Curriculum Statement
We Believe in the promise of each individual and will ensure we inspire, support and challenge in proportionate measure, so that we all thrive and are able to achieve our own individual best potential.
Introduction
Our aim is to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, focused on maximising student potential and progress that allows all students to flourish and be the best they can become.
On starting at Burscough Priory Academy every student is allocated a Personal Tutor and is placed into a tutor group. These tutor groups contain students from every year group and each group is a member of one of four houses; Attenborough, Frank, Turing and Yousafzai and each house is led by a House Progress Leader. We have 3 dedicated Pastoral & Behaviour Manager (a non-teacher dedicated to wellbeing support). Year 7 have their own dedicated Pastoral & Behaviour Manager. Tutors and the House Progress Leaders, together with our Head of Learning Support and Assistant Head with responsibility for Progress and Intervention ensure cross subject overview, interrogation and intervention on progress and learning matters for individuals.
All students study English Language and Literature, Maths and Science leading to GCSE qualifications and continue to participate in a core PE programme. A significant proportion of students take 3 separate Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) within their core subject time. Students choose at least 1 GCSE option from Geography, History and/or a Modern Foreign Language, Spanish or French from the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects and up to 2 further GCSE options from either the EBacc subjects listed above and/or Art, Computing, Design Technology, Drama, Food Preparation and Nutrition, Music, Physical Education and Religious Studies and a Cambridge National in Sport Science.
Current Key Stage 3
Year 7 – 8
In Year 7 and 8, children also study Spanish and Humanities subjects (History, Geography and RE), Art, Computing, Design Technology, Drama, Food Technology and Music.
Year 9
In Year 9, students continue with Spanish and the Humanities suite of subjects. They also have the opportunity to explore two subjects in depth, choosing from Art, Computing, Design Technology, Drama, Food Technology or Music or a second language.
Current Key Stage 4
All students study English Language and Literature, Maths and Science leading to GCSE qualifications and continue to participate in a core PE programme. A significant proportion of students take 3 separate Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) within their core subject time. Students choose at least 1 GCSE option from Geography, History and/or a Modern Foreign Language, Spanish or French from the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects and up to 2 further GCSE options from either the EBacc subjects listed above and/or Art, Computing, Design Technology, Drama, Food Preparation and Nutrition, Music, Physical Education and Religious Studies and a Cambridge National in Sport Science.
All Years
We also have five collapsed curriculum days spread throughout the year, dedicated to Personal, Social, Health and Careers Education (PSHCE), which also includes modules of Religious Education (RE) in Year 10 and 11. PHSCE is also threaded into the tutor and assembly programme throughout the academic year.
Homework
Meaningful homework will be set in order to reinforce learning and promote independence. This might be set weekly, fortnightly, depending on how to best enhance learning at that point in the curriculum. We have a flexible approach to homework in as much as we don’t enforce a rigid timetable, so as to avoid the risk of homework just being set for the sake of it. Students will always engage more fully when they see there is a clear purpose. We believe in quality not quantity, so there won’t be a discernible increase at Key Stage Four – instead the work will be more focused towards curriculum understanding and GCSE exam preparation. This is to allow time for more intense revision or preparation periods at various ‘hotspots’ in the GCSE courses.
We will offer variety in the types of homework set, in order to capture different approaches to learning but it will come within the remit of either Reading, Recall or Revision. Reading homeworks are aimed at enhancing comprehension skills, developing a curiosity about the world around us and embedding research skills and critical thinking. Recall homeworks are small chunks of learning that are used to increase the retention of knowledge and skills that can then be further developed within the classroom. Revision homeworks are to prepare the students for assessments and develop strategies for independent learning.
We will undertake a Curriculum Review on an annual basis that will take into account Government legislation and the views of students, parents, Local Academy Councillors, staff and the Trust.
Curriculum Hours
|
Subject |
Year 7
|
Year 8
|
Year 9
|
Year 10
|
Year 11
|
|
English |
8 |
7 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
|
Maths |
6 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
Science |
6 |
6 |
8 |
10 + 2 for triple* |
9 + 2 for triple* |
|
PE |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 (-2)* |
4 (-2)* |
|
MFL (Spanish) |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Option Subjects
Option A, B and C 6 hours per fortnight per subject. Choices from:
History, Geog, RE, Art & Design, Music, Drama, Spanish, Food Prep & Nutrition, Computing, PE, Creative I Media
|
Option Subjects
Option A, B and C 6 hours per fortnight per subject. Choices from:
History, Geog, RE, Art & Design, Music, Drama, Spanish, Food Prep & Nutrition, Computing, PE, Creative I Media
|
|
4 |
4 |
3 |
|||
|
Geography |
4 |
4 |
3 |
||
|
RE |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Art |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Computing |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Drama |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Music |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Technology |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
PSHE |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Total |
50 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
50 |