Our Curriculum

We believe that children are empowered through learning, that education can deliver exciting ideas and opportunities – and change lives.

At The Sittingbourne School, we want to inspire students to value their education and understand how it will set them up for a successful future. They should develop curiosity, a love of learning and be prepared to work hard.

We are intent on a culture of pride in academic achievement for all learners – regardless of background or ability, every child should develop into the very best that they can be.

Our curriculum is underpinned by our core values:

Learning | Character | Community | Achievement

 

Learning

• We have created a broad and stimulating curriculum, offering both academic and vocational pathways.
• The curriculum sets high expectations and challenge to build students’ resilience and self-belief.
• We are intent on raising aspirations and equipping students with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in school and their future.
• We encourage students to be active and independent learners who strive to achieve their best.
• Across all subjects, we emphasise the importance of literacy, oracy and numeracy, because skills in these areas are vital in a competitive, adult world.
• Reading for pleasure is actively encouraged and rewarded.
• Across the school, we champion the use of digital technology to enhance learning.
• We provide many opportunities to widen cultural understanding and take education beyond the classroom to develop students’ love of learning, independence and creative thinking.
• From Year 7, students learn about the many future pathways and careers.

 

Character

• We believe that building strong character is vital for our students to go into the wider world as ambitious individuals who can express, with confidence, their thoughts and ideas.
• Character Education is central to all learning in the school, and ‘character’ is embedded across the curriculum.
• We provide a rich programme for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including British Values.
• Students will learn to value the importance of positive attitudes and behaviours, particularly with regard to their education.
• In supporting our students’ personal development, happiness and success, we work to foster the following character traits:
  • Love of life and learning
  • Resilience
  • Self-discipline and independence
  • Honesty
  • Courage
  • Kindness
• Knowledge and understanding of mental and physical wellbeing is fundamental to the Character Education curriculum, and our students are well-supported in becoming actively responsible for their own health and happiness.
• We promote in our students a sense of responsibility towards each other and a desire to mentor and support those in need.

 

Community

• We are proud of the inclusive nature of our school, where children of all abilities, backgrounds and beliefs feel valued and are given the guidance and support they need to flourish.
• All students at The Sittingbourne School grow to understand and respect the idea of community.
• Students develop pride in our whole-school community, as well as an appreciation of society, the global community, and their place in the wider world.
• Our school communities are the centre of pastoral care and they embody our values and ethos.
• All students are part of a school family, be it Aquila, Orion, Phoenix – or later in their schooling, the Archer Community.
• Our students benefit from the school’s strong and active working relationships with local employers, colleges and universities.

 

Achievement

• We like to acknowledge that achievement comes in all shapes and sizes, that everyone’s talents should be recognised and celebrated.
• Students should have high aspirations for themselves and for the school community.
• We believe that all students should develop a sense of achievement to grow their potential.
• The school celebrates outstanding progress and achievement, but equally rewards students who show determination to improve.
• We aim to instil enterprising attitudes and we encourage all students to be all they can be.
• We reward demonstration of good character and when students display their future potential to be well-rounded, global citizens.

 

Curriculum Structure

Ensuring students of all abilities achieve their very best.

We offer our pupils a broad curriculum with a sharp focus on high expectations for all. In Year 9, students select their options from one of the three pathways:

• Inspire - Designed for higher achievers, with greater emphasis on English Baccalaureate subjects.

• Excel - Designed for the majority of students offering a broad range of subjects.

• Raise - A broad range of subjects, but tailored for students in our specialist resource provisions.

All of the students in Years 7, 8 and 9 study an extensive range of subjects in line with the National Curriculum. In addition, we offer drama to all of our students.

To ensure our students have access to the full selection of National Curriculum subjects throughout the year, a semi two week timetable will be applied allowing flexibility over a 50 period schedule.

In Years 7, 8 and 9, students in our Speech and Language Unit and the POD have additional time in English to support their learning across the curriculum.

At the end of Year 9, students choose their options for GCSE. The pathways are designed to provide flexibility so as not to restrict any student’s choices. We offer a broad selection of 18 subjects, including 9 GCSEs and a range of vocational subjects. Every year the provision is reviewed to ensure students can choose from a comprehensive and relevant range of subjects.

The setting of POD has evolved over the last few years; therefore, it will be renamed in September to match it’s evolved state.

 

Flexibility & Choice

Our options process is about flexibility and choice, so that all students at the end of Year 9 are able to make decisions about their education that are right for them. Guidance and support for students in selecting their options is tailored accordingly.

Students in our top sets are guided towards, but not limited to, the Inspire Pathway. Likewise, students in our specialist provisions are guided towards the Raise Pathway. Students in these provisions are not limited to this pathway and are able to opt in to all subjects. The vast majority of students will progress naturally to the Excel Pathway, however, they can also access the Inspire Pathway.