Curriculum Overview

Aims

The aims of the Brookfield curriculum are to:

• Create an aspirational culture, enabling high achievement for all.
• Provide a broad and balanced education for all pupils that’s coherently planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge for skills and future learning and employment.
• Enable pupils to develop knowledge, understand concepts and acquire skills, and be able to choose and apply these in relevant situations.
• Support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Support pupils’ physical development and responsibility for their own health, and enable them to be active.
• Promote a positive attitude towards learning.
• Ensure equal access to learning for all pupils, with high expectations for every pupil and appropriate levels of challenge and support.
• Have a high academic/vocational/technical ambition for all pupils.
• Equip pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
• Provide subject choices that support pupils’ learning and progression, and enable them to work towards achieving their goals.
• Provide a broad curriculum comprising a wide range of academic and vocational subjects.
• Develop pupils’ independent learning skills and resilience, to equip them for further/higher education and employment.
• Above all it is a curriculum to suit the needs of our students, rather than to chase performance measures.

Organisation of the Curriculum

The School Curriculum is organised into subject areas and each of these has its own Learning Leader directly responsible to the Headteacher for the delivery of the curriculum.
The School operates a 2-week, 50 period timetable. Students also spend 8 shorter Personal Development periods with their tutor during each 2-week timetable cycle.

Years 7 and 8

All students in Years 7 and 8 follow the National Curriculum subjects of English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Modern Foreign Languages, Design and Technology, Art and Design, Music, Computer Studies, and Physical Education.  Students also study Religious Education, Sex and Relationship Education and Citizenship through our Beliefs and Values and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education lessons.  All our students in year 7 and 8 also study Drama and Dance. 

This curriculum provides greater breadth than is required by the National Curriculum, although a significant amount of time is devoted to English and Mathematics. Nearly all students take at least one Modern Foreign Language in year 7 and 8, but the more able linguists have the opportunity to study a second language by year 9. 

In Year 7 and 8, a very small number of students do not study a Modern Foreign Language, and instead use the time to develop their skills in literacy and numeracy.

Students in year 7 and 8 have the following lessons each fortnight.
*please note that there are some small variations for the Transition Group who do not take a Modern Foreign Language.

Year 9

Students in Year 9 continue to follow all the core subjects - English, Mathematics, Science and Computer Studies, together with a Modern Foreign Language, Physical Education, and Religious Studies and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education which incorporates Relationship and Sex Education and Citizenship.

Students also study 5 Option subjects to study as a foundation for GCSE courses. These are selected during spring term of Year 8 from a range of choices, mainly from the Humanities, Technology and Creative and Performing Arts curriculum areas.

Students in year 9 have the following lessons each fortnight.

Years 10 and 11

Students begin their GCSE or equivalent courses in earnest in year 10.  Students continue to spend a considerable proportion of their curriculum time in their core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science, and all students continue to have lessons in Physical Education.  Student will now spend more hours on their fewer final Option subjects.

Again, there is a thorough programme of information, advice and guidance to help students and their parents/carers during spring term of year 9 to make the best choices about the final option subjects to take through into year 10 to the end of year 11.

PSHE, including elements of Religious, Sex and Relationship Education, and Citizenship continue to be taught through during a discrete one hour lesson each fortnight.

Students in year 10 and 11 have the following lessons each fortnight.

All students will have the opportunity to gain GCSE qualifications in English Language, English Literature and Mathematics.

In Science, students work towards either dual certification in Science knows as Trilogy Combined, which is equivalent to two GCSEs, or triple certification in Physics, Chemistry and Biology known as Separate Sciences, which is 3 GCSEs. Again, students and their parents are advised as to the course which will best suit each student’s abilities and aspirations, the latter of which will occupy one of their option choices.

All students are expected to take at least one Modern Foreign Language or Humanities subject amongst their option choices, meaning at least one out of the following five subjects: French, Spanish, German, History, Geography.

Subjects and Qualifications

We offer a broad range of subjects so that all students can select those that interest them, play to their strengths, and are relevant to their future study or career aspirations.  These include a wide choice of GCSE and equivalent Vocational qualifications.

Currently the option subjects and qualifications on offer include:

• Fine Art (GCSE)
• Business Studies (GCSE)
• Enterprise and Marketing (OCR Cambridge National)
• Food Preparation and Nutrition (GCSE)
• Hospitality and Catering (Eduqas Vocational Award)
• Citizenship (GCSE)
• Computer Science (GCSE)
• Creative iMedia (OCR Cambridge National)
• Dance (GCSE)
• Drama (GCSE)
• Performing Arts (WJEC Vocation Award)
• French (GCSE)
• Geography (GCSE)
• German (GCSE)
• Design and Technology - Graphics (GCSE)
• Design and Technology – Resistant Materials (GCSE)
• Health and Social Care (OCR Cambridge National)
• History (GCSE)
• Music (GCSE)
• Music Technology (VCert)
• Physical Education (GCSE)
• Sports Studies (OCR Cambridge National)
• Photography (GCSE)
• Religious Studies (GCSE)
• Separate Sciences: Biology, Chemistry and Physics (GCSEs)
• Spanish (GCSE)
• Statistics (GCSE)
• Statistics with Additional Maths (GCSE and FSMQ)
• Textiles (GCSE)

This programme means that students are likely to gain 9 or 10 GCSE or equivalent qualifications.

The curriculum model is reviewed annually by the Senior Leadership Team and Governors during the Autumn Term. Special information evenings to provide guidance and advice for the Options process for year 8 and 9 are held in the Spring Term of Years 8 and 9.

Curriculum Accessibility

How we make the curriculum accessible for those with disabilities or special educational needs can be found in our Special Educational Needs area.

Religious Education (RE) Right to Withdraw

Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their children from Religious Education (RE). This request can be wholly or partly. Requests for withdrawal should be put in writing and addressed to the Headteacher. Within the request, Parents/carers are required to outline the reasons for wishing to withdraw their child. Once your request has been received, we will contact you to discuss our RE curriculum with you, alongside your concerns. This is to enable parents and carers to make an informed decision.