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Canon Slade School

Canon Slade School As a Church of England School, we seek to provide
an excellent education within a Christian environment
to fulfil individual potential and to prepare pupils
for life and service in a rapidly changing world. Ora et Labora
Pray and Work

Curriculum Intent

Our school’s Christian values and our commitment to fulfilling the Church of England’s vision for education with Jesus’ promise of “Life in all its fullness” are at the heart of our curriculum. Our mission is to provide an excellent education within a Christian environment to fulfil individual potential and to prepare students for life and service in a rapidly changing world. We aim to offer a first class, well-rounded education in which all students are encouraged to have unlimited ambition, through a broad and enhanced curriculum from 11 to 18.

The core offer for all our students throughout Key Stages 3 & 4 of English, Maths, Science and Religious Studies ensures academic rigour and a breadth of key gateway qualifications to support transition into the next phase of their education. A full complement of National Curriculum subjects are offered covering a range of disciplines in KS3. The opportunity to study a second modern foreign or ancient language is available to students from Year 8. This is enhanced at GCSE level with the opportunity to select 3 further subjects. This diversity and choice provides breadth and enables students to flourish and be successful.

Every student is unique, so we ensure that all students are provided with an appropriate level of challenge and support to maximise our impact on their progress. We are committed to developing well-rounded individuals and achieve this through the delivery of a timetabled PSHE curriculum across all key stages, which helps students develop important British values, their own moral compass, a sense of purpose and an appreciation for different cultures, opinions and beliefs.

Moreover, comprehensive extra-curricular provision and a focus on developing students’ literacy through reading for pleasure, further enhances, broadens and adds depth to the timetabled curriculum offer. Therefore, all students have the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and experience life in all its fullness.

Academic rigour is maintained throughout the KS3 and KS4 curriculum subject offer. Three languages are available, both ancient and modern, while our humanities offer expands beyond History and Geography to include Ancient History & Geology. A full suite of Technology disciplines, and Performing Arts subjects together with PE, Sport, iMedia and computing offers a breadth of areas of study so every student can find a combination of subjects that works for them and maintain the purpose of GCSEs in offering a general education.

All students in Year 9 have individual progress interviews with a member of staff and their parents to consider career plans and ambitions to ensure option choices support breadth and do not limit aspiration. Students and their guardians are encouraged to consider the EBacc pathway, although mandatory streaming on prior attainment is not a strategy the school employs. As a school we do not wish to be led by accountability mechanisms to force students through an identikit set of subjects. We feel that this hierarchical approach to KS4 subjects would have the impact of alienating and dispiriting many of our students.

 In Year 11 a further individual progress meeting supplements the rigorous independent careers advice and guidance that the students are entitled to. This ensures next steps to Key Stage 5 and beyond are considered and planned for. The Key Stage 5 offer in the 6th form (over 27 A Level subjects) builds on the GCSE offer and ensure a pathway for the majority of subjects offered at Key Stage 4.

Canon Slade School’s approach to the curriculum is one that is fully inclusive and ensures that it is accessible for those with disabilities and/or special educational needs. This is done in compliance with the Equality Act (2012) and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations (2014) and in accordance with both the Bishop Fraser Trust’s Equality & Diversity and Canon Slade School’s SEND policies.

Our Curriculum

 

  • Art
  • Computer Science
  • Dance
  • Design & Technology
  • Drama
  • Economics
  • English
  • Geology
  • Geography
  • History
  • Languages (MFL)
  • Latin
  • Maths
  • Media Studies
  • Music
  • PE
  • PSHE
  • Psychology
  • RS
  • Science
  • Sociology

 

An Overview of our Curriculum

We are proud of our curriculum, which is broad, balanced and ensures every student has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. In KS3, students study the full range of subjects. In Year 9 they have the opportunity to select from a small number of options in addition to the core offer.

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9):

When students join us in Year 7, they are initially taught for some of their lessons as a form group. This allows students to settle in by getting to know other students in their form as they start to find their way around the building together. In some practical subjects students are placed into mixed ability groups based on a range of available data. In English, Maths, Science, ICT and Geography students are placed in broad ability groups based on their KS2 data.

In Year 7 students will study the following subjects:

Art, Computing, Drama, English, Geography, History, Maths, Music, PE, PSHCE, RS, Science, Spanish & Technology.

In year 8 students continue to study all these subjects, but also have the opportunity to study French or Latin as a second language.

Students opt for their KS4 courses at the end of Year 9, making final choices about which subjects they will study for their GCSE's. Students receive a wealth of information and guidance when choosing their options; we know this can be a very difficult process. Students follow a core curriculum of English, Maths, PSHCE, PE, RS and Science. They then choose three option subjects from the wide range of courses on offer:

Ancient History, Art & Design, Computer Science, Creative iMedia, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Food Preparation and Nutrition, French, Geography , Geology, History, Latin , Media Studies, Music , Music Technology (NCFE Level 2), Physical Education, Spanish.

This guided option ensures that students follow a broad and balanced curriculum with an appropriate academic diet.

Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11):

 At KS4 students are taught the core subjects in 2 half year groups. Each half year group is split by ability for English, Maths, RS & Science. The options are taught across the full year group with some setting by ability, and some mixed ability groupings.

Key Stage 5:

The majority of our sixth form students embark on studying 3 A levels or Level 3 courses. A number of students study BTEC qualifications in Performing Arts or Sport. Each subject is allocated 5 periods a week. A wide range of options are available. All our Year 12 students are allocated one period of study time, per subject, per week. Each subject teacher indicates extra activities that students should undertake independently to improve their learning. Quiet, supervised study rooms, along with a number of ICT facilities are provided for this purpose.

All students also participate in our enrichment programme. Students are offered work experience opportunities through a formal work experience week.  Student's’ progression is further supported with super and extra-curricular activities that develop their character, broader skills, attitude and confidence such as PSHCE, the Extended Project Qualification, British Sign Language and The Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Click for more detail on sixth form courses 

Contact

Should you wish to find out any further information about any of the curriculums on offer at the school, do not hesitate to contact the relevant Head of Department or email contact@canon-slade.bolton.sch.uk.