CURRICULUM

Overview 

Our curriculum is designed to be broad-based and balanced to inspire and support students in their progression to Post 16 education and training, then to their chosen career path or destination. We also believe the curriculum has a vital role to play in preparing students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life; to promote spiritual, moral, cultural, social, intellectual and physical development and to promote British Values, for example democracy and the rule of law. 

We have a well-developed care, advice and guidance programme to support students at each point in their school career, especially around the time when options are made in Year 9 for Key Stage 4 subjects and in Year 11 for Post 16 pathways. 

Futura Curriculum

As a Futura Learning Partnership School, we follow the Futura Curriculum. This curriculum has been developed by cross-phase groups of passionate subject specialists and encapsulates our core values: respect, opportunity, collaboration and aspiration. This curriculum spans the 2-19 age range and has been planned to give the optimum knowledge sequence for building secure schema, with knowledge underpinning and enabling the application of skills. Progression through the curriculum is by shared age related expectations and at each phase the curriculum focuses on closing gaps, early intervention, and developing the core literacy and numeracy skills for success.

For more information see the Futura Curriculum (Pdf)

Essential cross curricular learning 

Cross curricular elements, including PSHE (personal social and health education), SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural development), CEIAG (Careers education, information, advice and guidance) and British values, are delivered through the subject content of lessons, the tutorial programme, assemblies and discrete activities for year groups or identified groups of students. 

 

Key Stage 3 curriculum 

We believe a three year Key Stage 3 is important to allow students to fully experience a broad and balanced curriculum before they make option choices in Year 9 and begin a more personalised pathway at Key Stage 4. 

For the majority of subjects, students are divided into eight teaching groups of equal size and equally mixed ability. In technology subjects, we split the year group into 12 groups so that we can deliver practical subjects as effectively as possible. We teach each of the groups the subjects below, organised across a two week timetable. All students are taught the core subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, PSHE and PE. 

In addition, they are also taught the following: 

  • Humanities subjects: History, Geography, Religious Studies 
  • Modern Languages: French 
  • Performing Arts: Dance, Drama and Music 
  • Design, Art and Technology: Product Design, Textiles, Art and Food 
  • Design and Technology: Photography (from the start of Year 9) 
  • ICT 

 

Year 9 Options 

mid way through Year 9, students go through the Options process, during which they select the subjects that they will study in KS4. See our options booklet for courses starting in September 2023 here. 

Key Stage 4 curriculum 

Our Key Stage 4 curriculum has been designed to ensure students have a balance of subjects that allows them to move on to their desired pathway at Post 16. 

All students study English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science, PE and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education).  Students select a further four option subjects. Details can be found in our ‘Study Pathways’ guide which we publish in December on this website.  The option subjects currently offered in Years 10 and 11 are: Art and Design, Children’s Play Learning and Development, Computer Science, Dance, Digital Photography, Drama, Engineering, French, Geography, Health and Fitness, Health and Social Care, History, Hospitality and Catering, ICT, Music, Religious Studies, Separate Sciences and Textiles.  These courses are either GCSEs or equivalent vocational qualifications such as Cambridge National Certificates and VCERTs. 

We believe homework makes an invaluable contribution to our students’ progress, and so we support them to develop good independent learning habits, either at home or in the school library and we have introduced the Insight portal for setting homework and supporting students to manage deadlines. 

  

Ability grouping 

The majority of our teaching takes place in classes of mixed ability.  However, we do group students in subjects where are there are strong reasons to do so in terms of the curriculum they study.  Mathematics will group students from early in Year 7 and throughout their time in school.  English and Science will group students from the start of Year 9 and then throughout KS4.  Children in each year will be divided between a foundation and a higher band in both Maths and Science, but all groupings by ability remain fluid until Year 11.   

 

If you wish to find out more about the curriculum we teach at Bedminster Down, please email office@bedminsterdown.org.uk marked for the attention of the Curriculum Team Leader for the subject you would like to find out more about.