Curriculum Implementation

CCfL Curriculum Overview

The aims of our curriculum are:

• To provide an engaging, exciting and aspirational curriculum that equips our students with the skills, knowledge and experience that they will need to progress to the next stage of their education. We take full account of students’ prior learning and starting points in order to provide them with personalised learning experiences, and encourage them to become independent thinkers and learners.
• To promote excellent teaching and learning led by experienced staff who can make learning both accessible and challenging. All curriculum subjects are accredited to maximise students’ chances to flourish within and beyond their education. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to maximise opportunities for students to acquire, consolidate and apply their skills and knowledge to become confident and independent adults.
• To encourage a rounded approach to student progress, placing equal importance on academic progress and social and emotional development and wellbeing. Our curriculum is therefore underpinned by a nurture approach to enhance the development of the whole child.
• To value and promote diversity, tolerance and respect for others. We are an inclusive community and as such we celebrate and welcome difference. Community involvement is an integral part of our curriculum, therefore we work in partnership with many local providers to offer a broad and rich learning experience for our students.

The Key Stage 4 Offer:

Our Key Stage 4 curriculum is made up of a combined academic and vocational offer which has been designed to maximise engagement. All students are encouraged and supported to achieve the best possible outcomes from their starting points, in order to move on to successful post 16 placements in education, employment or training.

• Core Curriculum: All students are taught Maths and English at either GCSE or Functional Skills or both. All students also have a reading lesson once a week.
• Additional Core Curriculum: Most students will also study fully accredited qualifications in Science, Employability, Citizenship and PSHE. Students will also be given the opportunity to complete their learning using a digital learning platform having a weekly Digital Skills lesson built into their timetable.
• Vocational options: Students can choose from a range of fully accredited vocational qualifications at level 1 or Level 2 equivalent, including Performing Arts, Catering, Health and Fitness, Business Studies, Engineering, Bike Maintenance, Design and Technology, Sports Leadership and Construction.
• Interventions: For students who need additional support, we ensure that their literacy and/or numeracy skills are supported by having dedicated, weekly timetabled lessons
• Pastoral care: Each class has a lesson a week with their form tutors to ensure that the wider needs of each individual and group are looked after.

Agincourt PRU

CCFL Agincourt aspires to build a curriculum that blends real-world learning with knowledge and skills that supports and stretches our learners to embrace their learning journey. This will help prepare our learners to build the personal characteristics needed to be successful members of their wider community. 

The knowledge and skills our students will acquire are planned by subject specialists and when there is not a specialist for vocational subjects, then specialist external providers are brought in. All subjects taught at CCFL have a curriculum intent which is reviewed annually by staff during CPD sessions targeted at improving subject pedagogy. 

Our curriculum is developed to facilitate the independence of our learners on the knowledge and skills they need to access Entry Levels, Functional skills, IGCSE’s and GCSE examinations. More importantly, each subject is sequenced to follow a basic lesson structure: Literacy based Do Now, Build on Learning, Model, Practise and Plenary. This ensures that there is a consistent approach to planning and teaching of lessons. 

Staff at CCFL Agincourt are encouraged to attribute student’s success to effort rather than ability, valuing our character virtues (Resilience, Self-discipline, Humility, Self-regulation and Kindness) which guides our students through any challenges they might face during the school day. We choose appropriate resources and content, and introduce the more challenging elements of the curriculum when the students are ready. Subject leads aim to review their scheme of learning on an annual basis, taking in account student voice, and comparing predicted outcomes with end of year outcomes.      

The scheme of learning for our subjects aim to offer: 

• All students offered a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum.
• Core subjects delivered by specialist teachers.
• Vocational subjects offered by specialist external providers.
• Consistent application of quality first teaching in all lessons delivered.
• Rigorous quality assurance of teaching and learning.
• Robust programme of continuous personal development for teaching staff through instructional coaching model.
• Curriculum is planned in a sequential manner, allowing for students to transfer knowledge into their long-term memory over time, through regularly returning to prior knowledge.
• Regular use of formative and summative assessments to ensure student progress is tracked, with gaps in understanding addressed.
• Opportunities for development of literacy and numeracy are embedded across the curriculum.

Harmood Special School

Learning Program