Our curriculum information is available by subject from the menu on the right, which includes contact details for each Head of Department if you wish to find out more about our curriculum.

Curriculum Statement 

Vision and Values 

At Park High School, we invest in each other to be the best that we can be. We create a caring and challenging learning environment in which every student can develop confidence and acquire and remember knowledge and understanding through the curriculum. The curriculum is accessible by all and is underpinned on the key Park High Character Virtues of Curiosity, Integrity, Resilience, Teamwork and Compassion, while developing the lifelong learning associated with these values. 

Curriculum Intent 

Our curriculum intent is based on students accessing a broad and balanced curriculum across Key stage 3 and 4. The curriculum focuses on the following: 

• We have an ambitious curriculum that follows the National Curriculum as a basic expectation, but there are frequent opportunities to go beyond this content. 
• A broad range of academic subjects. 
• Subjects are taught with context and purpose that prepare students for later study. 
• Subject skills and knowledge (disciplinary and substantive knowledge) are well sequenced to build on existing knowledge and deepen understanding. 
• Curriculum design is spiral for core knowledge to be learnt and abstract concepts understood and applied, with students having repeated opportunities to revisit the specified knowledge and deepen their understanding. 
• Literacy and communication underpin the whole curriculum. We are particularly conscious of the role that literacy and vocabulary play in unlocking the whole curriculum. All staff are teachers of literacy. 
• Subject assessment ensures students receive appropriate feedback and regular attainment and progress checks that inform teaching. 
• A strong wider curriculum, careers and enrichment offer that supports students beyond their academic study.

Curriculum Implementation (Teaching and Learning) 

Our approach to teaching and learning supports our curriculum through: 

• High aspirations - creating an aspirational high achievement culture through quality first teaching and learning. 
• A varied range of evidence and research based pedagogical approaches underpinned by our school’s 5C framework. 
• A comprehensive approach to CPD as we believe in investing in staff by providing regular, targeted, and inspirational CPD which underpins our teaching and learning strategy – the Park Way. 
• The use of student feedback strategies to support students’ progress and the delivery of targeted teaching strategies. 
• A range of adaptive teaching approaches to support students with different needs such as students with SEND.
• A summative assessment framework that tracks student outcomes against their aspirational target grades. 

Curriculum Design

At Park High, we all recognise our responsibility of teaching students well through our curriculum. Teachers reflect carefully about how to share their subject knowledge through clearly presented materials that engage and inspire discussion. Baseline data and a personal knowledge of students’ context is used to produce lessons that will stimulate and engage them enabling students across the academic spectrum to be challenged and stretched.  Lessons are appropriately scaffolded to ensure that all students can achieve the highest standards.

The curriculum in each subject area is sequenced to ensure that students are able to recall prior knowledge and build upon this making connection within and across subjects.  Students will revisit previous learning and be able to show their understanding through activities which require application of prior knowledge. Our character virtues support the development of skills for future learning and employment: teamwork, resilience, compassion, integrity and curiosity are developed in all areas of the curriculum.

Assessment is at the centre of an effective curriculum. Teachers check work and address misconceptions and gaps in learning to ensure all students’ learning needs are met. They direct students to the next steps in their learning through written and oral feedback.

We consider it is crucial that equal opportunities and fundamental British Values are taught and understood at all levels of curriculum provision. Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC) is promoted across all aspects of school life. Through different experiences students develop an understanding of right and wrong, their responsibility as a citizen and an appreciation of the arts. Most importantly they have respect for each other and adults in and beyond our community. 

We extend our curriculum further with a huge offer including Duke of Edinburgh, The Brilliant Club, Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge, UKMT challenge, peripatetic music lessons, music workshops, sporting clubs and teams, large whole school drama productions and visits within and outside of the school day. Many trips and visits are organised to support and add breadth to the curriculum such as geography field trips, the A level Politics trip to Washington and New York, the GCSE History trip to the battlefields of Belgium and France as well as trips to the theatre and the Royal Philharmonic orchestra.

 

Further subject specific information can be found on the blue menu to the right hand side of the top of this page.