Curriculum Intent

“In a democratic society which prizes equality of opportunity, the curriculum should be based first and foremost on the knowledge we consider all young people should have the access to and begin to acquire during their school years”. Mary Myatt

At Academy 360, our curriculum aims to  equip every student  with the personal, social and academic knowledge and skills that they need to thrive and succeed both at school and throughout their lives. 

Our curriculum at Academy 360 not only supports  academic success but also shapes individuals who are ambitious, brave, curious, determined and prepared to navigate the complexities of the modern world. We aim to transform the lives of our students and communities through extraordinary education. 

At Academy 360 we will ensure that our curriculum enables: 

• Our students to leave our academy with excellent qualifications that give them a wide range of choices and opportunities as they move into the next stage of education and adult life

• Our students to  leave our academy with excellent qualifications that  give them a wide range of  choices and opportunities as they move into the next stage of education and adult life 

• Our students to udevelop strong character traits that will support  them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world

• Our students to develop their physical and mental health, alongside their intellectual growth

• Our students to have access to high quality cultural experiences and extra curricular opportunities  

• Our students to engage with high quality  careers information and guidance across all key stages

• Our students to have a highly developed understanding of  the fundamental British Values  of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance. 

• Our students to have a strong understanding and appreciation of all protected characteristics, including race, gender, religion, disability, and sexual orientation.

The Design of our Curriculum:

As part of the Laidlaw schools Trust, we believe that all of our students can and must make progress. We call this idea Inevitable Progress. We have deliberately designed our curriculum sequencing and delivery  to support all students to know and remember more, so that they can progress successfully through school. We do this by ensuring that: 

Our broad and balanced curriculum is a continuous learning journey

Our broad and balanced curriculum consists of a wide  range of subjects, with a strong emphasis on those that open doors for our students. English, mathematics, and science serve as the cornerstone of our academic offering, complemented by humanities, modern foreign language, creative arts, and technical subjects. Each subject area plans their curriculum as a journey, building upon prior knowledge and towards defined  endpoints in each unit, year group, key stage  and finally GCSE. 

Where necessary, we make adjustments to the curriculum studied by some students. Our priority is always to provide the curriculum that best enables our students to become successful in their chosen field. Where a bespoke curriculum of this kind is required, we ensure it is still as broad, balanced and aspirational as possible.

Each subject in our curriculum is built around well defined threshold concepts and powerful knowledge to help pupils to know and remember more

We identify and prioritise the  threshold concepts or ideas that open the door to understanding. For each of these concepts, subject specialists have identified the most important knowledge that students need to gain and retain at each stage  in order to make progress. Over time, concepts are revisited at increasing levels of complexity as students progress through the curriculum. This ensures that students build a deeper, more sophisticated understanding over time that they can apply independently.

Each subject area supports pupils to know and remember more by planning  retrieval and deliberate practice opportunities

The most important knowledge in each subject is revisited through spaced retrieval practice, ensuring that  students regularly recall and apply their learning. Deliberate practice is used to ensure that students apply knowledge in different contexts with increasing independence. 

Every curriculum area prioritises literacy and oracy skills

We believe that fluent reading and confident communication, both in written and spoken forms, are essential for success at school and in the future. Every subject identifies key vocabulary, important texts, opportunities for debate and discussion and supports students to write with accuracy, confidence and purpose. 

Every area of our curriculum is tailored to the needs of the students

We place assessment at the heart of daily learning so that ongoing feedback, reflection and adaptation drive the  progress of all students. Summative assessments serve as checkpoints, providing a cumulative picture of achievement without overshadowing the day-to-day process of learning. We adapt support and interventions to meet the needs of students at the different points in their journey through school. We are making increasing use of digital technology to support bespoke adaptation and provision.

View subject information

For more information about the curriculum, please contact us

To find out more information on the subjects we offer at GCSE, please see our Year 9 Pathways page