Curriculum Briefing
The Academy’s curriculum and the way in which we teach will be based on:
- Providing a broad and balanced core curriculum for Key Stage 3
learners;
- Developing appropriate individual pathways and learning contracts
so that every student can follow curriculum pathways based upon their
aptitudes, skills, interests, learning styles and goals;
- Developing the emotional literacy of learners of all ages in a civic
context, valuing and celebrating diversity, as part of a programme of Education for Citizenship and Enterprise;
- Providing a structured and rigorous programme which will develop key critical skills and fundamental attitudes. Critical skills include
problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, creative thinking,
communication, organisation, management and leadership;
A structured programme of mentoring using a wide range of staff will
facilitate the development of individual learning pathways. Learners,
their parents and the mentors who support them will be kept informed
through detailed assessment.
The delivery of the curriculum will follow local, national, European and
international best practice, adopting the most innovative approaches.
The Academy will work with all its feeder primary schools to support
pupils’ transfer to the Academy. Strategies will be in place which will
provide opportunities for recovery work in Key Stage 3. Individual needs
will be met by providing opportunities that are not age related. The Year
9 transition year will develop this aspect of the curriculum, encouraging
choice, and lead towards an increasing focus on learners following
their own pathways in Key Stage 4. The Academy will make every use
of the increasing flexibility which is now offered through alternative
assessment mechanisms, such as NVQ Level 2, which enable learners at
the end of Year 9 to gain formal accreditation for core curriculum areas
such as PSHE and Citizenship.
Citizenship will continue to provide a key dimension to learning as
students are increasingly involved in activities to develop social and
other forms of enterprise. Enterprise will be an important part of
developing learners, ensuring they succeed and empowering them to
take responsibility for their own learning. The curriculum will provide
realistic contexts for learners to experience and benefit from enterprise
activities which ensure they develop the personal and key skills which
they need to live a secure and fulfilling adult life. The whole curriculum
will be underpinned with a rigorous structure of critical skills which
clearly links to latest knowledge on brain-based learning and multiple
intelligence.
Assessment
The Academy will use mentoring and assessment to determine the
needs of individuals to ensure they are active and involved learners in
a way which develops their aspirations and underlines their continuing
responsibility to develop their own life-long learning.
The outcome will be targets which are individually and collectively
challenging and which raise levels of attainment.
Inclusion
The Academy will be an inclusive education community with a
curriculum designed to enable high achievement for the different
minority ethnic communities, those from socially deprived
backgrounds and those with significant barriers to learning,
taking account of gender issues, and physical, sensory, emotional,
behavioural or cognitive difficulties.
Information and communications technology (ICT)
ICT will be a vital element in supporting the delivery of the curriculum
in the Academy and is seen as integral to the everyday communication
between school leaders, teachers and learners, learners and the
community. Bradford Academy will a lead ICT-rich institution in the
local area, allowing it to become a hub for community learning by
offering lifelong learning opportunities, facilities and services for
learners of all ages, the local community and schools.
Organisation and length of the school day and year
Bradford Academy will adopt the philosophy of an ‘extended school’.
It will operate flexible working arrangements for learners through the
way they access a range of opportunities which will include extension
studies for all (to include enhancement and enrichment), work-related
and work-based learning opportunities and above all within the
framework provided through Citizenship and Social Enterprise
The Academy will seek to be open for use seven days a week for a
minimum of 50 weeks each year, and will establish a lifelong learning
centre for the community which it serves. It will provide a wide range
of community activities including an extensive community education
programme, Saturday clubs, and school holiday activities all of which
will run alongside the community use of the specialist facilities. Whilst
the Governing Body will determine the structure of the school year in
the light of national and local policies and decisions, after consultation
with parents, staff, the local community and other local schools, it is
envisaged that the Academy will wish to consider using the enhanced
learning opportunities presented by the adoption of a five-term year.
