Curriculum
Our Curriculum Intent
At Woolton High School, we endeavour to ensure that our school community is ‘Safe, happy, healthy and learning so that you are prepared for future learning and employment”
We aim to support our learners to achieve their potential through access to a broad and balanced, personalised curriculum with opportunities for real meaningful progression in a range of academic and vocational areas.
We help learners make meaningful progress in a safe, structured and caring environment and ensure they are able to build positive relationships with adults and peers alike.
Pupils are also encouraged to take responsibility for, and have ownership of, their own personal development and behaviour so that they can become young people with the skills and attitudes required to become valued members of society.
In order to achieve these aims, we endeavour to create a learning environment that is positive, friendly and supportive of all learners.
We work very closely with Governors, Parents /Carers and our multi-agency partners to ensure that their child’s education is a purposeful, productive and positive experience which helps to prepare them for their next stage of their development.
Our Implementation goal
To HELP our pupils to be academically, personally and culturally prepared.
We believe that learning is a continuous process which involves acquiring core knowledge and skills, underpinned by the reinforcement of vocabulary, reading and oracy. We re-teach, test and adapt our pedagogy to ensure that children know and remember more and use this feedback effectively.
How we organise our curriculum
– Our Curriculum is broad, balanced, challenging and engaging.
– Pupils are organised into Year Groups 7-11 and have a pastoral (FORM) base.
– There are 2 Engagement Centres (KS3&4) that have mixed year groups
– All students access a range academic subjects, as well as a carousel of vocational courses as part of their curriculum offer.
– We offer a pathway for progression towards the following qualifications: Level 1 and Level 2 Qualifications such as GCSE, BTEC, CAMNAT, Entry Level Certificate and Functional Skills.
Careers/Business Studies
Overview
At Woolton High School Careers is a vital part of the curriculum. At WHS Careers is:
Designed for all students to have outcomes that link to the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks
- Is delivered to years 7-9 through specific Careers lessons and to all year groups across the curriculum. Both have the aim of students gaining as many skills and realistic and engaging opportunities as possible during their time at the school.
- A wide range of experiences which allow students to realise their true potential.
How we organise our curriculum
- Years 7-9 will follow the Skills Builder Curriculum. This will introduce students to Careers and begin to develop their understanding of the key skills necessary to be successful throughout their education and the workplace.
- Years 10 and 11 will follow BTEC First Award in Business curriculum. This will cover a number of topics that relate directly to employment and enterprise whilst also helping students have a better understanding of the opportunities in both education and the workplace after Year 11.
Further Information
Careers/Business Studies Intent KS3
Careers/Business Studies intent KS4
English
Overview
English is at the heart of our currciulum. It is the aim of the department to make pupils develop an understanding, love and passion for English that will enable them to access learning and employment opportunities in the future. At WHS English is :
- A pathway to the rest of the curriculum and is fundamental to their educational success
- A gateway to the human experience through meaning and ambiguity as well as the beauty and power of language
- Enhanced by the programme of reading develops pupils’ phonics, accuracy and speed
How we organise our curiculum
During their KS3 journey, pupils access Entry level qualifications (Levels 1, 2 and 3). These qualifications are seen to give pupils a basis in “Literacy skills for life”. They also set pupils up for their next step at KS4.
In year 10 and 11 pupils will undertake a Functional Skills course (Level 1 and 2). Once they have achieved these qualifications they can begin an AQA GCSE course of study.
This approch aims to give pupils their best chance of maximising their potential within the subject whilst also allowing them to achieve qualifications relevant to college courses they wish to enrol on.
Further Information
Engagement Centre TEC1/TEC2
Overview
Our Engagement Centres aim to provide an inclusive learning environment tailored to suit individual needs and learning styles, ensuring opportunities for progress towards achievable qualifications. We take an innovative approach in delivering a well-rounded curriculum, in a supportive setting. At WHS the Engagement Centres are :
- a safe, inspiring environment and consistent approach to routine.
- Underpinned by the National Curriculum to cover a broad range of topics and experiences.
- Focussed on Literacy and Numeracy skills to a level which will support them beyond the classroom and in later life.
- Passionate about termly educational visits to reinforce, extend and consolidate pupils’ learning and develop partnerships with outside organisations to enrich pupils’ school experience.
How we organise our currciulum
- In the same way as KS3 and KS4
Further Information
TEC 1 Long Term Curriculum Plan 2023 2024
TEC2 Long Term Curriculum Plan 2023 2024
Humanities
Overview
To inspire in pupils, a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. At WHS Humanities is:
- A way to improve literacy, culture and develop creativity through the study of Geography, Art, Languages, History, Music and Religion.
How we organise our currciulum
- Each topic is broken down in to the core skills and knowledge required
- We aim to ensure that pupils know and are able to use that knowledge
- Learning is covered across the 6 humanities study areas relating to each continent.
Further Information
ICT
Overview
ICT as a subject is focused initially on ensuring that pupils have the core transferable skills, by utilising packages for the presentation of work. Throughout ICT pupils will develop the skills and knowldge necessary to prepare them for modern technologies in the outside world. At WHS ICT is:
- based on prior knowledge when selecting teaching approaches
- strongly linked to the intended subject content and helps achieve curriculum goals.
- led by worked examples to help pupils solve problems
How we organise our currciulum
- In line with school policy (see Further Information)
- Pupils have access to a well-resourced, modern computer suite where they are encouraged to work independently, using facilities for presentation of work, examinations and for research.
Further Information
Maths
Overview
Mathematics teaches us how to make sense of the world around us through the development of a child‘s ability to calculate, reason and solve problems. It enables pupils to understand the relationship between number and their everyday lives. It can also be a tool in the expansion of a child’s horizons, giving them the opportunity to consider new ways of thinking and calculation. At WHS Maths is:
- About promoting it’s enjoyment while showing an enthusiasm for learning and the award of qualifications.
- An exploration, discussion and discovery of the important elements that we use to promote learning in maths.
- A curriculum area where we are proud of our success rate in each of the qualifications that we offer.
How we organise our curriclum
- Pupils will take some or all of the following accreditation: Functional Skills Level 1, Functional Skills Level 2 and GCSE. see further information.
Further Information
PE
Overview
In Woolton High School, PE is a strength of the school. At WHS PE is :
- An opportunity to be actively engaged in a range of phyical activities.
- A positive experience for all learners, regardless of ability
How we organise our currciulum
- At Key Stage 3 we change the sport in school every three weeks to give our pupils the opportunity to participate in an array of activities, such as handball, badminton, short tennis and Health related fitness.
- At Key Stage 4 pupils are given the opportunity to choose the Cambridge Nationals Level 1/2 Award or Certificate.
- This is broken down into either a 2 unit award or a 4 unit certificate assessed by OCR. This allows our pupils to perform presentations, assignments and portfolios in both a practical and theory setting.
Further Information
Personal Development / PSHE
Overview
Personal Development is an integral part of life at Woolton High School for every learner. It provides opportunities for pupils to understand and appreciate how to develop techniques to better regulate their own behaviour, as well as developing the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that they need to manage their lives now and in the future.
The Personal Development curriculum at school creates opportunities to for pupils to experience growth and resilience through the promotion of qualities like honesty, integrity, courage, teamwork and communication. These qualities enable our pupils to take important steps towards becoming better prepared for post-16 transition and life after school.
This is fundamental component at Woolton High School. “Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future.”
PSHE at WHS is :
- At the heart of our pastoral currciulum
- Is delivered to all year groups
- Underpinned by key safeguarding messages
How is it organised
- It is taught directly on the currciulum during breakfast club, form and EHCP time
Further Information
Reading Development
At Woolton High School, we are passionate about developing pupils’ language and literacy skills. As part of this approach, we promote an appreciation of reading through the use of quality and diverse texts and exposure to a range of authors. Reading opportunities support our pupils in developing core skills such as fluency, comprehension, inference and language development as they read increasingly challenging material, through a wide range of ability appropriate texts, across a range of genre.
Allocated Reading Time is timetabled through ability level ‘streamed’ groups to ensure that Reading groups are working through texts that are appropriate to every pupil’s stage of learning, rather than pupil age.
Reading is embedded across all subjects and as such, teachers harness opportunities to reinforce the development of literacy skills, including reading, across all areas of the curriculum.
Science
Overview
We offer a science curriculum that provides children with the foundations that they need to recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life and within the world around us.
Intent
At Woolton High School science is:
- Delivered in a manner that hooks the children’s interest,enabling them to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity through scientific enquiry.
- Used to encouraged pupils to ask questions and work scientifically to further their understanding and scientific knowledge.
- A way to enable the development of key scientific vocabulary which supports in the acquisition of scientific knowledge and understanding.
Implementation
How our curriculum is organised.
- During KS3, all pupils study biology, chemistry and physics.
- We deliver the knowledge and skills necessary to embark on KS4 science.
- At KS4, all pupils will study for a double award science AQA entry level qualification.
Impact
In science, pupils follow the AQA entry level GCSE curriculum. They achieve this by exploring, discussing, testing and developing scientific principles and the explore the relationships between living things, familiar environments and the real world.
STEM activities are implemented to gain an appreciation for materials, tools and processes and give students an understanding of how science is linked to other subjects.
Further Information
Vocational curriculum
Overview
Vocational learning means work-related learning. We provide a variety of vocational options for our pupil’s. Pupils can build experience in the following vocational activities: Brick laying, Catering, STEM, Arts & Crafts, Horticulture and Upcycling. These activities are undertaken on a carousel basis so that each learner will access units on each activity throughout the academic year.
We have access to very good facilities for these vocational areas and our teaching and learning helps you develop the practical skills, understand theory and experience develop workplace skills needed for employment in the different areas taught. These ongoing works experience opportunities contribute to our overall aim of preparing all of our learners for post-16 courses and employment.
Intent
How we organise our curriculum:
- The curriculum is split up into six vocational subjects
- Each group will spend half a term on each subject
- Pupils will learn skills linked to each subject area
- Lessons will be delivered in different environments
Subject areas:
- Horticulture
- Brick Work
- Catering
- STEM
- Arts and Crafts
- Upcycling
Implementation
During KS3 and KS4 all pupils are grouped and rotate around the six subjects. Each pupil has two vocational lessons per week and rotate every half term.
Impact
Pupils will be given a certificate of excellence for engagement and attainment. A certificate will be displayed in the vocational curriculum display for the star of the term for each option.
Further information
Wellbeing
Overview
As a school we are part of and committed to : Promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
- Our approach is delivered through 8 key principles*:
• Curriculum teaching and learning to promote resilience and support social and emotional learning
• Enabling student voice to influence decisions
• Staff development to support their own wellbeing and that of students
• Identifying need and monitoring impact of interventions
• Working with parents and carers
• Targeted support and appropriate referral
• An ethos and environment that promotes respect and values diversity - Children and Young People’s Health Coalition
As a school we are registered with the Education staff wellbeing charter . We use the charter to
- show staff that you take their wellbeing seriously
- open a conversation with staff about their wellbeing and mental health
- create a staff wellbeing strategy
- create a wellbeing-focused culture
At WHS we promote the development of a range of personal development life skills such as resilience, confidence, inter-personal realations, independence and how to keep mentally healthy.
At WHS Wellbeing is:
- organised around a whole-school five step approach: leading change, working together, understanding need, promoting well-being and supporting each other
- an integral part of our pastoral and cultural curriculum
How our curriculum is organised
- We are working with Restorative Thinking to develop and improve our wellbeing offer.
Music
Resonate
Context
On the 25th of June 2022, the government published its updated National Plan for Music. Within this document it outlines an expectation that…
- ‘In partnership with their music hub, we would like every school (including multi-academy trusts) to have a Music Development Plan that captures the curricular and co-curricular offer and sets out how it will be staffed and funded.’
The deadline for the first edition of this document is September 2023.
Aim:
The School Music Development Plan should set out how the school will deliver high quality music provision for all pupils in the three areas of curriculum, co-curricular and enrichment. This document is for you to reflect on your current music provision, to celebrate success and to identify areas of development.
Outcomes:
- To enable schools to engage critically with their music offer.
- To feed music into wider school improvement.
- To open a constructive dialogue with music hubs, both to enhance in-school provision and to connect pupils to broader opportunities.
- To publicise schools’ music offer, including on the school website, so that pupils and parents have a good understanding of what to expect.
School Music Development Plan – Resonate Hub example Template
To help you to complete this development plan, the following documentation may be useful:
The following tables illustrate the ideal standards of music delivery in schools, and allow you to describe your current standard, and define areas for improvement.
| Area of provision |
What we are currently doing well at in this area: *Evidence of practice. |
Area for development: make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound). |
Action to be taken and deadline date: |
| Curriculum | |||
| We have embedded a high quality, ambitious music curriculum throughout our provision, covering progression within the national curriculum. This includes planned assessment throughout the year to track progress, using a range of methods. |
For example; attach curriculum documentation and assessment materials; write or insert a detailed description of the curriculum. Does the SoW provide a rich and engaging experience of music? Consider how music contributes to wider school development. You could publish this on the website, along with knowledge organisers. Does the curriculum meet the key outcomes on page 30/31 of NPME22 |
To continue to support Music within the curriculum as part of our cultural and humanities offer | This is reviewed termly |
| Our curriculum is fully inclusive and can be accessed by all pupils. Every staff member has knowledge of all pupil needs. | Consider how you design your curriculum to engage all groups, is your instrumental offer accessible to all? Record meetings with SENCO/ class teachers to identify all children’s needs and ways to adapt curriculum in order to make it more accessible. | Meet with FORM TEAMS to discuss children in relation to their access of music – all SEND needs along with any sound sensitivity, fine motor control, hearing issues, previous musical experience etc. | This is reviewed termly |
| Our curriculum includes listening examples from a wide range of cultures and traditions. | You might like to include examples of listening repertoire aiding the decolonising of the music curriculum. Charanga / MMC examples/ YouTube playlists in assemblies. | To continue to support Music within the curriculum as part of our cultural, humanities offer and EHCP offer | This is reviewed termly |
| We have timetabled curriculum music of at least one hour each week of the school year | For example, include a timetable of music across the school; | This is not in place on our curriculum at present | This is reviewed termly |
| Co-curricular | |||
|
We have provided access to instrumental opportunities. We have also provided access to instrumental lessons. (Whole class instrumental music sessions, opportunities to continue on from whole class instrumental sessions e.g. small group/1:1 tuition). (Visiting specialist musician/class teacher willing to teach a small group). KS4&5 as appropriate to exam board expectations. |
For example, include the instrumental opportunities timetabled in across the school, referencing any visiting specialist teachers/hub, progression routes. Include details for each year group. Have the children met the outcomes on page 30/31 of NPME22
Have you put in place routes to support instrumental learning beyond the core first access experience, and progress on their chosen instrument? Resonate can support you in doing this.
|
This is already in place and is full to capacity | This is reviewed termly |
| We have provided access to singing opportunities within the curriculum and singing assemblies for student | For example insert information about the school’s song bank/ individual year groups song repertoire, timetable of singing assemblies, access to ising/ external events | This is not in place on our curriculum at present | This is reviewed termly |
| We have identified children who are entitled to pupil premium funding. We have opened up opportunities for these children to access instrumental and vocal tuition. | You could engage students accessing Pupil Premium or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities in music by collating a questionnaire, verbally, perhaps as to what may interest them in order to gain more take up and recognise student voice. |
Collate list of children in each year group who fall into this category. Create music club based on choices of percussion / singing / composition etc. There are some children that are currently accessing this |
This is reviewed termly |
| Enrichment | |||
| We have arranged a space for rehearsals and individual practice in school. |
For example the music room/classroom at break / lunch times/ school hall. What storage is available, and how can instruments be accessed by pupils for practice purposes?
|
Ask … to use their room for children to use this space at lunchtime to practise. This is in the application phase of funding. |
This reviewed termly |
| We have termly school performances. | For example you could include detail of music assemblies and a programme of performances; Christmas plays, Easter concerts, year group music / leavers assemblies etc. |
Approach head teacher to discuss termly assembly and performance dates, especially when instrumental tutors and other supporting staff are available to assist. Currently working with FT Tutors to develop |
This is reviewed termly |
| We have organised opportunities for the children to enjoy live performance at least once a year. We embrace a variety of musical genres and styles to allow students to access a diverse cultural experience. | Links to Resonate online concerts, Liverpool Philharmonic, Live music Now, Soundabout, |
Request funding to access online and live concerts. Try to include more pupils on the march trip. |
This is reviewed termly |
| Extras: | |||
| Our music coordinator / music head of department attends high quality CPD and then shares learning and resources to the staff team. The music lead feels confident that the music being taught in school is consistent with the agreed SoW. | Resonate Music Education Hub / School Improvement Liverpool. You might like to include music lesson observations here/CPD sessions attended and meetings where information has been shared. | Arrange lesson observations for each year group. | January 2024. |
| Our Budget sufficiently covers costs for instrumental resources, staffing(internal and visiting), curriculum subscription, live music opportunities and staff CPD. |
For example you might like to Include details of budget for curriculum music staff, classroom instrumental teaching, enrichment activities, instruments and resources, ICT for websites and software for music-making, and subscriptions. Consider how PPA time might be used. Plan CPD. Resonate secondary investment fund. LAC funding.
|
Meet with staff and visiting music teacher to discuss any resources needed and ways to raise money via PTA to fund this. | May 2024. |
| We have strong partnerships with our local music education hub, Resonate, attending network meetings throughout the year. |
Your local hub can provide resources, tutors, curriculum support, events, projects, network meetings and training etc.
|
Attend planned network meetings. |
23.11.23 7.03.24 06.06.24 |
| We invest in establishing partnerships with local early years providers, parents of preschool children via parent and toddler groups, other schools in our area, sharing resources and good practice and local secondary schools, preparing for transition. |
For example you might include a yearly timetable of events; your school website might include a leaflet to inform parents about the whole school music offering; how social media might be used. Consider what you will do to maintain musical engagement around the transition from Year 6 to Year 7, including any communication you will make with local secondary schools – concerts / sharing/workshops. |
Click for an example from Lakeside Primary school. | July 2024. |
| We value our partnerships with local arts organisations and we are working towards arts mark and Music Mark accreditation. |
https://www.musicmark.org.uk/join/schools/
|
Set up meeting with head to discuss students entering Arts Award this year. | January 2024. |
|
Is there a value placed on music across the school, from SLT downwards, and how does this impact on attitudes of all staff to music? Is there a culture of appreciating and valuing music? Score this from 1 to 4, with 1 being the highest and 4 being the lowest. |
For example; Our Leadership Team promote music as being a central aspect of our schools’ curriculum and culture. Music is celebrated and supported in all key stages, time and resources are carefully allocated and opportunities to progress in music are well planned. | Send out questionnaire to staff asking them to complete questions covering their confidence levels, general attitude to teaching music, asking for suggestions as to how we can improve this, etc. | March 2024. |
Other aspects of musical success in our school:
Autumn term / Spring term / Summer Term.
|
Number of PP students accessing instrumental and vocal co-curricular opportunities;
|
Number of SEND students accessing instrumental and vocal co-curricular opportunities;
|
|
Number of students accessing our school choir (boys/girls/SEN/PP/LAC).
|
Number of students accessing our school ensembles (boys/girls/SEN/PP/LAC).
|
|
Number of students accessing instrumental/vocal lessons
|
Number of students performing once a year (boys/girls/SEN/PP/LAC)
|
|
Number of students accessing live music
|
Number of looked after children accessing any extra music sessions; (Extra funding available) |
Highlights/successes
Any other things your school does to support music? e.g. Arts Mark, music mark membership, events, festivals, workshops, instrument loans, funding bids
- 6 pupils as part of the FT programme
- Music is delivered on the curriculum in 2 key areas
- We have a practice space
- We have staff that can teach certain instruments at a basic level
Next steps: If you could give two stars and a wish for how to improve music education in your setting, what would they be?
- Create another Music Space.
- Create a termly performance from FT pupils
- Use Music in each form