Curriculum
At Grange Academy, we believe all our pupils deserve the opportunity to have a broad range of experiences that are engaging and purposeful. Through our curriculum, our intention is that we enable all pupils to feel a deep sense of belonging, develop a strong belief in their own skills and abilities and ensure that they leave Grange with achievements that they value and that will enable them to sign up to post 16 courses of their choice. We want to ensure that the knowledge and skills that we grow and develop allow; our pupils to be as independent as possible and that they are able to participate in local events and contribute to society as active citizens.
At the start of 2021 we implemented a themed based learning approach across the school. Implementation of our curriculum is done through three main areas: core curriculum, creative curriculum and enrichment curriculum. These include: English, Maths, Science, ICT, PE, Art, Design and Technology, Food Preparation and Nutrition and Horticulture. History, Geography and Religious Education is delivered through the Creative Curriculum in Primary and Topic lessons in Secondary and also during assemblies, theme days, form time and in further enrichment opportunities. Our RSHE programme is extensive and includes: Life skills, RSHE, SMSC and Rights Respecting. This work underpins all our values and helps us to support our pupils’ social and emotional needs.
Our schemes of work are carefully planned to include cross -curriculum links wherever possible and create opportunities to overlearn. We try to link learning to real life experiences as often as we can and make the most of the local community by visiting attractions, educational establishments, and inviting visitors to deliver talks, workshops and assemblies. We believe learning is not a linear experience for our pupils and our teaching, therefore, reflects this. We have developed a curriculum that blends and builds upon pupils’ knowledge and skills cross all subjects.
Please contact the school on the following details if you require further information on our curriculum.
Tel: 01234 407100 Email: grange@biltt.org
Through our curriculum we hope to:
Develop Cognitive and Academic Abilities
To develop the appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding, so that our pupils make consistent progress academically, reach personal targets and exceed their potential in all areas as outlined within their EHCPs.
Develop Character
To encourage our pupils to have a holistic set of core values that prepares them for life in the modern world in a diverse and ever-changing community. To inspire pupils to want to learn and to allow them to show resilience and experience success.
Develop Behaviours and Habits
To develop the behaviours that pupils need to succeed in school and within the wider community such as concentration, perseverance, imagination, co-operation, the enjoyment of learning, independence and curiosity.
Develop Key Life Skills
To develop the appropriate skills and understanding, through accessing a diverse range of life skills-based opportunities, supporting pupils to be independent in all areas of personal development.
Curriculum Implementation
We embed Maths, Phonics, Reading and Writing throughout the curriculum. Pupils are given ample opportunities to transfer their phonetic knowledge and reading skills in various subject areas. (At Grange we use the Letters and Sounds Phonics programme, supported by a range of resources including online programmes.)
The long-term planning is set on a 4-year rolling programme but is flexible to cater for pupils’ needs and interests.
As pupils move through the school, the expectation for the depth and breadth of their learning is increased, depending on their individual flight plans, specific learning needs and pathways. Some classes will therefore spend more time focussing on specific subjects so that they are able to complete the highest possible qualification in that subject.
After evaluating the impact of Covid-19, we have increased our enrichment offer to include: Dance, Forest School, Music, Work Related Learning, Theme Days as well as Lunch and After School Clubs and for some pupils further bespoke interventions. This allows for the bespoke development of cognitive, sensory and motor skills and communication; as well as reinforcing key vocabulary linked to learning.
Schemes of work map knowledge and skills into three pathways. In all classes, pupils follow a mastery approach to learning, which is highly differentiated and bespoke to the needs of the pupils, allowing for further challenge and extension opportunities. We regularly evaluate and make changes to ensure that the curriculum is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before.
Enrichment
Extra-curricular experiences also form an integral part of the school’s provision. Educational visits, visitors and key whole school events make learning meaningful and engaging for pupils, linked to real life experiences. We ensure that all pupils are exposed to arts and cultural experiences, and we timetable local, national and international key events into the school calendar, so that pupils get to engage in new experiences as they progress through school. Examples of this have been: theatre visits, local artists working with our pupils, dance classes, residential trips, attending a university, visits to a wide range of museums and places of religious and cultural interest.
Our rights respecting work also ensures that Grange Values are embedded into everything we do. We review our curriculum annually in line with the interests of our pupils and also as part of our curriculum offer.
Impact of our Curriculum
Through rigorous termly tracked assessment, it is evident pupils make outstanding progress over time. Pupils in Year 10 and 11 achieve recognised external qualifications, supporting them in gaining placements into Post-16 Education or apprenticeships. Our pupils have demonstrated increasing resilience, independence and confidence and have participated and contributed to local events. (Please see the ‘What’s On’ pages of the website). They have raised money to support charities and children in other parts of the world. Local businesses have been eager to take our pupils on work experience because they are hard-working, well organised, polite and willing to learn. Our pupils have a good sense of right and wrong and go out of their way to help others. They leave us as kind, caring, dedicated students with aspirational goals. (Please see the destinations section of our website.)
For more information, please see our Curriculum Policy.
Phonics
At Grange Academy we teach Phonics and spelling using Twinkl Phonics, it is endorsed by schools and validated by the DofE.
It is a comprehensive programme that is taught from Phase 1 to Phase 6 with a multi-sensory approach. We teach ability groups so that objectives covered closely match the needs of all learners and their EHCP targets. We ensure that our Phonics programme is delivered at the pace optimal for our pupil’s learning needs. Where necessary we adapt to enhance engagement and learning for our pupils making it accessible for all.
Pupil’s receive bespoke Phonics lessons 4 times a week and this is further enhanced by visuals that are used across the Curriculum enabling pupils to apply their phonetic knowledge. We have a wide range of decodable books that further supports this.
Our pupils Phonics ability is closely monitored and tracked using Phonics Tracker.
Where needed small group or 1:1 intervention is used to support and increase a pupil’s Phonic knowledge and associated skills.
Curriculum Overview
2023 - 2024
2022 - 2023 - Archive
Primary Curriculum - Guidance for Parents
Secondary Curriculum - Guidance for Parents
ASC Curriculum - Guidance for Parents
2021 - 2022
For further homework ideas follow this link:
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ZuluGrange Academy is a Unicef Gold Rights Respecting School and Gold Artsmark School. Ofsted rated ‘Good’ (May 2022).
Telephone: 01234 407100 – Office Email: grange@biltt.org