Our Curriculum Statement

Our intent is that the Curriculum:

• Provides a broad, deep, ambitious and knowledge rich journey that is truly comprehensive and accessible to all students
  
  • All students can study a strong academic core of subjects offered by the E Baccalaureate
  • All students can study a range of vocational and technical subjects to examination level
  • All students receive a three-year, Key Stage 3, core curriculum which is focused on promoting creative arts subjects, and students can continue their studies to examination level
•  Is designed and sequenced to allow all students to build, retain and retrieve powerful, transformative knowledge
  
  • Curriculum mapping in all subjects is clearly sequenced to maximise learning and underpinned by quality assessment processes
  • Retrieval Practice and Spaced Recall activities are incorporated into every lesson
  • There are clearly defined ‘end points’ in every subject 
• Delivers experiences for students to learn to be successful, to gain useful, transferable skills and achieve high standards of academic achievement
  • High academic expectations are promoted for all students alongside clear modelling and worked examples
  • Scaffolding of tasks, additional support and intervention provides students of all abilities to achieve high standards
• Affords opportunities for all students to develop the reading, literacy, oracy and numeracy skills required for success in the wider curriculum and in adult life
  • Every student, including those in the Sixth Form, has a taught Literacy lesson every fortnight
  • All subjects follow the whole school approach to reading strategies and introduction of new vocabulary
  • The Oracy Charter is incorporated into every lesson
  • Reading intervention programmes support learners who are not making age-expected progress
• Expands students’ perspectives through a range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural opportunities to promote their sense of moral and social responsibility
• Develops respectful and responsible citizens who are able to thrive as healthy individuals who can make a positive contribution to society
• Ensures that all students are safe and understand how to stay safe
  
  • All students, including those in the Sixth Form, has a taught Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship lesson every week
  • Students in Key Stage 3 have a weekly Religious Education lesson; this is incorporated into the PSHCE programme for the older students
  • Weekly Year Group assemblies have an SMSC focus
  • A range of calendared events further support the promotion of SMSC throughout the school
•  Fosters a strength of character, confidence and resilience that will help students to cope with choices and overcome the challenges they are likely to encounter in life
  • Year 7 and 8 students study a Character curriculum as part of their PSHCE lessons
  • There is a Mindfulness programme in place for all students
  • A calendared Power of Resilience Day is an annual event for Year 11 students
•  Supplies an appropriate range of opportunities and experiences to inspire students to succeed in the next stage in their education, training or employment
  • C&K Careers provide an impartial service and guidance and are based in the school
  • Multiple calendared events throughout the year are focused on Careers
• Promotes a culture of high expectations for students’ behaviour, attitudes and personal development
  • Brooksbank follows the Positive Behaviour in Schools (PBIS) programme and this is promoted throughout the school as part of the Aspire – Work Hard – Achieve ethos

Please click this link to get more details abour our curriculum.

At Brooksbank we believe that a carefully planned and structured curriculum is the foundation upon which excellent learning and development is built.  The curriculum is designed and implemented in such a way that it builds on prior knowledge and prepares students for the next stage in their education. This is complimented by the ‘Ten Principles of Effective Teaching’, a research based philosophy that ensures that all lessons are engaging, challenging and appropriately planned so that every student can achieve their full potential.

Development of skills, vocabulary, building of knowledge and sequencing of learning are integral to curriculum planning.  Curriculum Leaders, who are experts in their subjects, carefully construct a programme of study that promotes a deep understanding of a wide range of topics.  Teachers plan learning that allows students to embed and recall knowledge through researched techniques such as interleaving of topics and spaced retrieval practice.  This builds firm foundations for progression to the next level and examination success.

Whole school, bespoke and subject specific CPD, is delivered with the curriculum and the ‘Ten Principles of Effective Teaching’ at the foundation; driven by robust evidenced based research, which ensures that all teachers are improving alongside an evolving curriculum.

All subjects are supported by the student Knowledge Organisers that encourage independent learning and revisiting of knowledge from previous lessons to help students commit this into their long-term memory.

In Literacy lessons, students are introduced to challenging academic vocabulary which is revisited in lessons to ensure retention and mastery.  The Oracy Charter builds on students’ vocabulary skills and confidence to secure a solid foundation for extended written work.

The development of student reading is high profile – within lessons and through the wider curriculum.  Challenging texts are read by all students. Weaker readers are supported through a number of reading intervention schemes and all staff adopt a common approach to reading strategies in the classroom to support reading.

A discrete, developmental and responsive Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship programme is at the centre of the school curriculum and provides opportunities to teach concepts, knowledge, language, strategies and skills that enrich the wider curriculum.  We recognise this subject’s role in developing interpersonal skills such as listening, questioning, team-working and risk identification and its impact on students’ academic achievement, behaviour and success beyond school, including employability.

Formative assessments are used within lessons to embed knowledge, check understanding and inform planning: targeted questioning, low-stakes quizzing, multiple choice testing, pair-and-share activities, group feedback, spelling and vocabulary tests to name but a few.  Regular feedback ensures that misconceptions can be addressed swiftly and immediate intervention put in place.

All staff use routines in lessons and the Brooksbank ‘Not for Sales’ ensure consistent and high expectations are in place across the school. These are used along with positive language to promote a culture of success and celebration.

At Brooksbank our curriculum will:

• Ensure that the sequence of learning builds on previous knowledge whilst supporting future progression
• Lead to qualifications that are of worth for employers and for entry to further and higher education
• Enable all students to fulfil their potential
• Meet the needs of students of all abilities and backgrounds
• Allow students to acquire an appreciation and respect for their own and other cultures
• Prepare and develop the skills for students to compete in the global economy
• Empower students to make informed choices at the end of KS3, KS4 and beyond
• Help students develop lively, enquiring minds and the ability to question and argue rationally