We are committed to providing a curriculum that is broad, balanced, ambitious and fosters a love of learning to give every child the opportunity to become the best version of themselves.
The curriculum is structured so that students build a solid foundation of knowledge to support further learning. Key knowledge, skills, ideas and themes are introduced, built on and revisited through thoughtful and considered sequences of learning. The underpinning for this is the National Curriculum. At KS3, 20 of the 29 lessons are dedicated to the core Ebacc subjects, with 65% of students accessing all elements of the Ebacc provision, including Spanish.
Schemes of learning are designed with the explicit intention that they should equip all students with the key disciplinary and procedural knowledge and skills to potentially go on to study subjects at GCSE, A Level and beyond by building a solid platform for further learning.
Due to lower than national pupil start points from KS2, the curriculum focuses on literacy development at all levels, allowing students to build vocabulary, read challenging texts and express their ideas through extended writing.
At KS4 we offer students a range of different pathways suited to pupil needs and aspirations. Options are a guided process to ensure the curriculum is appropriate for different groups of students, including those studying the full Ebacc. Students are supported to make the right choices in order to enable their future educational and career pathways.
Assessment supports learning by regularly checking pupils’ formative and summative understanding of taught content, interleaving previously taught content to ensure prior learning has been retained. Formative assessment is used frequently to check understanding, build recall and memory and address misconceptions and gaps in learning.
The academy encourages learning to take place both in and outside the classroom with a significant focus on developing the whole child. The curriculum supports the development of cultural literacy by exposing students to perspectives and experiences outside of their own. This includes a bespoke programme of wider curricular entitlements, The Carlton Edge, which help expose students to new and challenging experiences through assemblies, specialist workshops, theatre and the wider arts, sporting activities, educational visits and extra-curricular opportunities.
Dedicated PSHCE time and opportunities cover careers advice and guidance, preparation for the world of work, enterprise, keeping safe (including online safety), British Values, wider social issues and sex and relationships education in order to ensure young people have the necessary preparation to become good citizens and be independent in adult life.
