Aspire Curriculum Overview
Curriculum Aim & Intent
Aim
At Southmoor Academy, we aim to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed as responsible citizens and achieve academic and personal success. Our aims are underpinned by high aspirations and the focus on positive relationships foster resilience, self-belief, and hard work to help students reach their full potential.
Intent
The curriculum includes formal teaching through timetabled lessons, subject areas, assemblies and extracurricular activities. We regularly review content to ensure we continue to meet our curriculum aims which is planned to enable all students to develop skills in the following areas:
- Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)
- Living in the Wider World (LITWW)
- Careers and Aspirations (CA)
Throughout our programmes of study, every attempt is made to make explicit links to careers and the world of work. In addition to subject specific links, we aim to explicitly reinforce the skills and aptitudes which employers say are important in the workplace;
- Aiming high, staying positive and resilience
- Communication skills (listening, speaking, presenting)
- Teamwork and problem solving
- Creativity and thinking skills
- Self-management and leadership
The British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect of those with different faiths and beliefs are taught explicitly and reinforced in the way in which the school operates.
Brief Overview of Curriculum Content for Each Term
Autumn term Spring Term Summer Term Yr 7 - RSHE Healthy Lifestyles
- LITWW Managing Online & Money Matter
- CA Self Awareness, Skills & Introduction to Higher Education
- RSHE All About People
- LITWW British Values & Modern Britain
- CA Introduction to Higher Education
Yr 8 - RSHE Growing up
- LITWW Safety in the Virtual World & Personal Finance
- CA The World of Work & Employment
- RSHE Exploring Sex
- LITWW Understanding Modern Britain
- CA What is Enterprise
Yr 9 - RSHE Pressures Facing Young People
- LITWW Finance in the World of Work
- CA Developing my Future Pathway
- RSHE Staying Healthy
- LITWW Rights & Responsibilities
- CA Exploring Higher Education
Yr 10 - RSHE Social Behaviours
- CA Preparing for the Workplace
- LITWW Online Security & Fraud
- RSHE Managing Change
- CA Making an Application
- LITWW Risk & Reward
Yr 11 - RSHE Mental Health
- CA Applying for Post-16 Pathways
- LITWW Communities in Britain
- RSHE Safe Sex & Safer
- LITWW Lifelong Learning & Independence
How Our Curriculum Caters For SEND Students
How does our Curriculum cater for students with SEND?
Specific approaches which are used within the curriculum areas include:
- Seating to allow inclusion
- Differentiation activities and objectives to stretch and support in all lessons
- Resources are accessible
- Where appropriate support from additional adults is planned to scaffold students learning
- Group work and discussion
- Clear teacher/student communication
- Feedback that allows students to make progress, whether written or verbal
- Personalised mediums of communication to allow oracy development of all
- Assessments based on skills covered and self-reflection of topics content
- Think, pair, share activities supported by seating and partnering due to verbal ability
- Advanced information for parents and students based on upcoming topics to allow preparation and support to be put in place for foreseen issues surrounding sensitive topics
- Rules reinforced regularly to ensure expectations are explicit and that lessons remain safe and supportive
- Use of SEND ranges and pupil passports to apply appropriate methods in lessons for particular student needs
- Developing emotional recognition and regulation skills to enhance the ability of SEND students to engage with lesson content, encouraging reflection and providing opportunities to practice and embed these skills within and beyond the curriculum
How Our Curriculum Caters For Disadvantaged Students
How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?
Within the teaching of Aspire and preparing students for life beyond school we:
- Work to identify barriers, interests and what might help each pupil make the next steps in learning
- Provide targeted support for pupils who are not making the expected progress during lesson time, in addition to intervention outside school hours
- Use strategies best suited to addressing individual needs
- Ensure there are opportunities for students to make use of resources and gain support outside of lesson time
- The content covered in the curriculum is specifically linked to address misconceptions, stigma and discrimination encountered by such groups, using legislation to support teaching
- Students are trained in resiliency skills throughout the curriculum to encourage students to persevere and work through barriers they may face in their academic and personal journeys
- Careers education is introduced earlier than required, in year 7, to raise aspirations of all
- Wider opportunities are provided to students through a range of external speakers and workshops where they can interact with services and individuals from a range of backgrounds and allow them to understand the link between the curriculum and the world around them
- Students are taught about the regeneration of their local area and their role in enhancing it through enterprise and charitable opportunities
- Strong links are established with primary schools to discover the content of Personal Development students have previously received so that during secondary school, their Personal Development learning can be tailored to ensure all students are given the same learning opportunities in the curriculum
Other Related Curriculum Documents
