CURRICULUM INTENT AT CHALLNEY HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Our curriculum is designed to help us develop our students as influential women of the future who are respectful, ready and resilient.
We aim for all girls to be happy, learn and thrive in a stimulating environment with a learning culture that offers intellectual excitement, fosters love of learning and provides a range of opportunities to develop their full potential. We want them to leave the school equipped and prepared for successful futures in a fast-changing world. We want our students to be confident, articulate, adaptable, independent, aspiring, enterprising, ethical, knowledgeable, technologically competent, organised, creative, emotionally literate and socially aware. All this is possible with our ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum delivered through consistently good teaching.
We follow the National Curriculum, ensuring that all statutory requirements are delivered without compromising the individual needs of our students. The National Curriculum provides students with an introduction to the core knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It aims to:
embody rigour and high standards and create coherence in what is taught in schools
ensure that all children are taught the essential knowledge in the key subject disciplines
go beyond that core, to allow teachers greater freedom to use their professionalism and expertise to help all children realise their potential
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development plays an important part in the education students receive at Challney High School for Girls. These aspects are covered in the curriculum, particularly in Personal Development Curriculum (PSHCEE), Enrichment days, social action events, assemblies and displays around school. Our girls know what it is to live in a tolerant diverse society following the laws of the land, to believe in the importance of individual liberty and to enjoy freedom in our democratic country.
All students learn RE from Years 7 to 11. Our Key Stage 3 RE curriculum is based on Luton SACRE’s Agreed Syllabus where we cover the main faiths of the United Kingdom: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. At Key Stage 4, all students study GCSE Religious Studies where they have an in-depth look at the beliefs and practices of Christianity and Islam. They also explore various themes relating to their lives in modern Britain such as religion and life, peace and conflict, human rights as well as crime and punishment.
Our curriculum follows a progression model. Students build on their previous knowledge, skills and competencies. Curriculum is organised around core concepts. These are coherently brought together for a progressive acquisition of new knowledge and skills. Coverage of this curriculum allows all students to access age-appropriate competencies, making progress through the five years they are with us.
We have a three-year Key Stage 3. This allows all students to study subjects like art, design technology, drama and music for as long as possible.
We have a two-weekly timetable with five one-hour lessons.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9) CURRICULUM MODEL:
Many subjects like Art, Computing, Drama, Geography, History, Music, PSHCEE and RE are taught in their form groups (mixed ability). However, in English, Maths, Science, DT and PE, students are set according to their abilities.
In MFL, certain form groups are allocated to learn French or Spanish in Year 7. Students continue to study this language in Years 8 and 9. This gives depth to their learning of the languages leading to a better appreciation of cultures that use them. If we get sufficient interest, there is an option of taking extra Urdu lessons during lunchtime or after school hours for those Year 9 students who wish to study Urdu at KS4.
Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) CURRICULUM MODEL:
We have two pathways for KS4 curriculum. We feel that a pathway is an ideal way to make sure that the study of demanding academic subjects is well complemented by creative subjects. This allows us to give students various directions to their journeys to achieve grades fulfilling their potential whilst building their skills through an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum. We use information from many sources available to us to help them make the right decision. If the school feels that a student is better suited for a particular pathway, we speak to them and keep the parents informed.
The two pathways are:
EBACC PATHWAY – Students follow an aspirational pathway where they have to choose a humanities subject (Geography or History) and a modern foreign language (French, Spanish or Urdu) along with the core curriculum of English, Mathematics and Science. Some universities and employers also see this as a good benchmark of skills needed to succeed in an academically demanding course or employment. This pathway is suitable for students who prefer to study more academic subjects to creative ones.
CHALLENGE PATHWAY - This pathway allows students to choose a combination of academic and creative subjects from blocks of subjects. We give them a lot of flexibility (within the limitations of the subjects available) when it comes to their selection.
CORE CURRICULUM:
Subjects in the Core Curriculum (with the exception of Personal Development Curriculum) are taught in ability sets. However, students are in mixed ability classes when studying the Optional Curriculum.
OPTIONAL CURRICULUM:
Departments look at the gaps in the skills and/or knowledge of a particular cohort in their subject/s and classify them as composites. They identify various components that can help them to bridge these. Heads of Department lead on this evaluation before the new academic year. This ensures that our curriculum is fit for purpose for all students.
