Curriculum

Our Curriculum

When we describe our curriculum, we are not just talking about the sequencing of lessons and subjects across the key stages, but also our Enrichment Days and Every Child Should strategy, which together enrich and broaden a student’s time at Hove Park School.

Our curriculum is built on a clear set of shared values and key skills and a learning journey that enables students to build on their individual strengths. We are ambitious for all our students and expect them where appropriate to retain a breadth to their studies through the study of EBACC subjects.

Our curriculum is about developing skills, knowledge and experiences that will enable all students to make a positive contribution to their community and prepare them for life beyond school.

Key Stages

Hove Park School’s taught curriculum is constantly reviewed and developed in response to student needs and local and national change. We carefully combine more innovative approaches within the framework of a traditional academic timetable.

Subjects are managed within 6 faculty areas: English, Humanities, Languages, Maths, Science & Technology, Sport & Creative Arts. In addition, students follow a programme of PHSE (personal health and social education) and literacy development during tutor time.

Each subject has written their own curriculum rationale statement, setting out what they are aiming to achieve through the implementation of their curriculum. You can read these on the attached document.

Key Stage 3

In Year 7 students study a broad range of subjects, including, English, maths and science; languages (on a carousel that includes German, French, Spanish and Chinese Mandarin); geography and history; art, computer science, drama, design & technology (which includes cooking), literacy, music, PHSE (personal health and social education), religious education and physical education.

After the first term, some students opt to specialise in learning Chinese by following the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) rather than continuing with the general languages carousel. The MEP is a nationally accredited government run programme that funds and supports schools to deliver intensive Mandarin study.

The school also runs six enrichment days each year – one every half-term – where the timetable is suspended. The enrichment  days ensure that all students are able to access enriching, informative and inclusive learning around personal, social and health education, such as the equalities agenda, and also a broad and enriching experience of the creative arts curriculum.

The programme of study that all students begin in Year 7 continues into Year 8, except that students now focus on learning one modern foreign language in greater depth. The language they study is determined either by their participation in the Mandarin Excellence Programme, or through teacher recommendation of either French, German or Spanish, alongside consultation with students and parents.

Key Stage 4

At the end of Year 8 students make a guided choice, involving parents and carers, of which language and option subjects to take for GCSE. Year 9 is a bridging year between Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Students transfer from the Valley Campus to the Nevill Campus and the Year 9 curriculum provides them with further opportunities to develop the skills they will need when they start their GCSE courses.

We expect students to retain a breadth to their studies at GCSE, through the study of EBACC subjects (English, maths, science, humanities, languages), but also to continue to engage with the half termly enrichment days and extra-curricular provision that together enrich and broaden a student’s time at Hove Park.

The majority of students study the following subjects as a core curriculum:

• English language & English literature;
• a modern foreign language;
• a humanity (either geography or history)
• mathematics;
• science combined course (double award: 2 x GCSEs)

Only students with significant special educational needs do not continue learning languages after Year 8 and enthusiastic linguists can continue with two languages at GCSE level.

In addition to the qualifications above, students choose to study additional GCSE subjects from a list of different options, including: art, business studies, computer science, creative imedia, design & technology, food, humanities (a second humanity in addition to the choice as part of the core curriculum), languages (a second language can be chosen in addition to the core curriculum choice), music, photography, physical education, religious studies and separate - triple - sciences (biology, chemistry, physics).

All students have PE lessons and follow courses covering philosophy, ethics and religion (PRE) and personal, social and health education (PSHE), which includes sex and relationships education. These are not examined courses.

Enrichment Days

Six days per year are set aside for the school community to focus on key themes that run through our curriculum. Typically, the normal school timetable is collapsed and students will take part in interesting, active and thought provoking activities, often outside of the normal classroom environment.

Over the past few years, the first of the six Enrichment Days has been focused on Equalities which is an important agenda in our school, ensuring our young people understand the wide range of differences in the world around them including ethnicity, disability, trans-gender topics as well as many other themes. We have been lucky enough to welcome many outside speakers from agencies such as local businesses, disabled athletes and experts on many other diversity topics, all of whom have supported the developing Equalities education of our students.

The other Enrichment Days will allow us to focus on other key themes to ensure all of our students gain from the full breadth and depth of a varied and comprehensive curriculum. We have Enrichment Days that are focused on the creative arts subjects such as music, drama and art. Again, we have outside agencies who offer workshops and active sessions in school, which students really enjoy. We are also planning themed subject days, off-timetable, where students will focus on certain areas of the main taught school curriculum to allow them to hone their understanding and skills through engaging and active styles of delivery.

Our aim is to establish and continue to develop the key skills that we feel not only underpin our curriculum but are also woven between the subjects taught at Hove Park, binding the various themes of learning from Key Stages 3 to 5.

Our Curriculum: By Year Group

• Year 7
• Year 8
• Year 9
• Year 10
• Year 11