Curriculum

At Haywood Academy, our core values of Aspire, Respect, Community and Hard Work are at the heart of everything we do. We have relentlessly high expectations and our intention is to ensure students make outstanding progress and that the curriculum removes any potential barriers to learning. We want our students to leave with the knowledge and skills which will not only create excellent life opportunities but will also prepare them exceptionally well for life beyond the academy.

At Haywood, our students will;

– experience a deep, broad and knowledge rich curriculum;

– be literate and numerate and develop a love of reading and Maths;

– have high expectations for their behaviour and achievement;

– build their character;

– develop their cultural, social, moral, mental and physical development;

– secure foundations for progression.

Students experience a deep, broad and knowledge rich curriculum

Our curriculum helps students to achieve high standards and make excellent progress. At KS3, the curriculum is broad and students learn essential knowledge built around a ‘learning journey’ to ensure they have a deep understanding across a range of subjects. We have an ambitious curriculum offering which is mapped to the National Curriculum. There are many opportunities built into lessons to secure the need to recall and retrieve previous learning, so that knowledge is fully embedded.

At KS4, the broad range of academic and vocational courses are carefully planned to ensure that content is thoroughly revisited and this undoubtedly prepares students for external examinations at the end of the course leading to greater student outcomes for all learners. We offer a broad academic and vocational curriculum. All students study the core of English, Mathematics, Science and PE, also Personal, Social and Health Education, which includes a Citizenship and RE programme.

Students will be literate and numerate

The development of student language, vocabulary and oracy is at the forefront of our curriculum as we understand how vital it is for our students to build confidence in communication skills, not only for their time at the Academy but also to prepare them for working life. We ensure students have opportunities in all subjects to discuss, challenge and build on other points of view and to develop their formality of language to ensure they can have the confidence to speak to different audiences. Numeracy skills are embedded across the curriculum. Through the close relationships we have with our feeder Primary schools, students who arrive with below expected maths and literacy skills are offered a personalised curriculum to ensure they catch up with their peers and make age related progress. The academy ensures that students are literate and numerate enabling them to flourish, thrive and access the next stage of their education, employment or training.

Students will have high expectations for their behaviour and achievement

The Academy is inclusive and ambitious for all. We have high expectations of all students and provide opportunity for students to learn what is expected of them morally. Our behaviour policy ensures that students learn that actions have consequences and they can accept and appreciate a collaborative community for all.

Whilst students gain knowledge through KS3 and KS4, we also want them to become learners who are enquiring, enthusiastic, engaged and mannerly. Students will develop high expectations of themselves and embed our key values at the academy: Aspire, Respect, Community and Hard Work.

Students will build their character

At the Academy, we are committed to improving the life chances and aspirations of students. We ensure students have access to a wider curriculum which provides numerous opportunities in sport, fitness,  performing (Drama, Music and Dance), world of work, volunteering and DofE / outdoor pursuits, Film and Art club. Our students can continue to experience and enjoy a wide range of subjects even if they no longer formally study them.  An extensive enrichment programme has the intent to support the development of students into well rounded citizens including our bespoke wider informal curriculum offering, which we actively encourage students to be a part of.

Students will develop their cultural, moral, social, mental and physical development

At Haywood Academy, we pride ourselves on delivering a curriculum which includes SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) embedded within the curriculum. PSHE, including SMSC, is championed at the Academy in order to develop students as a whole, not just academically, to ensure that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain. The PSHE curriculum is delivered through taught sessions per fortnight in addition to our assembly programme where external and internal delivery ensures that learning is linked to the real world and experiences. Students are encouraged to take part in a range of sporting, cultural and charitable activities. Links with local and national businesses enrich the curriculum offer and help to contextualise learning.

Students will secure foundations for progression

It is our intention at the Academy to ensure students have secure foundations for progression into further education and apprenticeships. From Year 7, students receive careers information with a clear focus on the Gatsby benchmarks and this is supported through our curriculum and exposure through noticeboards and subject displays in addition to being weaved through Schemes of Work across all year groups and curriculum areas. Students have the opportunity to visit colleges and universities to ensure aspirations are high and opportunities identified. 

In years 7, 8 and 9 (Key Stage 3)

At KS3 the curriculum is designed around a topic approach building on the foundations of the Key Stage 2 curriculum. This encourages students to focus on deeper learning and to ensure real understanding of key concepts. Each topic has a planned learning journey (road map) which is spiralled to ensure recall opportunities are frequent, with clear assessment points that build knowledge and understanding and enable staff to address and close gaps quickly and adapt the curriculum accordingly. Our curriculum is as ambitious as the National Curriculum and content is carefully mapped to ensure that students have covered all areas. The Academy has chosen to widen its creative curriculum to ensure all students have an opportunity to enjoy the widest experiences available.

All students study English, Mathematics, Science, French Geography, History, Religious Studies, Product Design, Art, Food Technology, Textiles, IT, Dance, Drama, Music, PE, PSHE.  

In years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4)

At the end of Year 9, students select their preference choices to begin studying in Year 10. Preference choices are structured in such a way to allow students the opportunity to study the Ebacc. Our preferences are designed to stretch and challenge students and create pathways for further learning and experiences post 16. Students are offered a mixture of vocational and academic subjects from all areas of the curriculum. Within the preference subjects, the Academy offers a range of different accreditation routes including academic and vocational options. This gives every student a broad and balanced curriculum, but still offers a flexibility to maximise the outcomes achieved by each individual. This model also maintains the widest possible choice for progression routes Post 16 as every student will have a greater range of subjects on which to choose future opportunities for education and training.

Key Stage 4 Compulsory Curriculum

English Language

English Literature

Mathematics

Science Trilogy

Core PE

Core RE

PSHE (Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World)

Click here to view the ‘Pathways’ page for more detail.

In years 12 to 13 (Key Stage 5)

There are 3 main curriculum routes at our City College sixth form.  Please click here to view the information for  L3 Academic/Vocational qualifications, L2 Work Based Learning, and L1 Employability and Life Skills. To discuss City College, please contact Mr Justin Heath. 

To Conclude at Haywood Academy, our curriculum will:

• ensure that the sequence of learning (learning journey) 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 at the Academy.
• allow students to acquire an appreciation and respect for their own and other cultures.
• prepare students to make informed choices at the end of KS3, KS4, KS5 and beyond.
• help students develop lively, enquiring minds and the ability to question and debate rationally.
• Create opportunities to be involved in a wide range of activities, visits and trips in our informal curriculum so as to extend their learning beyond the classroom or Key Stage.

For more detailed information contact the Head of Faculty. Each curriculum area is housed in one of six Learning Areas:

ENGLISH Senior Lead Practitioner – Mrs Thornton
English: Language and Literature, Literacy

MATHEMATICS Senior Lead Practitioner –  Mr Paterson
Numeracy and Mathematics

SCIENCE Head of Faculty / Vice Principal – Dr Bullous
Science: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Combined Science

HUMANITIES Head of Faculty – Mrs Parmar

History, Geography, Religious Studies

OPEN subjects Head of Faculty – Mrs Brailsford

Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Dance, Drama, Engineering, Food, Health and Social Care, Information Communication Technology, Music, Performing Arts, Physical Education, Product Design, Textiles

MFL Head of Department – Mrs Dudley

French, German

For further information regarding the Curriculum, please contact Mrs Victoria Taylor, Senior Vice Principal, on the Academy phone number.