Secondary Curriculum
Intent
The secondary curriculum at Bank View School is designed to be broad, balanced, inclusive and ambitious so that it challenges all learners across all phases. It has an emphasis on personal and social development so that students develop the self-belief to become confident and independent young people and build the resilience to manage challenge and challenge themselves. We are committed to improving life chances for all and we recognise the importance of supporting our learners emotional well-being and mental health.
Our curriculum is designed, sequenced and personalised to ensure learners have the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. The curriculum prepares students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences they will encounter after leaving us whilst promoting spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. We have high expectations, and we want students to enjoy and engage in their learning, and the wider opportunities offered in school so that they achieve their full potential.
All students enjoy equality of opportunity, regardless of sex, race, special educational needs, or ability; we celebrate diversity. As an educational community we have been reflective, critical and creative to co-construct, with our students, a meaningful curriculum and associated activities. Our intent is to give students the knowledge and skills they need to overcome their barriers to learning so they can engage fully with the curriculum and school life.
Our priorities include:
- Self-regulation skills
- Reading skills
- Speaking and Listening/Communication skills
- Independent and Co-operative Thinking and Learning skills
- Life and independence skills including employability skills.
The curriculum is enriched with a range of activities designed to build character and resilience whilst also enhancing wellbeing. We believe that by providing opportunities for play, thinking, exploration and creativity, our students will continue to develop their confidence and independence and we provide both challenge and support to achieve this aim.
We also utilise a wide range of opportunities to build cultural capital and values, develop our learners understanding of the wider world and promote healthy lifestyles, both mentally and physically, thereby adding to their learning experiences and broadening their mindset so they have high aspirations.
Our aim is to provide an education which is relevant in preparing our learners for the wider world, further education, training and employment.
Implementation
Bank View has an ambitious and inclusive curriculum designed to ensure learners achieve the outcomes in their educational and health care plans.
The curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and is divided into Key Stages 3, 4 and 5
Teachers a have very good subject knowledge and make regular and precise checks using formative and summative assessment on what pupils know and remember.
They support pupils effectively to address any gaps or misconceptions that they may have. Assessment data informs teachers on how their learners are performing against the outcomes in our Bank View curriculum and EHCP outcomes. This information is then used to support learners to progress and deepen their knowledge and promote understanding and develop skills.
At Bank View, in line with the Government’s careers strategy, we aim for all learners in secondary education to get a programme of advice and guidance that is stable, structured and delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience. For primary students career encounters open young learners eyes to the world of future job possibilities and challenges stereotypes.
We value reading as a key life skill, our ‘Lets Read’ session shows reading for pleasure is highly valued and by provides a stimulating and immersive reading environment. A diagnostic reading test is completed annually to check progress and to target individuals for intervention (1:1 or small group).
Our primary goal is to encourage children to actively practise and embrace their reading skills within the comfort of their homes. Across the school pupils have the option of taking home books from our school libraries whenever they please. We always consider pupil voice and will purchase books that pupils are interested in reading.
All class groups are supported by at least one teaching assistant. They support with the curriculum content (in some cases we have subject specialists) and with learners’ regulation and readiness to learn. Bank View uses the zones of regulation across school and learners are supported to develop these skills.
Key Stage 3
All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 study English, mathematics, science, Spanish, history, geography, technology, computing, art, music, RE and citizenship.
Students in Bank View need overlearning as well as the explicit teaching of life skills. In year 7 and 8 they have a life skills lesson once a week.
At the end of the course students are accredited units from the ASDAN ‘Life skills Challenge’ qualification. This is designed to develop independence skills and functionality. For many of our cohort it is important that we introduce these opportunities, as it further widens their experiences and provides opportunities for the students to use their functional skills.
Year 7, 8 and 9 are part of the enrichment carousel. Pupils are given the platform to succeed in different environments with different peers. They are provided with an opportunity to learn new skills and transfer and apply these skills in a variety of settings. These experiences we hope will help to broaden the mind-set of the learners. Moreover, their personal, social and communication skills are further developed through vertical streaming of the year groups allowing learners to increase their self-confidence, resilience and independence by working with different peers and staff.
Pupils with a reading age of 7 years and below receive reading interventions. Our amber readers will receive extra support in lessons on decoding and comprehension.
Key Stage 4
Students work towards external accreditation and qualifications. This is offered at a level appropriate to the individual student and ranges from Entry Level 1 to GCSE and is designed to ensure students attain relevant qualifications so that they can progress to the next pathway in education, training or employment.
All KS4 students join options groups (see page 13) Students choose their own option, allowing them to study an area they have identified as having a talent and/or interest in, from a range of vocational courses. The vocational element to the course introduces the students to different options where they develop skills that they may choose to pursue after school, in college and the world of work.
In year 11 students access a carousel one morning a week to promote personal and social development. This includes travel training, college visits for vocational taster sessions and social time, RSE and language development linked to further education, training and employment.
6th form
Students who stay in the 6th Form continue to gain academic qualifications. However, the main focus is the continued development of personal and social skills in readiness for leaving school.
Students’ complete ASDAN accreditation in personal effectiveness and the DoE awards (bronze, silver and gold). These courses provide the opportunity for students to work on tasks which promote independence, confidence and self-reliance and provide opportunities to volunteer and act as peer mentors.
All 6th Form students continue to study functional skills in English, maths. This includes an independence/community programme and the opportunity to use these skills in real life settings. 6th form students run an enterprise programme on a Friday morning called ‘Bank View Brew’
They continue to participate in the Options carousel.
Impact
Learners enjoy reading with a fluency and comprehension that is to the very best of their ability. They can apply mathematical knowledge, concepts, and procedures at a level appropriate for them. They develop knowledge and skills in a wide range of areas across the curriculum, their work is of a good quality. They will achieve accreditation and qualifications that are appropriate for them in a wide range of areas across the curriculum which will mean they are successful in the next pathway/stage in education, employment or training.
Bank View learners are caring young adults who have positive attitudes and are respectful of others. They have the self-belief they need to become confident and independent young people and the resilience to manage challenge and challenge themselves.
