Curriculum Intent

 

1. Our curriculum will provide all students with secure knowledge and cultural capital to succeed in life.

  • our students have gaps in their knowledge due to social disadvantage
  • we have to equip all students with a strong foundation of essential knowledge in all subjects to advantage the disadvantaged

This means:

  • All curriculum plans and schemes of work must be founded on essential/valuable content 
  • There must be a clear rationale for the content selected to be taught
  • We should not simply be teaching to the test
     

 

2. Our curriculum must be ambitious for all students.

  • all students are entitled to study all subjects for as long as possible to ensure access to secure knowledge and cultural capital
  • valuable curriculum content such as languages and the arts should not be denied to some students 
  • all students should have access to a strong academic curriculum for 5 years

This means:

  • Implementation of a 3-year KS3 curriculum
  • All students in KS3 will follow the same curriculum – there will be no narrowing
  • Option choices will enable all students to follow an EBac pathway if they choose
  • Students will select 4 option subjects to allow breadth of study

 

 

3. Our curriculum must build towards agreed end points which are clearly defined and shared in terms of what successful students will know and be able to do.

  • identified end points must enable high levels of achievement for all students
  • typical gaps in prior learning must be addressed to avoid them becoming a barrier to students’ progress

This means:

  • Curriculum plans and schemes of work must identify clear success criteria for the end of Year 7, KS3 and KS4
  • Curriculum plans and schemes of work must be sequenced in a logical and coherent way based on best practice and the science of learning
  • Reliable assessments must be built into schemes of work to judge how well students have  mastered the specified content

 

 

4. Our curriculum must ensure all students develop strong communication skills.

  • our students typically have weak literacy and oracy skills which are a barrier to learning
  • we need to broaden our students’ vocabulary to enable them to become word rich

This means:

  • Subject plans and schemes of work must explicitly address the teaching of key vocabulary
  • Subject plans and schemes of work will provide regular opportunities for students to develop oracy skills
  • Implementation of whole-school literacy plans

 

 

5. Our curriculum must enable students' positive personal development.

  • our students typically lack wider cultural opportunities outside of school 
  • our students lack confidence and self belief
  • our students need to become responsible and thoughtful individuals
  • our students need to know how to keep themselves safe

This means:

  • Implementation of precise plans to develop CEIAG, SRE, PSHE, SMSC, Character
  • Implementation of a broad extra-curricular programme
     

 

Curriculum 8:

At The Birkenhead Park School we know some students need extra support in transitioning from primary to secondary school. Some students will receive additional support and some time in Curriculum 8, where they follow the same curriculum as their peers, but with a focus on:

  • Executive Function
  • Literacy - Reading - Writing

They receive small class teaching to allow them to become 'ready for secondary'.

Educational Psychologist, David Soares, referred to Curriculum 8 as a 'Beacon of Excellence' in July 2024.

Curriculum