Castle Hill Curriculum
Our curriculum is driven by the need to prepare our pupils for future independence. Castle Hill High School prides itself on the care and fulfilment we provide through varied and exciting learning pathways. Curriculum coverage allows all pupils to access the content and make progress. Our curriculum offer is ambitious and equitable for all pupils ensuring that pupils with lower starting points are not limited, giving them the best chance to make progress. Planning is sequenced and new knowledge and skills build on what has been
taught before - there are clearly defined end points.
Skills are developed and celebrated at every level within the school. Great consideration is given to offer a breadth of opportunity spanning well beyond the classroom. Pupil wellness is a priority which is the core focus of our forest school learning. Pupils are encouraged to problem solve, develop social skills and resilience. All pupils learn strategies to recognise their emotions and self-regulate, some pupils benefit from a bespoke individualised behaviour regulation programme. Developing pupils’ language and communication techniques are embedded into our daily practice.
Understanding the wider world and cultural values are explored in assemblies, taught explicitly in PHSE and embedded in cross curriculum lessons. Significant social, historical and cultural events are recognised helping our pupils to become more globally aware. Our pupils participate in fundraising efforts for a broad range of charities. This promotes pupils’ empathy and provides them with an opportunity to gain a wider understanding of their impact on the world.
We aim to support each pupil so that they leave school functionally literate and with a love of reading that will stay with them all their lives. Being able to read and write are the most important skills children will learn during their schooling with far reaching implications for lifelong confidence and wellbeing. We use both phonic and whole-word approaches when teaching reading to ensure that gaps in early reading skills are filled, thus boosting confidence, self-esteem and enabling pupils to access the rest of our curriculum. Our numeracy curriculum aim is for all pupils to leave Castle Hill with the foundation for understanding adult life. Pupils progress to become functionally numerate and have the skills to apply to real life situations.
Careers and life-long learning provision at Castle Hill is a programme of lessons and activities that inform, inspire and motivate our pupils, preparing them for work and adult life. This informs them where different education, training choices and employment could take place in the future. This is continued within our 6th form which facilitates pupils to explore employment pathways and develop key adult lifeskills.
The curriculum is further enhanced by an extensive range of enrichment activities which give pupils the opportunity and the confidence to take on new challenges and to develop and create new friendships. Consequently, pupils will leave Castle Hill with resilience and a growth mindset to be able to make a positive contribution to society.
How our curriculum is organised
Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and is divided into Key Stage 3 (Years 7-8), Key Stage 4 (Years 9, 10 & 11) and Key Stage 5 (Years 12 & 13).
Key Stage 3
In Years 7 and 8 all students follow a common curriculum (in terms of subjects and curriculum time) and are taught in mixed ability groups, with teaching being differentiated to both support and challenge all students. Further details of the Key Stage 3 curriculum can be found here:
Key Stage 4
In Year 9 students continue with the broad and balanced curriculum experienced in Years 7 and 8 and begin Entry Level Certificate courses in some subjects.
In Years 10 and 11 students follow both a core (English, maths, science etc) and options curriculum. The options curriculum allows students to progress further in areas in which they have a particular skill or interest. In keeping with our aim of preparing students for the world of work, all students follow a vocation course as part of their options curriculum.
Our Key Stage 4 curriculum offers a clear pathway for progression and all courses from Year 10 onwards lead to a qualification of some sort eg. GCSE, BTEC, Entry Level Certificate and Functional Skills.
Further details of the Key Stage 4 curriculum can be found here:
Key Stage 5
Our Key Stage 5 curriculum focuses on developing and extending key functional skills in literacy, numeracy and computing alongside vocational courses and hands-on, work-based learning. In this way our sixth form students are thoroughly prepared for the world of work.
Further details of the Key Stage 5 curriculum can be found here:
Documents giving further information about our curriculum
qualifications booklet 2023 24.pdf
Details of our sixth form curriculum can be found here:
