Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

Dean Trust Rose Bridge is proud to offer a traditional and inclusive curriculum. The curriculum has been carefully designed to match the abilities, interests and aspirations of pupils, to fulfil the ambitions of parents/carers for their children and to meet with the requirements of further education providers and employers. Curriculum content across subjects is primarily knowledge based and is increasingly designed to build on the findings from cognitive scientific research.

Dean Trust Rose Bridge curriculum is broad and balanced. The school operates a traditional three year Key Stage 3 and two year Key Stage 4. There is no early entry for the core GCSE qualifications. All pupils sit linear examinations at the end of Year 11.

For further information about the school curriculum please contact the Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Cundle.

Key Stage 4

The majority of pupils follow the English Baccalaureate pathway at Key Stage 4.

The English Baccalaureate comprises the following GCSE subjects:

• English Language
• English Literature
• Mathematics
• Combined Science or 3 Separate Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
• History
• Geography
• Spanish

In addition to the EBACC subjects, pupils also have the opportunity to study subjects from the following list:

• Art and Design
• Child Development
• Design and Technology
• Digital Information Technology
• Drama
• Hair and Beauty (new for 2021)
• Hospitality and Catering
• Health and Social Care
• Construction (new for 2021)
• Music
• Physical Education
• Sports Studies

The Key Stage 3 Curriculum

The Key Stage 3 curriculum offers variety, creativity and challenge. It fully prepares our pupils for Key Stage 4 and beyond. A common Year 7 curriculum has been developed across the Dean Trust secondary schools in 2018 which builds on the Assessment Objectives from Key Stage 2. The main emphasis of the curriculum lies with the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and there is also a very real focus on the humanities subjects and Modern Foreign Languages. Pupils also study a wide range of technology and expressive arts subjects during Key Stage 3 as well as Physical Education and Personal and Social Education.

Homework

Homework is seen as a very important tool to consolidate learning in class and to encourage further progress. All subject areas are expected to set homework once a week. In certain subject areas, such as within Expressive Arts, a project might last over a number of weeks.

Higher Achieving Pupils

Higher achieving pupils are appropriately challenged to allow them to flourish and leave our school with the best qualifications possible. This is done by providing them with first-rate opportunities to develop the skills, confidence and attitudes needed to succeed at the best colleges and universities.

Special Educational Needs

Dean Trust Rose Bridge is a very inclusive school and children with a wide range of special needs are very successfully included in our mainstream setting, with effective support appropriately targeted to them.

Curriculum contact

Mrs A Cundle, Deputy Headteacher