curriculum_policy_2012

Godolphin&Latymer

Curriculum Policy

Reviewer: SK / reviewed June 2012; next review date July 2013

Curriculum Policy We offer a broad and balanced curriculum, which provides continuity and progression and fosters moral, cultural, aesthetic and physical development. The curriculum has been devised to be appropriate to girls’ ages, abilities and aptitudes, in order to foster talents and fulfil potential. We expect girls to take responsibility for their own work and to be willing to take advantage of the intellectual challenges which are offered to them; we encourage girls to question rather than to accept the received wisdom without thought. Our aim, as we deliver the curriculum, is that the girls will become independent thinkers and develop into lifelong learners, and that they will leave school as informed, cultured, civilised and skilled young people, prepared for higher education, the workplace and the challenge of adult life.

Only when girls are happy and secure can meaningful and productive learning take place, so we recognise the importance of strong pastoral support; we take a keen interest in each girl’s learning and development as she progresses through the school. Careers advice and guidance about subject choices, higher education courses and the world of work is vital.

The breadth of the curriculum, up to school leaving age, gives girls experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social education, physical and aesthetic and creative education. Through these subject areas, girls will acquire and develop skills in speaking and listening, literacy and numeracy to a high standard.

The curriculum is designed to be inclusive, to allow for different learning styles and prior learning experiences, but at the same time to ensure that there is a match between each girl and the tasks she is asked to perform. Subject matter is designed to be appropriate for the ages and aptitudes of all girls, including those with specific learning difficulties. Schemes of work include differentiated activities, girls are taught in ability sets in Mathematics (LIV – UV), French (LIV, UIV) and Science (LV and UV); they are also given additional individual support by their teachers as and when this is required.

All girls have the opportunity to learn, develop and make progress through access to: • a broad and balanced curriculum • equitable access to all curriculum areas regardless of ability • a teaching and learning approach which embodies at its heart the principles of enabling each girl to have and fulfil the highest possible expectations of herself, and which encourages independent thinking and learning (see Learning and Teaching Policy) • flexibility of teaching to allow for different learning needs • support from the Individual Learning Co-ordinator in order to assess specific learning difficulties and offer any special study support required at any stage of their school career.

• regular, constructive feedback on progress to girls and their parents with challenging and attainable targets for improvement (see Assessment Policy) • a coherent programme of personal, social and health education including citizenship, sex education and the development of attitudes that lead to a healthy life-style (see Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development Policy) • wide-ranging opportunities, both within the curriculum and as extra-curricular activities, for girls to be involved in creative and performing arts • opportunities for cross-curricular work to encourage teamwork as well as independent thinking and learning • a diverse range of extra-curricular opportunities which enrich and extend the school curriculum, help girls to develop a sense of responsibility and raise self-esteem • higher education and careers advice, and opportunities for work-related learning • opportunities for girls to serve their community through voluntary work and outreach

The curriculum has been designed to help the girls to develop lively and enquiring minds, a love of learning, the ability to question and argue rationally, listen and communicate effectively and apply themselves to tasks both cognitive and physical.

The curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure that it remains linked to the needs and aspirations of the girls, allowing them to reach their full academic potential, whilst also enabling them to acquire knowledge and skills which will be up-to-date and relevant to adult life and employment in the context of a fast changing world.

Details and implementation of the curriculum 11 - 16 In UIII all girls study the following subjects: Philosophy and Religion, English, Drama, Latin, a Modern Foreign Language, History, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Technology, Art, Music, Physical Education, ICT, PSHE, and in addition they follow a course in the use of the Library. Girls are offered a choice of French, German or Spanish as their modern foreign language.

In LIV girls continue with these subjects and in addition choose a second modern foreign language from French, German or Spanish. From the beginning of the LIV girls are taught in ability sets for French and Mathematics, with the opportunity to move from one set to another as appropriate.

In UIV the Classics department offer girls a choice of Latin, Gratin (Greek with Latin) or Classical Civilisation. All LIV subjects except ICT continue through the UIV. GCSE Subjects: In the LV and UV all girls study seven or eight subjects in the core curriculum – English, English Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and at least one modern foreign language from French, German, Spanish, Italian or Russian. Very strong linguists are offered the opportunity to study French and German or French and Spanish on two periods a week each within the core.

The girls then have a free choice of three subjects from Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, History, Geography, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Greek, Latin, Art, Music, Physical Education, Food Technology and Design Technology.

All LV and UV girls follow courses in PSHE and Physical Education. In the LV girls have two weekly periods of P.E. and in addition to this they may choose to take the Junior Sports Leader Award; this helps them to develop leadership skills that can be adapted to various sporting and non-sporting situations.

There is an extensive programme of voluntary work from the LV upwards which gives girls the opportunity to contribute within the wider community.

The school weeks consists of twenty-nine fifty-five minute periods, three twenty-five minute ‘pastoral and skills’ periods and two assemblies, all fully supervised. Each area of the curriculum is allowed sufficient time for its contribution to be effective.

Time allocations for each subject from UIII – UV are shown in the table below:

CURRICULUM FOR UIII – UV

September 2012

All periods are 55 minutes in length, except form time which is 25 minutes UIII

LIV

UIV

LV

UV

Philosophy & Religious Studies English

1

1

1

3*

2*

3

3

3

4

4

Drama

1

1

0.5

-

-

Latin

2

2

2***

3*

2*

Greek

-

-

-

3*

2*

Classical Civilisation

-

-

-

3*

2*

First language: French/German/Spanish (choice in UIII) Second language: French/German/Spanish (choice in LIV) Italian

3

2

2

3*

2*

-

2

2

3*

2*

-

-

-

3*

2*

Russian

-

-

-

3*

2*

History

2

1

2

3*

2*

Geography

1

2

2

3*

2*

Mathematics

3

3

3

3

3

Physics

1

1

2

2

3

Chemistry

1

1

2

2

3

Biology

1

1

2

2

3

Art and Design

1

2

1

3*

3*

Technology

2

1

1

3*

2*

Music

2

1

1

3*

2*

Information Technology

1

1

-

-

-

Physical Education

3

3

2.5

Personal, Social and Health Education Private Study

Total

1

1

in form time

2

1 or 2 if timetable

(+ option for more P.E. within LV module)

permits

1

1

(for half year in LV module)

(1 in form time)

29

(1 in form time)

29

(1 in form time)

29

1**

1,2 or 3**

13 core + 12 choice +PE/PSHE/PS

16 core + 8 choice +PE/PSHE/PS

29

29

* Option subjects in LV and UV ** In LV and UV there is an option for very strong modern linguists to study two languages instead of one within the core on a reduced timetable. These girls have fewer private study lessons. ***In UIV girls may choose between Latin, Gratin (Greek with Latin) and Classical Civilisation.

The post 16 curriculum The post 16 curriculum is responsive to the needs and demands of the girls; it offers a broad range of academic courses, together with a lecture programme, a theory of knowledge course, the opportunity to complete either an extended essay (IB) or an extended project (AS/A2) and guidance appropriate to sixth form study. There are also many opportunities for leadership for sixth form girls, both in terms of school leadership roles and through the form assistant scheme. Sixth formers also lead and interact with younger girls through the Creative Arts; the LVI direct the UIII pantomime annually and sixth formers also take on the direction of whole school events (such as the Fashion show and Dance Extravaganza in recent years). Within the wider community many sixth formers volunteer to help in local schools.

All IB students are required to undertake a CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) programme during their two years of study. This requires them to become engaged in a variety of regular commitments and activities, guided by the CAS Coordinator. Through the CAS programme the girls will develop their personal creative interests, keep themselves physically fit and help others both in their immediate environment and in the wider community.

The post 16 curriculum helps to prepare the girls for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. They leave school as confident lifelong learners with a responsible attitude to the world in which they live.

A level/IB Choices: In the sixth form girls choose between the A level and IB pathway. Subjects offered include all those offered at GCSE except Physical Education and Technology. New subjects are also offered as follows: Ancient History (AS/A2), Drama and Theatre Studies (AS/A2 and IB), Economics (AS/A2 and IB), Government and Politics (AS/A2), History of Art (AS/A2 and IBSL) and Critical Thinking (AS).

In the sixth form AS and A2 subjects are taught on five periods per week each. Girls have a free choice of four (or five if studying Further Mathematics or a language in which she is bilingual) subjects at AS level and three or four subjects at A2 level. The LVI programme also includes the level of teaching, support and advice required in order for girls to complete the AQA Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Through working towards their EPQ girls will gain valuable experience in independent research as well as a deeper knowledge and understanding of a topic of interest to them.

In the year 2011/12, Critical Thinking AS level was successfully piloted with a small group of LVI girls who had shown particular interest and aptitude in the UV THINK programme. This course will be repeated in 2012/13 for all interested girls, and, following this, Critical Thinking will be offered to all girls from 2013/14 as a fifth AS level subject. It will be taught on 1.5 periods per week.

IB students choose three Higher Level subjects and three at Standard Level. They must study a mother tongue language which is usually English, a Mathematics course chosen from three options, at least one Humanity, at least one foreign or classical Language and at least one Science. For their sixth choice they may choose an Arts subject or a second Science, Language or Humanity. Higher Level subjects are taught on four periods each per week (with the exception of Mathematics Higher level which is taught on five periods) and Standard Level on three periods each. Some of our very high ability IB students opt to take four Higher Level subjects and two Standard Level subjects as an extra challenge.

Higher Education & Careers Advice and Guidance Advice and guidance is crucial to the girls as they choose their subjects to study to GCSE, in the Sixth Form and beyond; this is offered by the Higher Education and Careers department through individual interviews and informal discussions. In addition, a Career Insight Programme will be launched in September 2012 with the aim of increasing girls’ knowledge about the contemporary world of work and the skills necessary for employability. This will take the form of talks to expand the girls’ awareness of C21 professional areas, and activities to identify connections between skills learned in the classroom and those required in the contemporary workplace. Initially the programme will involve the UIV and UVI year groups, extending throughout the school by 2014.

The focus in the Autumn term of the UIV is Career Perception vs. Reality, with two talks from Old Dolphins in the format of: what I do on a daily basis, the skills I use, how I developed these (especially relating to degree skills rather than content). Each talk will have a form group session to follow up the ideas raised. As the UIV girls start to choose their GCSE subjects during the first half of the Spring term they are shown how to access a webbased programme, which they can then use at school or at home to identify career areas of interest and to explore the implications of subject combinations. The girls take part in small group Q&A meetings with a member of the Higher Education & Careers department to discuss GCSE choices in the context of possible career and degree aspirations. Form tutors and subject teachers will also be available to answer questions and offer advice, and girls and/or parents may make individual appointments to talk to a member of the Higher Education & Careers team. UIV parents and girls are invited to a curriculum evening in January during which the GCSE curriculum and choices are explained and questions are answered. The Careers Insight Programme for the UIV year will culminate in a CrossCurricular Day in the Summer term with the theme of ‘Skills for C21 Careers’.

In the Summer term there is a talk for the LV year group and parents by a university Admissions Tutor to give information about the current Higher Education scene. Also in that term the girls can choose to take part in the Preview Programme, a computer-based careers analysis questionnaire. The report generated gives suggestions of career areas which match each girl’s interests and skills; girls are encouraged to research these further during the summer break. The potential careers thus identified, and the university talk, provide a foundation for the decisions to be made in the UV year about sixth form subjects.

During the Autumn and early Spring terms of their UV year girls are interviewed individually by a member of the Higher Education & Careers department in order to help them choose sixth form subjects and decide whether the IB or AS/A2 pathway is the right one for them. As well as these interviews, girls attend a Subject Fair in the Autumn term of their UV year, where each department is represented and information and advice is available about each subject taught in the sixth form both at AS/A2 and IB. In the second half of the Autumn term UV girls are given the opportunity to shadow a sixth form girl for a day in order to give them a flavour of the different subjects on offer and of life in the sixth form.

In the Spring term of the LVI year girls and parents attend an information evening about Higher Education; later that term there is the Higher Education Forum which provides an opportunity to find out in depth what is involved in a wide range of degree subjects. Girls in the A level pathway are interviewed individually by a member of the Higher Education & Careers department to help choose their A2 subjects, and all girls have an individual interview to discuss Higher Education plans and possible universities. Towards the end of their LVI year and during the Autumn term of UVI , girls are helped by their tutors and by the Higher Education & Careers department to complete their higher education applications, whether they are to UK, American, European or Canadian universities, medical schools, drama schools or art colleges. Advice and guidance about Higher Education applications continues

until after IB and AL results are published. In the Spring term there is an information evening for the UVI year group and their parents about ways in which the girls can use their 1000 days as an undergraduate to maximise their skill set for employability. Girls choosing to make a post-results university application will also be assisted with that process.

In addition to the extensive support offered by the relevant academic departments, those applying to Oxbridge are guided through the process by the Oxbridge Co-ordinator, both in group and individual sessions, from the middle of the LVI. Enrichment Classes are open to all, in the Summer of LVI and the Autumn of UVI, to take girls beyond the curricula and provide fuller preparation in the subject they are planning to read at university. Academic interview training and practice is provided for those applying to institutions that call to interview and classes are given to support applicants through specific application tests. The Higher Education & Careers room is well stocked with university prospectuses and brochures from many drama, music and art schools. An increasing wealth of information and resources for all aspects of Higher Education & Careers can be accessed by girls from the mini-site on the school VLE. Work Experience is most valuable for senior girls. At the end of the UV, once the girls have completed their GCSE examinations, they are encouraged to undertake a week’s work experience in London (or further afield). During the LVI year we have a Sixth Form work experience exchange with schools in Versailles and Berlin. Sixth Form girls frequently arrange their own work experience with a view to deepening their knowledge of a particular career or gaining experience required for a Higher Education application.

Ensuring access to the Curriculum for all Pupils The school recruits well-qualified subject specialists to allow each area of the curriculum to be taught by those with a high level of subject expertise.

Training and professional development opportunities are provided for all staff to enhance the delivery of the curriculum and to keep teachers informed of current initiatives and developments relating to their subject areas. The staff review scheme identifies training needs which benefit the delivery of the curriculum.

Heads of Departments prepare schemes of work which ensure that the curriculum is delivered effectively with regard to differentiation, the needs of individual girls from all ethnic and social groups, the most able and those who are experiencing learning difficulties.

Study support is offered, by the Individual Learning Co-ordinator, to girls who are identified as having particular learning needs. These needs could include dyslexia, dyspraxia, a physical difficulty or a requirement for additional study skills beyond that offered by subject teachers.

When a girl is identified as having specific learning needs the girls’ teachers will be informed by the Individual Learning Co-ordinator, with advice given as to how they can best support the girl and help her to access all areas of the curriculum. The progress of all girls with specific learning differences will be reviewed annually.

Each UIII form is allocated several sessions with the Individual Learning Co-ordinator on organisational skills, study habits and revision skills as part of the PSHE programme.

Review and Evaluation Heads of Departments are responsible for their departmental development plans which share the same aims and timescale as the school strategic plan. Development plans are reviewed and evaluated on an annual basis.

Heads of Departments’ meetings are held twice a term and Curriculum Working Parties are set up when required.