Our Curriculum Intent
At Iveshead School we aim to serve the needs of all of our students through a curriculum that is broad, balanced and coherent. It is our intention to nurture and support our young people so that they become well-educated and well-rounded young adults who can fulfil their potential and who are ready to make a useful and positive contribution to the world in which we live. Iveshead seeks to promote a curriculum that challenges preconceptions and celebrates diversity. Our curriculum celebrates the importance of modern foreign languages and the humanities and places an emphasis on success for students at the end of Year 11 and again at the end of Year 13.
Our Curriculum Model
The Iveshead School curriculum is both comprehensive and balanced. It fulfils the requirements of a secondary school curriculum whilst being adapted to meet the needs of our learners. All students follow the same curriculum in Year 7 and Year 8 but do get an element of choice as they move into Key Stage 4 in Year 9. Learners are then guided into appropriate further study with many choosing to stay on into the Iveshead Post 16 and follow a Key Stage 5 curriculum.
In year 7 and 8 all students will study the subjects in the table below with the exception of some students with EHCPs.
Time allocation for subjects in Key Stage 3 (hours)
Subject | Y7 | Y8 |
English | 4 | 4 |
Mathematics | 4 | 4 |
Science | 3 | 3 |
History | 1 | 1 |
Geography | 1 | 1 |
Beliefs, Philosophy and Ethics (RE) | 1 | 1 |
French/German | 3 | 3 |
Computing | 1 | 1 |
Art, Design and Food | 2 | 2 |
PE | 2 | 2 |
Music | 1 | 1 |
Drama | 1 | 1 |
Personal Development | 1 | 1 |
For more information about what is studied in each subject, please use the links below.
At Iveshead we offer a three year Key Stage 4. This allows students to study a wider range of subjects at GCSE. Students will continue to study English, Mathematics, Science, Personal Development and PE and will be able to choose four other subjects. To ensure that all students continue to have the chance to learn about different cultures and the world we live in, all students will follow the EBAC and study a modern language and either history or geography.
Time allocation for subjects in Key Stage 4 (hours)
Subject | Y9 | Y10 | Y11 |
English (Language & Literature) | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Mathematics | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Science- triple or trilogy | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
Personal Development | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
PE | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Geography or History | 3 | 3 | 3 |
French or German | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Option 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Option 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Students who are unable to access the full curriculum can gain additional support and qualification through our Inclusive Provision department. This could be extra literacy or numeracy support or work on other qualification
At the start of Year 10, appropriate students will be invited to join a Study Plus group in either English or Maths. This would take the place of one of their options. These courses are tailored for those who are not currently on track to achieve a level 2 pass in English or Maths but have the potential to achieve it with additional support.
The options on offer to students in Key Stage 4, which run subject to demand, include Art, Craft & Design, Business, Computing, Drama, Fine Art, Food & Nutrition, Media, Music, Psychology, Sport. Further information about the content of these courses can be found in the GCSE Option booklet or on the subject page of our website.
In Key Stage 5 the majority of students will study three A-levels and have the option to do either the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or Core Maths. The options on offer to students which run subject to demand include: Applied Science, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Design, English Literature, Fine Art, French, Further Mathematics Geography, German, History, Mathematics, Media, Physics, Psychology, Sport and Theatre Studies. Further information about the content of these courses can be found in the A-level Option booklet or on the subject pages of our school website.
Alongside these qualifications, students who have not yet achieved a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and/or Mathematics will resit GCSE English and/or GCSE Mathematics. Students will be allocated study periods and will be encouraged to take part in work experience.
Students in all year groups will take part in CHASE days during the year. These days cover different but required aspects of the curriculum including Creativity & Culture, Enterprise, Careers, Raising Aspirations, Healthy Lifestyles and Revision Skills.
Subjects are delivered through our six faculties, click on the links below for a detailed breakdown of what is taught in each subject and each year group:
For further information about the curriculum, please contact Mrs Johnson at jjohnson@ivesheadschool.org