The Heath Lane Academy Curriculum
The Heath Lane curriculum sits at the heart of our vision for our school: a welcoming and caring learning environment that provides a holistic and transformational education, enriching the lives of our pupils and our staff.
Our curriculum is enacted in a school community that champions respect, kindness and hard work. These core values equip our pupils with the depth of character required to tackle problems and pursue happy, successful and fulfilled lives.
Our pupils are intellectually transformed by the ambitious knowledge within our curriculum which:
- Comprises a broad and balanced range of subjects, each containing the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated, well-rounded citizens
- Is delivered through well-sequenced, ambitious and inspiring learning journeys by subject experts
- Captures some of the best that has been thought and said in each subject, engendering an appreciation of human creativity and achievement
- Develops pupils’ reading, vocabulary and oracy.
Our pupils are personally and socially transformed by our ambitious personal development curriculum which:
- Promotes the spiritual, moral and cultural development of our pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged.
- Reflects and celebrates the increasingly diverse nature of our community.
- Prepares our pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life, including social challenges such as staying safe online, being resilient, maintaining their mental health and developing a strong sense of self-identity.
Teachers use the national curriculum as a starting point for planning in key stage 3, but then consider our community, the needs of our pupils, and the journey of transformation we want to offer. This results in a curriculum which is at least as ambitious as the national curriculum. We ensure that e-bacc subjects get sufficient curriculum time through key stage 3 to ensure equity of opportunity for all of our pupils, paving the way for them to secure the full suite of e-bacc qualifications should they choose to do so. These are complemented by a wide range of foundation subjects, including those that allow pupils to express themselves in creative and practical ways.
Lessons in English, geography, history, religious education and French share a focus on communication, developing self-expression and independent thought, as well as reading and writing extended texts with fluency. These subjects enrich the pupils with contextual knowledge, and help them to generate opinions on moral issues whilst considering opinions and ideas from many different perspectives.
Lessons in maths, science, computer science, design and technology and business studies offer opportunities for pupils to develop their problem solving and reasoning skills. Pupils are encouraged to investigate, analyse and follow threads of logical thinking to deepen their understanding of the world around them and beyond. Pupils develop the fluency of their skills, such as mathematical operations, and are then given opportunities to apply those skills in a wide range of contexts.
Lessons in art, performing arts, music, food and design technology and physical education open up a whole range of exciting practical learning experiences to our pupils. Pupils explore and develop their creativity, dexterity and visual, aural and spatial skills, as well as building resilience. These subjects also present unique opportunities for pupils to develop their capacity for collaborative working, whether it be in a team sport or sharing a work-space in a food technology classroom. Teachers carefully select content that enriches pupils’ cultural capital, for both lessons and extra-curricular activities.
All of these subjects are complimented by our RPSHE curriculum, which is taught as a stand-alone subject through key stages 3 and 4. This designated curriculum time is supplemented by tutor time, activities like assemblies, and by teachers taking advantage of opportunities to make and explore appropriate connections between key themes and their subject curriculum. Pupils explore a range of religious and non-religious ideas, enabling them to expand and develop their understanding and opinions of important topics and issues within a safe environment. They develop their understanding of how sensitive issues can be explored through respectful debate, and their ability to keep themselves safe and well. This blended provision is designed to help our pupils grow up into well-rounded, hard-working, kind and respectful young people.
These transformational curriculum experiences are beginning to lead to a wider range of destinations at the end of key stage 4. An increasing proportion of our pupils are securing achievement that allows them to access ‘academic’ level 3 pathways at local sixth forms. HLA pupils are encouraged to formulate ambitious goals, and to recognise their achievements in all forms. At HLA we promote the virtues of a positive journey to a meaningful destination, and that grades only represent one facet of that journey. Ultimately, it is about the choices and chances open to pupils at the end of their journey with us, and we emphasise that a grade 3 for one pupil can be just as significant an achievement as a grade 8 for another pupil.
Helping pupils overcome barriers to achievement
One of the key tenets of our school is that we are duty-bound to offer the highest possible quality of education and opportunity to all of our pupils, regardless of any potential barriers that they may face. It is our belief that in order to meet this challenge, we must actively nurture a sense of ‘belonging’ for every pupil in our school community. At its core, this means being determined to offer a curriculum that not only has the power to transform pupils’ life choices and chances, but also allows pupils to connect with the stories and narratives that run through and across lessons. This curriculum combines with the impact of staff that role model our core values every day, in every lesson, thereby helping pupils overcome barriers to achievement.
We expose all pupils to high quality written and spoken words, with plenty of opportunities for explicit vocabulary teaching and active reading strategies in lessons. In addition, some of our pupils benefit from a programme of ‘Direct Instruction’, designed to improve pupils’ literacy and numeracy to the point where they can access the whole-school curriculum independently.
Regular assessment of pupils’ attendance, attainment and attitudes to learning allow us to direct targeted additional academic support and wider pastoral support to those pupils in need.
Curriculum Pathways & Timetable Structures
From September 2023, our timetable has changed to a two-week, 30-period, 100-minute lesson structure. This has simplified the school day for pupils, reducing the number of different staff that they must interact with and the number of times they must pack away, move around the school, and set up for another lesson.
In key stage 3, our 30-periods are divided into the following subject allocations:
|
English |
4 |
|
R.E. & P.S.H.E. |
1 |
|
Maths |
4 |
|
Art |
1 |
|
Science |
4 |
|
Drama |
1 |
|
Geography |
3 |
|
Music |
1 |
|
History |
3 |
|
Design & Technology |
1 |
|
French |
3 |
|
Food Technology |
1 |
|
P.E. |
2 |
|
Computer Science & I.C.T. |
1 |
In key stage 3, pupils are taught in a variety of class combinations so they can benefit from interactions with a wide group of their peers.
In key stage 4, our 30-period cycle is divided into the following subject allocations:
|
English |
5 |
|
Option 1 |
3 |
|
Maths |
5 |
|
Option 2 |
3 |
|
Science |
6 |
|
P.E. |
1.4 |
|
Geography / History |
3 |
|
RPSHE |
0.6 |
|
French |
3 |
|
|
|
In key stage 4, the planning for the majority of pupils’ learning is based upon relevant, ambitious examination specifications. However, teachers continue to carefully select and include additional learning in support of our school vision to provide a holistic and transformational curriculum. Whether it be exploring inspirational figures from the past or present, making links to our local history or context, or taking time to consider the questions that remain unanswered, teachers relish their responsibilities as the champions for their subject within our school community.