Our aim is to provide an excellent education for all our students, which brings out the best in all of them and prepares them for success in life. 

Our curriculum provides children with the core knowledge they need for success in education and later life, maximises their cognitive development, develops the whole person and the talents of the individual and allows all children to become active citizens and economically self-sufficient.

United Learning Curriculum is built upon these key principles:

• Entitlement – We believe that all children have right to learn what is in the United Learning Curriculum; schools have a duty to ensure that all children are taught the whole of it.
• Mastery – We want all students to achieve a full understanding of the knowledge specified in the Curriculum for each year, and teaching should not move on until this is achieved.
• Stability – We won’t constantly amend the Curriculum: while we should make occasional adjustments in the light of feedback and experience, we will aim for stability over many years, so that teachers can develop expertise, and we constantly build assessments and teaching materials to support.
• Concepts not context – The Curriculum is intended as a concise specification of knowledge and content to be taught and learned; it is for schools and teachers to decide how to teach and bring it to life.

Because the United Learning Curriculum is an ‘entitlement curriculum’, we expect the school curriculum to go beyond this core, in a number of ways:

• Breadth and depth within subjects – Teachers and schools introduce concepts beyond the core which interest and inspire them in order to excite children about their subjects.
• Subjects currently outside the ‘core’ – Schools need to cover the full National Curriculum and other statutory responsibilities as well as the United Learning Curriculum.
• Education with character – Everything from which children learn in school – the taught subject timetable, the approach to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, the co-curricular provision and the ethos and ‘hidden curriculum’ of the school – are to be seen as part of the school curriculum.  Our principle of ‘Education with Character’ is delivered through the curriculum in this broadest sense.
• Catch-up – In order to allow the mastery approach to be effective (i.e. children learn what they are expected to in the year they are expected to), early catch up is essential: we aim that all students catch up with age related expectations by the end of Y8 so that they can access the full curriculum.

Shoreham Academy Curriculum Aims

Curriculum Intent

At Shoreham Academy, our core values of hard work, integrity, excellence are at the heart of everything we do.  We set high expectations to ensure that every student excels across all aspects of academy life.

Our intention is to ensure students make outstanding progress and that the curriculum removes any potential barriers to learning.

We want our students to leave with knowledge and skills which will not only create excellent life opportunities but will also prepare them exceptionally well for life beyond the academy.

It is our aim that we achieve this for every student through a knowledge-rich curriculum that is cohesive, cumulative and highly sequenced. Our carefully mapped curriculum is ambitious, rigorously academic, and designed with long-term memory in mind. Student’s knowledge, skills and understanding are cemented by frequent and systematic revisiting, along with mapped assessment points.

At Shoreham Academy, students will,

• experience a broad, deep and knowledge rich curriculum;
• be literate and numerate;
• have high expectations for their achievement and build their character;
• develop their cultural, social, moral, mental and physical development;
• secure foundations for progression.

Students experience a broad, deep and knowledge rich curriculum

Our academy curriculum helps students to achieve high standards and make excellent progress. At KS3, the curriculum is broad and students learn essential knowledge to ensure they have a deep understanding across a range of subjects. There are many opportunities built into lessons to secure the need to recall and retrieve previous learning so that knowledge is fully embedded. 

Many students have a clear idea of subjects they like the most and by the middle of Year 8 students choose to select one subject to study further in depth as part of their Y9 Curriculum. We believe this engages students and parents as partners in their learning and leads to improved outcomes for students. These courses are not externally examined in Y9 but can go on to form one of their GCSE subjects studied and examined in Y10.

At KS4 and KS5 courses are carefully planned to ensure that content is thoroughly revisited, and this undoubtedly prepares students for external examinations at the end of the course.

Students will be literate and numerate

The development of student language and oracy is at the forefront of our curriculum as we understand how vital it is for our students to build confidence in communication skills not only for their time in school but also to prepare them for working life. We ensure students have opportunities in all subjects to discuss, challenge and build on other points of view and to develop their formality of language both in written and spoken form. One of the key academy priorities this year is for all our students to be vocabulary rich literate learners.  Please see Literacy policy here. Numeracy skills are embedded across the curriculum.  Students who arrive with below age-related expected maths or literacy skills are quickly caught up through expert teaching and incisive intervention. As part of our KS3 mentor time curriculum students read challenging texts with their teacher, three times a week. A significant proportion of homework is dedicated to reading each week. The academy ensures that students are literate and numerate enabling them to flourish, thrive and access the next stage of their education, employment or training.  Please see Catch up curriculum for more information on this.

Students will have high expectations for their achievement and build their character

As part of the United Learning group one of our key principles is developing Education with Character. At the academy, we are completely committed to improving the life chances and aspirations of students. Our student’s complete pledges that support them to see the bigger picture of their education and contribute the community they live in.  An extensive enrichment programme supports the development of students into well rounded citizens inclusive of a drop-down Experience week in the summer term.

Students will develop their cultural, social, moral, mental and physical development

We aim that students leave Shoreham Academy prepared for a successful life in a modern Britain. Our mentor, careers and PSHCE programme lead curriculum opportunities for learning to be linked to real world experiences and RSE. Students participate in a range of workshops and programmes to support them develop as a whole not just academically.  Students are encouraged to take part in a range of sporting, cultural and charitable activities.  Links with local and national business enrich the curriculum offer and help to contextualise learning. Student emotional and mental health is highlighted throughout their education through our focus on the five ways to wellbeing. Please see more information regarding this here ( mental health statement link)

Students will secure foundations for progression

It is our intention at the academy to ensure students have secure foundations for progression into further education and apprenticeships. From Year 7- Y13 students receive careers information with a clear focus on the Gatsby benchmarks and this is supported through our mentor time and PSHCE programme throughout the academic year. Over the course of 5 years, students receive a rigorous and bespoke mentor time programme that exposes our students to a huge range of voices and experiences and incorporate academic resilience as well as mental and emotional wellbeing. We have excellent links to Universities, businesses and our Alumni which frequently broaden the aspirations and experience of our students. (Link to alumni, Gatsby, careers info here)

Curriculum Implementation

Shoreham Academy believes that a carefully planned and structured curriculum is the foundation upon which excellent learning and development is built.  Our curriculum is a seven year journey, designed and implemented in such a way that it builds on prior knowledge and prepares students for the next stage in their education. This is complimented by the academy's teaching and learning approach, which is underpinned by Barak Rosenshine’s Principles 2012.

Development of language and building knowledge are integral to curriculum planning.  Subject Leaders, who are experts in their subjects, carefully construct a curriculum that promotes a deep understanding of a wide range of topics.  Teachers plan learning that allows students to embed and recall knowledge through techniques such as interleaving of topics and spaced practice.  This builds firm foundations for progression to the next level and exam success.

At KS3 we teach a knowledge led curriculum that is based on the National Curriculum and aims for at least “age expected” learning for all students. Students are assessed against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These have been mapped so that the vast majority of students are working at or exceeding age expected learning, allowing them to be successful at KS3 and beyond.

Parents will receive reports 3 times a year that show whether their child is “Secure” at age expected learning and which KPIs they haven’t met. This will be alongside information showing attitude towards learning, attendance and behaviour/rewards points and test percentage scores.

The first reports will go to parents in December.

In order to support learning outside of the classroom at KS3, students are encouraged to utilise knowledge organisers from each of their subjects and also have access to wide range of resources in Firefly.

In KS4 students have the opportunity to deepen their learning of core subjects and options of their choice. A link to the Options Evening Curriculum Guides for parents and students can be found on Firefly via the link below.

Options Guide  2020 Can be found on Firefly

Option evening for the academic year 2019-2020 is the 11^th of March 2020

At KS4 students are supported throughout their subjects by a wide range of extra-curricular activities. There is also a wealth of independent study resource materials on Firefly.

Our Option choices are structured in such a way to allow students a free choice.  This ensures equity of delivery, with all students having equal access to subjects. The options are designed to stretch and challenge. Students are offered a mixture of practical and academic subjects from all areas of the curriculum. This model also maintains the widest possible choice for progression routes Post 16 as every student will have a greater range of subjects on which to choose future opportunities for education and training.​

KS4 students are typically expected to progress onto level 3 courses where they will have the opportunity to deepen their ambition and learning still further through a broad range of consistently demanding courses at A level and Level 3 Applied Generals. Building upon the foundations and interests established through their GCSE study, students usually select three course options that support their chosen pathway and aspirations that lead to either university, apprenticeship or a career of their choice.

At KS5 students are taught by subject specialists and supported by an extensive range of enrichment opportunities including performance academies, academic activities, volunteering and work experience. All students receive high-quality impartial careers guidance from dedicated sixth form staff with up-to-date vocational and university knowledge. This enables students to move onto higher-level qualifications, employment or further training with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the future.

Shoreham Academy Sixth Form is an outstanding learning community with the highest aspirations for both academic and personal excellence. We aim to prepare each and every student to leave us with the qualifications, skills and confidence needed to be successful in their future.

All students are supported to achieve their full potential. This is realised through the provision of an outstanding teaching and learning culture, positive mind-set, hard work and high aspirations. Above all, the Sixth Form at Shoreham Academy exists as a gateway to a whole host of opportunities which will lead students to successful and fulfilling futures.

The full list of subjects available for students to study at KS5 is found on the link to the Options Evening Curriculum Guides for parents and students below; Sixth Form Courses - click here

Curriculum Impact

At Shoreham Academy, our curriculum will:

• ensure that the sequence of learning builds on previous knowledge whilst supporting future progression.
• lead to qualifications that are of worth for employers and for entry to further and higher education.
• enable all students to fulfil their potential.
• meet the needs of students of all abilities at the academy.
• allow students to acquire an appreciation and respect for their own and other cultures.
• prepare students to make informed choices at the end of KS3, KS4 and beyond.

Curriculum Hours​

All lessons within the academy are 1 hour in length and there are 25 lessons per week. Some lessons may be structured as double lessons in KS4 /5.

SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) and FBV (Fundamental British Values) are embedded into the curriculum and delivered through all subjects.

PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) provision is through a series of full and half drop down days that are delivered by staff and experts as appropriate to the topics covered.

The current hours allocated to each year group are below:

Year 9

Year 10 

Year 11

Targets:

At the beginning of the year we review every student in the school in order to set targets. These will be based on the progress students have made during their time at Shoreham Academy along with their potential. These targets are aspirational and challenging but with hard work we would expect students to achieve or exceed these.

Professional Predictions:

As part of our reporting cycle teachers provide professional predictions. This is the grade the teacher believes your child will achieve when they get their results after completing their GCSE courses. This is not guaranteed and requires your child to continue to work hard, complete homework and attend afterschool sessions. Professional predictions have a sub grade attached as follows:

H = very close to achieving the next grade above

M = predicted grade

L = not secure, may achieve the lower grade

Regular, low stakes, testing ensure that students embed knowledge into their long term memory.

Students are assessed by a combination of peer, self and teacher assessments.  Summative assessment will take place at least once per term at KS3 and more frequently at KS4/5.

Following each assessment, incisive intervention to fill gaps in knowledge means that students make rapid progress.

Student Reports:

At KS3, parents will receive reports 3 times per year.  The reports will indicate the number of KPIs a student has met or exceeded as well as their attitude to learning in each subject. The latest assessment percentage achieved is displayed for each subject where applicable . The average and highest percentages achieved in the cohort are included in order to provide a context for these percentage scores.

At KS4 parents receive 4 reports per year for year 10 students and 3 reports per year for year 11 students. These will indicate for each subject studied the student’s attitude to learning, their target grade, the professional prediction from the subject teacher and the latest assessment score achieved where applicable. As per the KS3 reports, average and highest percentages in the cohort are included in order to provide a context for the score achieved.

Each year parents and students will have at least one parent consultation evening to discuss their progress in depth with subject specialists.

Curriculum Review​

Curriculum will be reviewed and quality assured through line management, quality assurance of teaching and learning and our CPD programme for staff.

The curriculum delivered in each subject will be reviewed annually by subject leaders to ensure the sequence of delivery allows students to build on their knowledge and that students are sufficiently stretched and challenged.

The curriculum hours and subjects offered will be analysed by the senior and extended leadership team alongside our governors on an annual basis.

The student leadership team will discuss curriculum content and delivery annually. This will be fed back to senior team and staff.

Parents and students will have the opportunity to review the curriculum content and delivery through parent and student surveys.  ​

Our next curriculum review will be published in March 2020.

If parents / carers would like to find out more information about the curriculum at Shoreham Academy, please contact Mrs Butler Assistant Principal. Suzanne.butler@shoreham-academy.org