The Academy’s vision is underpinned by three core elements: character, educational excellence, and community service. The aim of this section is to provide you with an overview of the curriculum for your child.

Our curriculum has been designed following the key principles of providing:

• A strong foundation for further learning and any chosen career path.
• Traditional learning to best equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need.
• Ambition so that all students aspire to achieve their best.
• Rigorous curriculum that offers breadth and depth in developing knowledge and skills

Through our curriculum, we aim to promote our core values of STAR which are:

Service – Being a responsible citizen in our community

• We prioritise people in every decision we make.
• We embrace opportunities to contribute and work beyond the call of duty.
• We take every opportunity to improve the service to our community.

Teamwork – Working together for excellence

• We take opportunities to learn with and from others.
• We nurture collaborative partnerships inside and outside that energise and inspire.
• We take responsibility for our mistakes and the mistakes of others, and we learn from these mistakes to continuously improve.

Ambition – Aspiring to be our best

• We are organised, efficient and set high expectations for ourselves and others.
• We work hard and take pride in our work.
• We relish challenge.

Respect – Treating others as we wish to be treated

• We are approachable, caring and inclusive.
• We make the right choices even when there are difficult circumstances.
• We are considerate, attentive, appreciative and encouraging.

Curriculum Intent

Educational Excellence

• We aim to secure exceptional standards of educational achievement and prepare students well for their next stage in education, employment, or training.
• We aim to improve the life chances of young people in areas regardless of social and economic background.
• We deliver a knowledge-based rich and academically rigorous curriculum that has the highest ambition for all. We want our students to be able to access top Russell Group Universities such as Cambridge, Birmingham, Durham and Edinburgh to name but a few. We want our students to be able to access high level apprenticeships and pursue any career of their choice.
• We place a strong emphasis on the English Baccalaureate. We recognise that studying a language enables our students to compete for the top jobs on a global platform.
• We aim to promote equality by encouraging students to take up STEM subjects and provide extracurricular provision to promote a love of learning.
• We aim to ensure fantastic outcomes and progress to Further Education/Higher Education.

Character Education

• We promote the development and nurturing of young leaders.
• We give students a practical and more successful understanding of their rights and responsibilities in society.
• We promote the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of students.
• We promote democracy and leadership with the implementation of our Academy Leaders, Academy Mentors and Academy Council Programmes.
• We encourage creativity, social and cultural capital across all aspects of Academy life.
• We promote the development of resilience and challenge.
• We encourage students to embrace challenge as a tool to develop crucial interpersonal skills and student character.

Community Service

• We aspire to shape students into active citizens, with a sense of responsibility for their actions.
• We aspire for our students to contribute positively to their local and wider community.
• We raise awareness of key events including Black History Month, Mental Health Awareness Week and Holocaust Memorial Day as examples.
• We promote Anti-Bullying Week as an opportunity to raise awareness and eliminate bullying.
• We raise funds for charities through events such as MacMillan Coffee Morning
• Our Student Leader system aspires to develop leaders to act as Academy Prefects, elected Academy Student Forum Members, Mentors and Anti Bullying Ambassadors.
  

Curriculum Information

Our curriculum is designed to foster thought, curiosity and a desire for learning in all pupils, regardless of their background, strengths and needs. It is ambitious, challenging and engaging. It builds on the essential knowledge, skills and understanding from primary school and enables pupils to become informed citizens who have an appreciation of human creativity, ingenuity and achievement.

Our curriculum draws out key concepts that provide a rich web of knowledge for our pupils and help them to become expert critical thinkers.

Our curriculum aims to:

• cultivate well-rounded, intelligent and socially-aware students.
• develop cultural capital in all pupils, so that they have an appreciation of human creativity and talents.
• develop pupils as excellent citizens with a strong sense of responsibility for their actions.
• encourage civic and social participation within their community.
• promote and develop leadership within all pupils.
• encourage pupils to develop their individuality and lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.
• inspire and motivate.
• foster a deep and durable love of lifelong learning.
• provide a strong and lasting foundation for future learning at every stage.
• deliver excellent exam results, particularly for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they can compete for the best jobs locally, nationally and globally.

At the heart of our curriculum is a strong academic core for all our pupils at key stage 3 and key stage 4: the English Baccalaureate. This includes English, mathematics, sciences, history, geography and a modern foreign language. Creative and performing arts, technology, computing, and physical education are central to our curriculum offer sparking curiosity, interests and talent.

Our curriculum promotes spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and emotional development of pupils at school and in society more widely. Religious Education, Relationship and Sex Education, Health Education and Citizenship are fully timetabled and taught by specialists throughout key stage 3 and key stage 4.

We believe every pupil is entitled to a curriculum that is varied, challenging and inspiring, which enables every individual to fulfil their potential to the highest possible standard, developing enquiring minds capable of original thought and well-balanced critical argument.

In line with the Star Quality Standards, the curriculum actively promotes equality for all through both its content and delivery. Full details are contained in the Annual Equalities Statement.

We aim to ensure that all pupils have access to the curriculum and are not disadvantaged by any disabilities or special educational needs. Full details are contained in the SEND Information Report, Policy and Guidance. Our curriculum also provides opportunities for pupils to consider careers in each subject – more details are provided in the careers page of our website.

All pupils will follow a traditional model of study, which involves core and foundation subjects.

Pupils will make their GCSE choices when ready and when the Key Stage 3 curriculum has been delivered. The length of Key Stage 3 will vary depending on the subject and all Key Stage 3 subjects match or surpass the ambition and scope of the national curriculum. Pupils will complete GCSEs and vocational qualifications when ready.

Almost all pupils will follow a combination of subjects which will enable them to achieve the English Baccalaureate. Pupils will also study vocational subjects to contribute to a deep and rich curriculum experience. Pupils will be offered extra time for English and mathematics where they are performing below nationally expected levels. The focus is to support pupils with literacy and numeracy as soon as they join the school. In particular, there will be a strong emphasis on reading and expanding vocabulary.

Subjects studied at Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3, pupils will complete the following programmes of study:

Subjects Studied at Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4, pupils will complete a range of qualifications. All pupils will follow a combination of core subjects which will enable them to achieve the English Baccalaureate: English, mathematics, sciences, humanities and at least one modern foreign language. As part of the core curriculum, they will continue to study physical education, religious education, citizenship and RSHE. In addition, pupils will choose optional subjects from a broad suite of choices covering both GCSE and vocational qualifications.

Gifted and Talented pupils may complete some GCSEs early and have the option of studying Level 3 courses in Year 11 to prepare for 6th Form.

A very small number of pupils requiring cognitive learning support will undertake an alternative pathway. Pupils will complete nationally and industry-recognised awards and qualifications, developing a personalised portfolio to include GCSE, approved high-value vocational qualifications and Entry Level and pre-GCSE courses to ensure they are meaningful for pupils and support their next steps.

For more information on our curriculum, please contact:

• Mr Daniel Barclay, Vice Principal, info@starbank.staracademies.org