option choices
Depending upon demand include:
- Arts & Design GCSEs (Fine Art, 3D Design, Textile Design)
- Business Studies (Vocational Btec)
- Business Studies GCSE
- Computer Science
- Drama GCSE
- Geography GCSE
- Health & Social Care (Vocational BTec)
- History GCSE
- Interactive Media (Vocational Course)
- Music GCSE
- Sociology GCSE
In addition, our Special Needs department will also provide personalised programmes of study support and alternative courses for students who would not be able to access a full programme of GCSE courses.
