Curriculum

Our school curriculum aims to:

• Allow students to enjoy their learning, building confidence whilst gaining knowledge in a way that means student recall and reapply their learning, creating a love of what they are being taught.
• Enrich our students, allowing them to make excellent progress, regardless of their prior attainment, whilst developing character so that they are well-rounded and well-prepared for life and uphold British values.
• Develop student aspiration for excellent academic achievement, by providing lessons with outstanding teaching and learning evident.

We achieve this by ensuring that our curriculum is accessible, enjoyable and provides a rich educational experience.  In Years 7 to 9, students follow the National Curriculum subjects, keeping the curriculum as broad as possible for as long as possible.  Students then choose a range of subjects to continue developing their knowledge and skills during Years 10 and 11.  Students experience curriculum and career guidance from the start of their time at Notley to ensure and encourage a strong academic range of subjects and a clear progression onwards into employment.  Use and understanding of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary and reading is encouraged and celebrated in every year group from 7 to 13, aiding the deepening of student understanding and use of vocabulary. The Notley Aspire programme affords those that show high levels of enthusiasm and commitment to a subject by providing access to super curricular activities across all key stages.  Students can immerse themselves in vibrant experiences and express themselves as individuals. Our taught curriculum is knowledge engaged. All studentslearn skills hand in hand with knowledge so that the two are explicitly developed. There is a strong focus ensuring students know, can recall and can apply learning in all subjects and this is monitored and assessed to ensure that all learners are progressing as expected or better, and where needed, intervention and support is timely and impactful. The design of our curriculum ensures that educational disadvantage can be tackled and that anyone can succeed despite their background or prior attainment; opportunities are plentiful to access higher education and the work force.

Lessons are designed to instil a love of learning, to be adaptive, to ask questions and to ensure all students are included every lesson.  Teachers ensure the classroom environment is positive, purposeful and safe, which in turn promotes positive learning behaviours and HEART.  Students develop key skills such as problem solving, independent work and collaboration through the varied activities they engage in.  This aligns with the values within the HEART and the PDT programme, which is woven into and throughout our curriculum to develop personal development, encouraging building personal skills and attributes to mould individuals.  Each subject curriculum allows students to develop their HEART

Our school aims for its learners to learn from the expectation that they behave safely and responsibly, showing understanding and respect for others and their lifestyles regardless of their identity and individuality.