Curriculum
Curriculum Intent
Curriculum underpins success. It opens minds and expands horizons. We prepare our young people for an exciting future full of opportunity and choice.
The curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13 is rooted with a clear intent. It is inspiring and meaningful to enable our young people to foster curiosity, a love of learning and to have the confidence for independence. It is driven through academic excellence and is knowledge-rich to ensure readiness for future academic success and future choices.
Values based, it enables all to be included and to thrive. Whatever our students’ starting points and whatever their individual needs, we deliver a curriculum that works and is accessible. A curriculum that enables all to achieve success. Each subject has identified its own powerful knowledge, with carefully selected learning intentions at each Key Stage. Our curriculum is carefully mapped and sequenced in each subject area to ensure that learning is maximised and students are empowered to make connections on a coherent learning journey from year 7 to year 13. We believe securing and continuously developing foundational knowledge is a key to success in school and beyond, therefore this is a primary focus of our curriculum intent for all through our knowledge-rich strand.
At the core of our intent is an inclusive, ambitious curriculum for all, delivered though high-quality teaching and learning. This approach is proven to have the greatest impact on diminishing the differences between all groups and will positively impact the outcomes of all students. Our ‘Magnificent 7’ Teaching and Learning strategies are routinely deployed to ensure that students know more and remember more, with formative assessment featuring heavily to ensure active participation and progress is made by all. Calendared summative assessment check points ensure all students are tracked and monitored against our learning intentions. Our curriculum is ambitious for all, regardless of start point and supports students to achieve the strongest possible outcomes to open doors to the future.
Personal growth is at the heart of our curriculum so that we celebrate every individual’s talents, their passions and their ambitions. Our extra-curricular, enrichment and PSHE programme deepens students’ cultural experience, social confidence and wider skills and knowledge. We ensure all students are exposed to a diverse range of opportunities that promotes personal development with our Sixth Form also benefitting from our exciting ‘Thrive’ programme. This programme focuses on preparing our students with the personal knowledge and skills they need for their next steps at University, apprenticeship/further education courses or the world of work. Our curriculum prepares our young people and gives them the skills, the belief and the personal ambition for an exciting future. It recognises our local context and develops knowledge and skills which have currency at a local, national and international level, reflecting British values.
Our curriculum comprises the total learning experience of our students, designed to realise our mission, values and vision. The school continues to implement the National Curriculum, we are alert to the National Curriculum and Assessment Review and we intend to deliver modifications once the final National Curriculum reform documents are published. We have submitted our Strategic Post 16 Strategy Statement to the DfE, demonstrating our forward planning for the National Post 16 reform and will be implementing new V Levels, as and when they are released, in line with our course offer.
Our curriculum intent has six core strands, all carefully designed for the context of The Whitby High School. It ensures all students encounter and engage with ambitious content considered important for a rounded education. Our Curriculum Intent is summarised in our six key strands that feature in our infographic:
Curriculum Implementation
During Key Stage 3 we harness our students’ thirst for learning, providing ambitious start points in all subject areas building on what students already know and can do. We offer a supportive and challenging learning environment to develop a strong work ethic and begin embedding our identified powerful knowledge across the curriculum. We have high expectations and standards for all and ensure all our students discover a love of learning. We believe, and evidence suggests, that foundational knowledge is a key to success in school and beyond, therefore this is a primary focus of our curriculum implementation. Literacy and numeracy are specifically taught through all subjects; we ensure these vital elements are a priority to allow students to unlock the rest of the curriculum. Literacy and Numeracy also have allocated Curriculum time at KS3 to ensure foundational knowledge is prioritised, developed and embedded. We endeavour to set students up for success at Key Stage 4, developing a strong work ethic and fostering a love of learning.
Our ambitious curriculum model offers ‘top set’ provision as well as ‘nurture’ classes to enable all learners to thrive. Students are placed into one of two mixed ability bands. Classes within each band may be mixed ability or set depending on the subject. Our core subjects of Maths, English and Science along with
humanities and languages are all taught in sets. Assessment is a key feature of our high-quality teaching and learning, to ensure all students are placed within the correct sets to make excellent progress.
All students follow the National Curriculum in Maths, English, Science, Humanities (Geography and History), Languages (French or German), Design Technology (including Food Technology), Physical Education, Music, Computing and Art and Design. Students also have lessons in Drama and Religious Education as well as Personal, Social and Health Education.
During Year 9 students go through our GCSE options choice programme, supported with exceptional advice and guidance from subject teachers, form tutors and the pastoral team. Students choose from the substantial range of option courses on offer, and tailor personal choices to meet their needs and aspirations. Our Preparation for GCSE programme at the end of Year 9 ensures students are ready for Key Stage 4.
During Key Stage 3 we encourage and celebrate participation, promoting extra-curricular opportunities to explore new interests, identify strengths and discover unique talents. Our extensive extra-curricular programme gives students the opportunity to learn new skills. We use our own Pledge system as part of The Whitby Way to recognise and reward students in pledges that help to develop their Character and give them opportunities to volunteer and develop leadership skills over all key stages.
At Key Stage 3 students have 50 lessons, per fortnight, each one hour in length and the curriculum is organised as set out in the diagram below:
Throughout Key Stage 4 we carefully develop higher order thinking skills, enabling our students to become creative, critical thinkers. We provide a challenging but accessible curriculum for all, ensuring option pathways are bespoke to individual needs. We are passionate about developing independent learners and equipping them with the necessary skills to prepare for national examinations, building resilience and stamina to secure the best outcomes for all students. Our high expectations lead to high achievement.
Alongside their option subjects’ students study the compulsory core curriculum in Maths, English, Science, Physical Education, PSHE and Religious Education. Students also undertake a work placement week, giving them a rich experience with employers that enables them to apply their knowledge and skills to the real world. We are proud that our carefully constructed curriculum prepares our students for the rapidly changing world.
At Key Stage 4 students have 50 lessons, per fortnight, each one hour in length and the curriculum is organised as set out in the diagram below:
At The Whitby High School, we are proud of our vibrant community of around 200 Sixth Form students. They benefit from brand new, state of the art facilities, excellent teaching and a dedicated team of form tutors who monitor student progress and deliver programmes of support and guidance to ensure academic success.
We offer a diverse range of courses covering a variety of different subject areas. Our course offer is inclusive, from our traditional A Level courses to our exciting vocational applied courses. Our curriculum model is shaped each year by our students’ expression of interest in courses they want to study. We ensure all students re-sit English and Maths GCSE should they not have achieved the desired pass grade at key Stage 4. We are responsive to the National Post 16 reform, having submitted our Post 16 strategy statement to the DfE and intend to implement new V Levels, as and when they are released, in line with our course offer.
All students leave key stage 5 with deep subject expertise in their chosen subjects. We guide students to become self-directed independent learners. Students develop advanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills, preparing them for next steps, and life after The Whitby High School. Our strong Sixth Form outcomes empower students to progress to higher education or high-quality apprenticeships.
We offer a range of leadership development opportunities, with our Sixth Form leadership team driving change and improvement for all. We endeavour to shape respectful and responsible citizens who will make a positive contribution to society. Our exciting ‘Thrive’ programme develops our students personally, ensuring they acquire the knowledge and skills needed for a successful future. Our Sixth Formers are role models for all students at The Whitby High School.
At Key Stage 5 students study each subject for 9 hours per fortnight in Year 12 and 9 hours per fortnight in Year 13. The curriculum is mapped as demonstrated in the diagram below:
Impact of the Curriculum on Achievement
The impact of the curriculum is formally assessed through the following processes:
- A rigorous ongoing quality assurance cycle which includes data and intervention analysis, student work sampling, student voice, staff voice, parent voice and lesson walk throughs.
- External reviews by our School Improvement Partner, once per term.
- Annual curriculum reviews by the Headteacher, Curriculum Deputy Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, alongside Senior Curriculum Leaders.
- Discussion of curriculum and achievement outcomes at Governor’s meetings.
- Annual review of external data outcomes by the Headteacher, Curriculum Deputy Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team. National benchmarking of external data outcomes to inform the school strategic objectives planning.