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July 2022 - Newsletter to Parents
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At Oakbank, the curriculum is shaped by our school values of integrity, collaboration and excellence.
We aim to provide our students with a curriculum that challenges and supports them in becoming confident and well-rounded individuals who are independent, creative learners with a great sense of responsibility and care.
Curriculum Intent
Our curriculum is planned with the intent to:
- Provide all students with a broad and balanced curriculum throughout their learning journey at Oakbank School including following the English Baccalaureate pathway where appropriate.
- Adhere to, or go beyond, the National Curriculum in most subjects to ensure greater depth and breadth in learning.
- Enable all students to build and learn new knowledge and skills on their prior knowledge; thus allowing students to develop deep learning of knowledge and skills.
- Provide students with engaging lessons taught by highly skilled expert teachers with opportunities for experiences beyond the classroom.
- Allow students to learn from mistakes, using assessment at the most appropriate time to identify and address gaps in knowledge.
- Achieve the highest possible results in national tests.
- Prepare students for the next phase of their education or employment and life in modern Britain, taking account of pupils’ aspirations, the local, national and global job markets.
- Develop students’ characters and add to their cultural capital through Oakbank’s Citizenship programme.
- Ensure diversity is celebrated to ensure all students feel welcomed, supported and valued in the school community.
- Develop an array of reading strategies to advance literacy skills and access texts at all levels.
Key Stage 3 - Years 7, 8 & 9
In Key Stage 3, all students follow a common curriculum which has literacy and numeracy at its core. All students study English, maths, science, geography and history and French. Students also take Religious Studies and participate in physical education lessons weekly.
Our immersive curriculum ensures all students have the chance to learn all the key knowledge and principles of the statutory Citizenship and Relationships and Sexual Education (RSE) and Health education - so important for later life. Specifically, lessons on some of these topics are incorporated into the tutor programme, assemblies and a fortnightly Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) lesson.
We are confident that our Key Stage 3 curriculum provides students with opportunities across all areas, with Years 7-9 having the opportunity to study the following through the courses below:
- Arts - Art and Design
- Performing Arts - Drama, Music, PE
- Computing - ICT
The curriculum in Key Stage 3 has been specifically developed by departments looking at the learning journey students are on. Departments have examined the prescribed curriculum at Key Stage 2 to ensure knowledge and skills are improved, not repeated, and have looked ahead to Key Stage 4 to ensure that Key Stage 3 learning is rigorous enough to equip students for their next stage of schooling and beyond.
Key Stage 4 - Years 10 & 11
The curriculum after Year 9 is designed to provide continuity, balance and breadth, while enabling students to specialise in courses which meet their needs, aptitudes and career intentions.
All students starting Year 10 take a core of compulsory examination subjects: English Language and Literature, Mathematics, and Science. Other compulsory subjects are Physical Education and Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) which is incorporated into the tutor programme, assemblies and a fortnightly lesson ensuring that all statutory guidance from the RSE and Citizenship programmes are adhered to and built upon.
We encourage students who are capable of doing so to complete the English Baccalaureate and all other students will be expected to choose at least between History and Geography.
There are four option pathways, each offering a selection of the wide range of subjects available including GCSE and vocational courses.
Optional subjects are:
| GCSE | Vocational |
|---|---|
| Art & Design | OCR Enterprise and Marketing |
| Computer Science | OCR National in ICT |
| Design & Technology | OCR Creative iMedia |
| French | WJEC Hospitality & Catering |
| History | |
| Geography | |
| Physical Education | |
| Drama | |
| Music | |
| Citizenship |
