Curriculum
The following ‘Whole School Curriculum Statement’ is the result of development work done by all stakeholders in the school: governors, teachers, pupils, parents and the leadership team.
(For the vision statements of specific departments and for their specific curriculum plans please click here.)
Whole School Curriculum Vision
We believe that each student is a child of God, with a unique mission to do Him some definite service. Our bold aspiration for all students is that they commit to and enjoy supporting one another in the successful pursuit of excellence and, in doing so, discern and take their place in the world. We are therefore committed to working together tirelessly to develop and deliver high quality provision in all that we do, so that our students can realise their potential as the person God intended them to be. We know that these ambitions are best achieved by all members of our community working together inclusively and so we deliberately foster purposeful relationships between staff, students and families for the good of all.
The Saint John Henry Newman School is a loving school at the heart of the Catholic community. We have intentionally developed a Christ-centred, child-centred curriculum journey which enables each student to attain the powerful faith, knowledge, advanced skills and constructive dispositions required to engage with the challenges of the world ambitiously, courageously and compassionately.
The curriculum of the Saint John Henry Newman School fully supports the mission of the school. It consists of a broad range of academic subjects on offer. It is underpinned by a vibrant Catholic life and enhanced by numerous, memorable extra-curricular experiences and plentiful opportunities for student leadership that allow for every student’s gifts and contributions to be celebrated. Engagement with our Pastoral and PSHCE Curriculum, and with Catholic Social Teaching across the curriculum, ensures that this Mission is lived-out in the curriculum experience throughout the school. Our children already transform our world. Through high quality teaching we aim to foster the intellectual, social, creative, physical, moral and spiritual development of all our students.
Through our curriculum we aim for all children to have the knowledge:
- To be ambitious: to love learning, to pursue excellence and to celebrate their success and the success of others.
- To be courageous: to understand and welcome the fact that learning is hard, to be willing to take risks, be keen to learn from their mistakes and be confident in their ability to effect change.
- To be compassionate: to be loving, caring and principled individuals who have the knowledge, skills and dispositions that can be used for the benefit of all.
- To recognise Christ in themselves, in others and in the world around them and to know how to respond to His presence informed by Catholic Social Teaching.
- To have a clear, ambitious and aspirational sense of the possible career paths ahead of them, and an understanding of how the knowledge, understanding and skills learned in school link to their potential futures.
- To fully engage in the life-long process of learning in class, in home learning and beyond, demonstrating a creative, resourceful and resilient mindset.
We have developed a coherent, subject-based approach to the curriculum at the Saint John Henry Newman School. Within each subject domain, the curriculum journey has been carefully planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before. We possess a clear expectation in terms of the knowledge students are expected to have gained within each subject at key points in their education. This empowers our students to know more and remember more as they progress through the curriculum successfully.
Key Stage 3 - Year 7, 8 & 9
On entering the school, pupils are placed in mixed ability tutor groups which will form the basis of much of the teaching that takes place in Year 7, 8 and 9.
The subjects taught at Key Stage 3 are: English, Mathematics, Modern Languages (French or Spanish), Science, Art, Drama, Geography, History, ICT, Music, PE, Religious Education, Design Technology, Food and Nutrition, and PHSCE.
Where subjects are taught in sets, the group are kept under review by the Subject Leader, and students may be moved periodically to ensure they are in a group which matches their ability and stretches them sufficiently.
We regularly assess students’ progress through classwork, formal assessment activities and tests. Details of assessment at Key Stage 3 can be found here
Key Stage 4 - Year 10 & 11 (GCSEs)
At The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School, we offer a broad curriculum at Key Stage 4, with a wide range of academic, creative and vocational courses. A large part of the curriculum is compulsory for all students but there is also an element of choice which means that students can shape their own learning programme in Key Stage 4 according to their interests and future education and career aspirations.
In addition to a compulsory core of English, Mathematics, Religious Education, Science and Games, there are option blocks from which students can choose subjects which match their interests and ability.
Students are currently able to select from the following options; Art Design and Craft, Art Graphics Communication, Art Photography, Business Studies, Catering & Hospitality, Child Development, Computer Science, Dance, Drama, Design Technology, Geography, History, Modern Foreign Languages: French and Spanish, Music, PE, Sports Science and Statistics.
The content of the curriculum is subject to regular review and may be changed at the direction of the Governing Body.
Key Stage 5 - Year 12 & 13 (A Levels, BTEC/CTEC)
For details of the curriculum and choice of BTECs, AS and A Level Subjects at Key Stage 5, please visit the Sixth Form section here.
