Here at Ormiston Forge Academy we are relentless in our drive to offer a broad, balanced, knowledge-rich and age-related curriculum for students as they move through each year of education with us. All teachers and leaders have carefully planned and designed a Curriculum and Assessment Map for each stage of education so that students are supported to build on prior knowledge whilst seamlessly acquiring new knowledge and skills throughout their time with us.
We aim to build on the foundations of the Key Stage 2 curriculum; ensuring that a robust and challenging Key Stage 3 curriculum is in place. The intention is to provide breadth and balance through study of National Curriculum subjects; allowing for the mastery of knowledge and skills needed for future learning whilst also providing a plethora of enrichment opportunities for students. The focus on age-related expectations ensures that outstanding progress can be achieved by all students. There is extensive provision and, where needed, intervention through years 7 and 8 for the development of core knowledge and skills, with particular emphasis on supporting reading. The curriculum is constantly reviewed and developed to not only meet the needs and strengths of our students, but to provide opportunities for them to demonstrate values of aspiration, resilience and respect and to enjoy memorable enrichment experiences.
In Year 7, students are set based on their KS2 SATS scores in English, Maths and Science from the moment they join us at Ormiston Forge Academy, ensuring a smooth transition to secondary school. Within the first month, students sit further assessments that allow us to refine groups, but we would not anticipate further widespread set moves to enable students to settle into their new surroundings. For these subjects, the ‘class code’ will represent their ability set – 7a1 and 7b1 would be the highest sets.
For Spanish and all other practical subjects, students remain in mixed ability grouping. This is to allow all students to develop their language development, and practical/ performative skills in art, ICT, music, PE and technology, and allow our timetable and staffing capacity to offer a broad and balanced mix of subjects. For these subjects, the ‘class code’ will have no bearing on the ability range.
Key Stage 4 develops this further through a broad range of challenging and rigorous courses where students are explicitly aware, at every stage, of what they are learning and what they will be tested on. Breadth and balance continues with the majority of students having the opportunity to study religious studies, a modern foreign language, physical education and at least one humanity subject. We provide a wealth of opportunity for students to engage in enrichment work and aim to provide all students with experiencing the best of what has been thought and said. We pride ourselves on developing artists, linguists, historians, geographers and athletes of the future.
The intent of the curriculum at Key Stage 5 is to recognise the prior learning and attainment of sixth form students and enable them to build on this, whilst consistently meeting the high expectations instilled on them as role models within the Academy. Sixth form programmes of study are designed so that students are able to develop the in-depth subject knowledge, conceptual understanding and key transferable skills that will allow them to make the eventual progression to higher education or quality employment. The curriculum does this through flexible learning pathways designed to reflect students’ abilities, interests and career aspirations, together with enrichment provision and personalised careers guidance.
We are unrelenting in our drive to raise standards of reading, literacy, oracy and numeracy and all staff build these disciplines into their curriculum planning so as to offer a whole-school approach to developing excellent readers, writers, speakers and numerate young people.
Subject leaders and teachers are experts within their own subject areas and students and parents can be confident that subject knowledge of staff and educational pedagogy is of the highest quality. Teachers work collaboratively with each other to make links across the curriculum so that students are able to see and independently make connections between subjects and are able to acquire transferable skills to support them towards academic excellence and also prepare them for being well rounded, confident British citizens.
We intend to offer an exciting curriculum which fosters a love of learning: wanting to know more, remember more and achieve more. We intend to remove barriers to learning and celebrate success together as a community. We intend to support all students to be the best that they can be.
Currently there is no Remote Learning Provision in place. This is currently under review. Any home working required would be communicated via the usual platforms.
Click here to download our curriculum booklets on the Subjects page.