Curriculum

We strive to engender an infectious, lifelong, enthusiasm for learning creating a community with ambition, a sense of self-worth, belief and personal growth who are successful in an ever-changing world.

We seek to engage students and staff by offering a range of opportunities and experiences that lead to the highest standards of achievement and mastery of key skills.

We expect our students and staff to:

  • appreciate the value and power of knowledge;
  • develop qualities of independence, adaptability and creativity;
  • approach situations with positivity and a solution-based mindset;
  • be inspired to learn and to continue learning;
  • understand and demonstrate emotional intelligence and collaborate effectively;
  • be respectful, determined, dedicated and disciplined in the drive to achieve excellence;
  • be socially, morally, spiritually and culturally aware.

We love what we do. Our subject specialists have carefully structured the curriculum by taking a student on a journey from Year 7 to Year 11, and beyond, for those who study in our Sixth Form.

The Grove School works closely with our feeder schools and cultivates a relationship where the knowledge that students receive in primary school is further developed when they arrive. We foster a collaborative approach so that knowledge and understanding is built upon to enable their working memory to grow.

Students study a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all groups of learners, allowing them to feel challenged and to excel. We believe that students should access a full range of academic, creative and expressive subjects, which is evidenced in the models below.

Each subject has a clear rationale for its curriculum plan, and a coherent and detailed sequence of work, with integrated assessment points, building towards the final examinations. Our suite of subjects for study at GCSE is broad, with a strong academic core in the EBacc subjects.  The overview of our entire curriculum mapping is available here, showing each subject’s journey at The Grove School:

For ease of access, you can also explore our Faculty and subject specific curriculum overview documents through clicking the links below:

Creativity, Enterprise and Health (CEH) Faculty Curriculum

Curriculum Intent – Art

Curriculum Intent – Business

Curriculum Intent – Computing ICT and iMedia

Physical Education and Child Development Faculty Curriculum

Curriculum Intent – PE & CD

Humanities, Modern Foreign Languages and Music (HMM) Faculty Curriculum

Curriculum Intent – German

Curriculum Intent – History

Curriculum Intent – Music

Curriculum Intent – Religious Studies

Curriculum Intent – Sociology

Curriculum Intent – Geography

Maths Faculty Curriculum

Curriculum Intent – Maths

Science Faculty Curriculum

Curriculum Intent – Psychology

Curriculum Intent – Science

English and Drama Faculty Curriculum

Curriculum Intent – Drama

Curriculum Intent – English

We have also developed a Discovery Curriculum that encompasses elements of Personal Development, PSHE and Careers and is supported by accredited resources that have been developed by Jigsaw.  Currently, as part of this programme, we offer Citizenship as a GCSE qualification in Year 11 because it is important to teach our students about diversity and Modern British Values. This pathway has been adapted to encompass Religious Studies with all Year 10 students studying a short course qualification from September 2022.  The Discovery Curriculum is further enhanced by half-termly Discovery Days and our No Limits Week in July.

Discovery (PSHE and Careers)

We are bold in our decisions about curriculum design; for example, the last two years has seen the re-structuring of the options programme to ensure a greater take up of German. Alongside the high academic ambition for our students, we also offer equivalent Level 2 vocational courses in Health and Social Care, Hospitality & Catering, Sport, Engineering, Child Development, Creative iMedia and Graphics.

We also provide curriculum support for some students, such as those with specific SEND needs or issues around inclusion.  This can include extended work-based learning and small group literacy, numeracy and study support with our SEND team. No students are “shut out” by having a prescriptive pathway, if this does not reflect their specific learning needs.  In addition, in order to close literacy and numeracy gaps, students receive intervention using the Fresh Start programme and the numeracy Catch-Up programme in Years 7 & 8.

We also place an emphasis on the mastery of knowledge. Using strategies such as inter-leaving, spacing and metacognition, we ensure key concepts and skills are embedded in students long-term memory, to be recalled and applied fluently when required.

Feedback, utilising a range of techniques, is regular and formative and is valued as a vehicle for developing positive relationships and ambition in learning, alongside identifying misconceptions and informing the teacher of next steps for students. Regular assessments identify when learning is secure, and inform when teaching can move on, thereby connecting prior, present and future learning.

The Discovery Curriculum is further enhanced by half-termly Discovery Days and our No Limits Week in July. Click here for an overview of our Discovery Curriculum.

Key Stage 3

Years 7 and Year 8

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum currently focuses upon students embedding themselves within Key Stage 3 and providing the foundation of knowledge and understanding to support later studies.  Building upon existing student knowledge, whilst exposing them to a greater range of learning experiences is fundamental to this period of the curriculum, particularly in Years 7 and 8.  Students’ academic curriculum will also be enhanced through their Discovery (Personal Development, PSHE and Careers) Curriculum with this being supported by half-termly Discovery Days and our No Limits experiences in July.

The curriculum in Years 7 & 8 is modelled below, showing the subjects and number of hours studied over a fortnight:

  No. of lessons
Art 2
Computing 2
Discovery 1
Drama 2
DT 2
English 8
Food 1
Geog 4
Hist 4
Maths 8
MFL 3
Music 2
PE 3
RE 2
Science 6
 
TOTAL 50

Year 9 Curriculum

Our Year 9 curriculum develops upon the work undertaken in years 7 and 8 as they prepare for taking their Key Stage 4 options that start in Year 10.  In addition to the subjects studied at the start of their Grove School curriculum, students will be enhancing their experience by completing the Trinity Board Arts Award Bronze-level qualification that combines their experiences of Art, Drama and Music through portfolio-based assessment completed through the year.  In addition, through their Discovery (Personal Development, PSHE and Careers) curriculum, students will also develop some of the skills required as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award qualification, with students having the opportunity to extend their skills and achieve the full award. The Discovery Curriculum will be further enhanced by half-termly Discovery Days and our No Limits experiences in July.

Arts Award 2
Art 1
ICT 2
DT 1
Food 1
Maths 8
English 8
Science 8
Geography 4
History 4
German 4
RE 2
PE 3
Discovery/DofE 2
Total 50

Key Stage 4

Years 10 & 11

Students start learning their GCSE content while continuing with learning about SMSC, PSHRE & CEAIG in their Discovery curriculum lessons that will be further supported by half-termly Discovery Days.

Year 10
  No. of lessons
Religious Studies 2
English 8
Maths 8
Discovery 1
Option 1 5
Option 2 5
Option 3 5
Option 4 5
PE 2
Science 9
TOTAL 50

 

Year 11
No lessons
Citizenship 2
English 9
Maths 10
Discovery 1
Option 1 4
Option 2 4
Option 3 4
Option 4 4
PE 2
Science 10
TOTAL 50

To find out more about the curriculum the school is following; please contact admin@gro.mmat.co.uk


Key Stage 5 – Sixth Form Curriculum

The Sixth Form has secured the school’s ability to provide an outstanding level of education for its students beyond the age of 16. For many Year 11 students, the Sixth Form will be the natural progression route as they have the opportunity to study in an environment where they have already achieved and can continue their studies being taught by teachers with whom they already have strong working relationships.  To see our staff discuss the subjects that we currently offer, please click this link here.

The Sixth Form environment provides students with more independence and flexibility, however, the strong pastoral care and support is still available in the form of a Sixth Form Mentor.

The development of a Sixth Form at The Grove School has further enhanced the character of the school and Sixth Form students play a vital role in school life, acting as mentors for younger generations.

For more information on the Sixth Form, the course offering, support and guidance, and progression, please click here or to arrange a visit, please call reception on 01630 652121.