Overview

Our Curriculum Philosophy

At KNGS we are intent on opening a world of opportunities ensuring that there are no barriers to aspiration or expectation, developing students with the resilience, independence and skills to be successful. Through our curriculum, students will learn to demonstrate respect and courage in order to flourish in both their time at KNGS and in their future life.

The curriculum is designed to be broad and balanced at all keys stages, flexible enough to meet the needs of students from all attainment groups, offering the support and challenge to ensure all meet or exceed their potential. The KS3 curriculum, Years 7-9, encompasses all core and foundation subjects for all students.   The curriculum offers variety at KS4 and 5 to support a range of pathways through option choices.

Our curriculum includes both formal subject based curriculum and wider co-curriculum gained through wider school life. The curriculum is reviewed annually and where required tailored to meet the needs of specific individual needs.

The Curriculum and SEND

KNGS is an inclusive school and we endeavour to support every child regardless of their level of need. We support students to follow the curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. At times and when it is felt appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented to support an individual child’s needs. We aim to ensure that all students have access to the school curriculum and all school activities. This includes helping all students achieve to the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have in line the Equality Act 2010. For further information about how we do this, working in partnership with parents and carers, students and relevant external agencies please see further details on SEND support at KNGS on our website at https://www.kngs.co.uk/about-us/special-educational-needs

Skills

Different types of skills are taught throughout the curriculum. This includes generic skills which support the students’ learning across the curriculum and those needed in future life. These are taught through induction and PSHE lessons. In Year 12 skills lessons support the transition from Year 11 to 12 and 13, focusing on independent learning, research, note taking, review and revision. These are further developed through the EPQ qualification. Subject specific skills are taught across the curriculum to ensure progress in each subject area.

Careers Independent Advice and Guidance

Careers is taught as part of the PSHE programme, through off-timetable days and other year group specific events during the year. In addition, students have one to one careers advice.

Citizenship

Citizenship is taught within PSHE lessons and an off-timetable day in Key Stages 3 and 4. All students are encouraged to become active citizens as part of their personal development, to enable them to play a full and active part in society and to participate in charitable events throughout their school, and later life.  Students are helped to understand British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance and mutual respect. We are an inclusive school and actively teach our school values of respect, create opportunities for students to show courage in order that they flourish in school and in future life.

Relationship and Sex Education

Relationship and sex education is delivered through the PSHE Curriculum and visiting speakers. The aims are to provide students with accurate information to help them clarify their own values and attitudes, and to help them practise skills in communication and decision making, which in turn will enable them to make informed choices.

Homework

Homework forms a vital part of school life and helps students to work, think and learn independently, it is an essential component of all courses. A homework timetable for each year is worked out through consultation between subject departments and Heads of Year. The length of time will vary according to the age of the student and the courses followed. Include link to homework timetable on policies page.

Extracurricular Activities

At KNGS we believe that extracurricular activities and visits are a vitally important part of opening the world of opportunities for our students of all ages. We aim to recognise and support talents and interests but also offer simple fun and enjoyment too. We offer a range of activities and opportunities in order to engage each and every student. A full and varied extracurricular timetable changes each year but has included many different sports, arts, Eurovision, debating, crafts, social action, charity events, subject ambassadors and subject visits and subject support. Through these clubs and activities students develop confidence, personal responsibility and care for others, creativity and curiosity for the world around, along with the interests which support  wellbeing in life.

Subjects are organised into seven faculties. English, Maths and PE are single subject faculties. Modern Foreign Languages incorporates French, German and Spanish. Humanities, Arts, Science faculties include more than one subject. Details of all faculties are shown below.

English

The English Faculty aim to not only equip students to communicate effectively in the 21^st century world but also to foster a love of literature and appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage. English gives our students the tools with which to decode the meaning of the spoken and written world, develop cultural capital and empathise with people and characters from different societies, eras and backgrounds. Through these skills, students make sense of the world around them with the tools to flourish in life as they leave KNGS.

Maths

The Maths Faculty teaches both numeracy and maths and aim for all to gain confidence and achieve, no matter their starting point. We use a mastery curriculum to ensure that all concepts are anchored on secure foundations of knowledge, each student progressing once they are secure. This ensures that students become functionally numerate and equipped for life, also making rapid and sustained progress towards national examinations.

PE

The PE Faculty aim to encourage students to experience and develop their knowledge and skills in a wide range of sporting activities. The broad curriculum offered is accessible for all yet challenges students to engage with both competitive sports and other physically demanding activities. We endeavour to develop the confidence and interest to get students involved in exercise, sport and activities in school, out of school and in later life.

MFL

The MFL Faculty teaches French, Spanish and German. We aim to equip all students with the skills and confidence to communicate in at least one other language in order to interact with their global contemporaries. The faculty helps students to deepen their understanding and tolerance of other cultures and appreciate the richness and diversity of our global community. We recognise that language skills are not just a school subject but they are a skill for life which can open a world of opportunities.

Arts

The Arts Faculty comprises art, drama, media studies, music, photography, design technologies; textiles, graphics and resistant materials and food and nutrition. Our vision is for all of our students to be able to access and enjoy a wide and varied arts curriculum, both in the classroom and through a range of creative and stimulating extra-curricular activities.

Our faculty is an inclusive one, offering a wide range of extra-curricular activities open to all abilities. We carefully consider the learning opportunities that we provide for our students and plan them to reflect the cultural diversity of the school, offering curriculum content that is not only challenging but acknowledges that our students come from a variety of backgrounds.

Alongside the wide range of staff led activities students are also encouraged to take on leadership opportunities where appropriate. As a Faculty we consider it important to recognise and celebrate achievement in the Arts, and try to create meaningful opportunities to share our progress and achievements with parents and the local community. Students’ work is regularly celebrated in performances and exhibitions in and out of school. These include annual Christmas and summer concerts, a biannual school musical, foreign music tours and an annual GCSE Art & Photography Exhibition held at the Birmingham School of Art in Birmingham city centre.

Humanities

The Humanities Faculty is made up of the History, Geography, Business Studies, Politics, RE and Sociology. Within the faculty, we aim to give opportunities to broaden the mind and engage in debate, studying areas ranging from the slave trade, the environmental impact of human activities and the nature of God to the role of women in contemporary society.

Humanities develop the skills of rigorous critical thinking, clear and effective writing and the ability to understand and interpret the world, past and present. We aim to develop the skills and attributes which will help students survive and thrive within the modern world.

Science

The Science Faculty encompasses five subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology and Computer Science. Information relating to Biology, Chemistry and Physics can be found under the ‘Science’ header within the subject menu, whilst Psychology and Computer Science can be accessed individually.

The vision of the Science Faculty at KNGS is to enable our students to develop the underpinning knowledge, analytical skills and inquisitive attitude that will enable them to make sense of the world around them both now and in the future.

This includes not only the physical, chemical and biological processes that enable life to exist on our planet but also the psychological issues that shape our behaviour, and the computer science that now supports our modern life more effectively. Our faculty structure enables us to teach each of the individual subjects to the highest standard and to enable the students to make links across disciplines and so gain a holistic understanding of the physical and social world.

For additional information please contact the school to speak to Mrs Lisa Shakespeare – Deputy Headteacher, Curriculum