Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
Statement of Curriculum Intent
Our curriculum is designed to ensure students have excellent knowledge and understanding of their respective areas of study; that students can apply this subject knowledge with accuracy, consistency and discernment. At Blessed Robert Sutton; we want all of our students to be confident and fluent communicators, who can interpret, analyse and evaluate varied and complex ideas with precision.
Strategic Intent
- To ensure that students develop spiritually and morally, understanding the school’s mission to serve each other through the teachings of Christ.
- To develop a knowledge curriculum, where content and skills are explicitly outlined at every stage of a learner’s journey to ensure students are meeting the domain specific measures of progress.
- To emphasise the importance of knowledge retrieval, embedding a culture of quizzing and assessing prior content so that course content is stored within long term memory.
- To provide opportunities within the timetabled curriculum and through extra-curricular provision to enable students to demonstrate the The Sutton Way including Character skills (Leadership, Organisation, Resilience, Initiative and Communication).
Curriculum Principles
- Clear progress over 5 years accelerating student progress, outlined on each subject departmental statement of curriculum intent.
- Religious Education at Key Stage 3 and 4 is offered through 5 lessons per fortnight with subject specific teachers.
- Additional time is given to English and Mathematics to ensure that students have the essential skills needed for life and to access the full curriculum.
- Targeted support and additional challenge to ensure all students make good progress in relation to their academic starting points.
- A Key Stage Three curriculum which challenges and builds on the progress made at Key Stage Two.
- A curriculum adapted to support those who need different provision to meet their learning needs.
- Use of our Character Curriculum which supports whole school character development through the pastoral system.
- A growing extra-curricular menu through The Sutton Experience which offers sports, arts (visual and performing), and academic intervention.
- A broad and dynamic PHSCE curriculum through our Character programme which encourages student aspiration.
KS3 Curriculum (Year 7, 8 and 9)
The KS3 curriculum is taught over 25 hours per week. It covers the following subjects:
- Religious Education
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Geography
- History
- Modern Foreign Languages (French and Spanish)
- Performing Arts
- Art
- Technology: Food, Textiles and Product Design
- Computer Science
- PE
- Character
For students who are not secondary ready in terms of their English and Maths, group support is offered through our Form Time boost sessions.
Key Stage Four
Students in Year 10 will begin their KS4 course and begin to specialise in a number of subjects in preparation for their GCSEs in Year 11. Many factors influence the school’s decision to assign students to particular courses, including, student preferences, student academic profile; teacher availability; resource availability and the longevity of a qualification.
All students must study the following:
- English – Literature and Language
- Mathematics
- Science –Trilogy Science or Biology, Physics and Chemistry (At the discretion of the school)
- Religious Education
- Geography and/or History
- French and/or Spanish
- Physical Education (3 hours per fortnight) – No external examination
Optional Subjects
- Geography GCSE
- History GCSE
- French GCSE or Spanish GCSE
- Drama GCSE
- Art GCSE
- Textiles GCSE
- Computing GCSE
- Physical Education GCSE
- Design and Technology GCSE
- Food and Nutrition GCSE
EBacc
We offer a range of pathways to GCSE to meet the specific learning needs of our students but to enable them all to be highly successful:
Pathway 1 – Students who will complete Trilogy science, MFL; Humanities and Open subjects.
Note: This pathway enables Ebacc achievement.
Pathway 2 – Students who will complete Trilogy science; Humanities and Open subjects including additional support in English and Maths and extended Pastoral Programme.
PHSCE Periods
PHSCE periods take place as part of a timetabled lesson known as Character lessons.
- Students are encouraged through the curriculum to develop their self-esteem, self-knowledge, self-confidence and how these relate to the democratic process within our society.
- Students are encouraged to appreciate the range of different faiths and beliefs and why tolerance of these are part of a democratic society.
Pupils have 1 Character lesson per fortnight.
| Year | PHSE/RSE Curriculum for Advent term | PHSE/RSE Curriculum for Lent term | PHSE/RSE Curriculum for Pentecost term |
| 7 | Rights and responsibilities
Risk/ Peer pressure Knife crime/ gangs Healthy relationships |
Stereotypes
Hate crime Internet safety Healthy lifestyle |
Sacredness of self
First aid Aspirations |
| 8 | Equality and justice
Healthy relationships Peer pressure
|
Healthy lifestyle
Risks to health Staying safe online |
Puberty
Self-esteem Vocation Careers |
| 9 | Feelings and a healthy mind
Human rights Anti-social behaviour |
Managing emotions
Mental health and well-being Careers |
My country
British values Healthy relationships |
| 10 | Political engagement
Debt and finance Ethical finance |
Health and well-being
Emotional and mental health British values |
Careers
My body |
| 11 | The future
Risk and resilience
|
Staying safe and recognising risk
Exploitation and grooming |
(Exam prep) |
Equal Opportunities
Entry to all programmes of study is based on academic suitability and appropriateness, regardless of sex, race, disability, religion or belief.
Disability
In accordance with the statutory requirements, the school aims to make the curriculum accessible to all students as far as is reasonably practicable. The school has an Equality Policy which is available to parents/carers on request.
R.E.
All students, from Years 7-11, study R.E. All programmes follow the curriculum directory from the Catholic Church.
Relationships & Sex Education (RSE)
The school provides Relationships & Sex Education for all students. Relationship & Sex Education (RSE) is essential for young people to learn about the nature of marriage, family life and relationships, taught in an age appropriate way. In Catholic schools RSE must be taught in the context of Church teaching and with the full consultation and involvement of parents. See the Relationships & Sex Education policy for further detail.
Physical Education (P.E.)
- a) All students are expected to take part in the school’s Physical Education programme.
- b) The school will make a decision about the number of Core PE lessons a student attend within their curriculum and this may change depending on the year group.
- c) Students can only be excused from P.E. lessons for medical reasons, or other reasons agreed with the school – a note from a parent/carer will suffice in such circumstances. A student excused from a P.E. lesson will be asked to assume a role within the lesson.
The Sutton Experience – Extra-Curricular Activities
The school has a wide and varied programme of extra-curricular and sporting activities that take place outside the formal curriculum. All students are encouraged to take part in the programme. The timetable of the extra-curricular provision is published every half term on the school website.
Enrichment
- An additional after-school extra-curricular programme includes a range of sporting activities.
- The vast majority of Year 11 will be involved in the lunch time or afterschool revision programme.
Special Educational Needs & Disability
The school has a Special Educational Needs & Disability Policy to support students with special educational needs and/or disabilities through a graduated response. The school will determine the appropriate courses in consultation with the parents/carers. Concerns and Complaints Parents/carers who have concerns about any aspects of the curriculum should discuss these in the first instance with the student’s Tutor/Year Leader. If the issue is not resolved, parents/carers should make an official complaint in writing to the Headteacher as per the school’s Complaints Policy.
Monitoring and Review
This Policy will be monitored by the Raising Achievement Manager (Curriculum), who will report to the Headteacher on its implementation on a regular basis. The Raising Achievement Manager will report to the Local Governing Body, or the relevant representative, on the effectiveness of the Policy, and will recommend any changes.
