The curriculum at Chamberlayne College for the Arts has been designed to open doors to our students’ future learning and employment.  We believe that character and academic performance go hand in hand if a young person is to have a successful education that provides many opportunities for their future.

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Our core values of expect more, achieve more are at the heart of everything we do.  We set high expectations of ourselves and our students to ensure that every student has the opportunity to achieve the very best outcomes.

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 Our curriculum is underpinned by our strategic priorities :

1. Develop constant behavioural habits that create a strong and consistently positive student culture

2. Improve student knowledge retention and subsequent application across all subjects

3. Improve students’ knowledge and confident application of tier 2 vocabulary across a range of contexts

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The curriculum at Chamberlayne has been shaped to meet the needs and aspirations of every student. We offer an ambitious and knowledge rich curriculum that is carefully mapped to build and secure deep knowledge and skills across KS3 and KS4 so that students leave us well prepared and equipped to take their next steps in their education or training beyond Chamberlayne.

Students at Chamberlayne College for the Arts will:

Experience a broad and balanced, ambitious and knowledge rich curriculum which meets the needs of all learners

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Our curriculum is designed to enable all students to achieve high standards and make excellent progress across all five years of their learning journey with us.  We have constructed  our curriculum in Key Stage 3 intentionally to build solid knowledge based foundations across a range of subjects which prepares them well for further study and application in Key Stage 4. 

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A bespoke and rigorous Preferences process in Year 9, coupled with our personalised career programme ensures that all students are fully supported and guided into making well informed choices when selecting subjects for their Key Stage 4  curriculum in Years 10 and 11.  Working with students, parents and teachers, we construct and deliver an engaging and appropriate curriculum which enables students to take their next steps in education or training when they leave us at the end of Year 11. 

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Develop deep knowledge that can be retained, recalled and applied 

We have designed our curriculum at KS3 to be the ‘engine for take off’ in KS4 and use it intentionally to prepare students for their GCSE courses.  We give opportunities for students to apply their acquisition of knowledge in different contexts so that it is embedded through a range of implementation strategies which are underpinned by Rosenshine’s principles of instruction.

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Have high expectations of themselves, be ambitious for their futures and build their own character

We deliver a curriculum that allows students to develop their character  as well achieving academic success through our LORIC driven Character and Culture programme.  All students in Years 7-10 engage in one Character and Culture  lesson a week as well as participating in drop-down experience days which cover a range of topical and relevant issues.

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To support our students in raising aspirations and realising their ambitions, our comprehensive 5 year careers programme  focuses on bespoke personal guidance addressing the needs of each of our students.  It ensures students encounter employers and employees, that students experience workplaces and further and higher education so that they can make aspirational and informed choices for their future. Click here to see our Careers page.

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Develop the skills to become  confident literate  young people who can can articulate with accuracy and precision how they feel and think about academic and social issues

As part of our morning tutor time curriculum, we deliver a stimulating and engaging reading  programme to all year groups, which privileges thinking, builds cultural capital, develops  tier 2 vocabulary and gives opportunities for meaningful discussion.  All students will read a minimum of 6 novels a year with their tutor group.  

 

The Key Stage 3 Curriculum

All Students in Years 7-9 have access to a progressive 3 year Ebacc focussed curriculum complemented by a wide range of foundation subjects, carefully selected to give students opportunities to engage in the creative and performing arts, humanities and computing.  We believe in the power of performance for developing young people’s character and so ALL students at KS3 study drama, music and dance.  The arts contribute hugely to building students self esteem and allowing young people to express themselves. ALL students have the opportunity to perform on stage to parents, staff and peers.

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Whilst we endeavor to personalise students’ learning journeys to match their needs, we do not believe in narrowing their entitlement earlier than we have to. The curriculum is adapted to ensure equality for students including those with special educational needs or disabilities. In Year 9, students select from a range of academic and vocational courses which develop their interests and career ambitions as they move into Key Stage 4.

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The PSHE Curriculum is delivered through weekly Character and Culture lessons, tutor time, drop down days and assemblies. Topics include Sex and Relationship Education, Careers, Personal finance, Mental Health and Drug awareness.

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Core subjects:  English, Maths, Science, Religious Education, Physical Education and Character and Culture

Foundation subjects: Art, Computing, French/Spanish, Design Technology, Food Technology, Drama, Dance, History, Geography, Music.

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The Key Stage 4 Curriculum

Our Key Stage 4 Curriculum offer enables students to gain a deeper understanding of the subjects they are studying and gives opportunities for enrichment beyond the examination specification.  We tailor the range of courses (outside of our core provision) to meet the needs and interests of each cohort ensuring that we always offer a variety of academic and vocational subjects which lead to post-16 pathways. Our intention is for as many students as possible to follow an Ebacc curriculum, as appropriate for our students at each stage in their academic journey. Students continue to receive individual advice and guidance so that they are well placed to apply for and succeed in their post 16 choices. Careers advice and guidance and PSHE is delivered through Character and Culture lessons, assemblies and drop down days which cover expert support on Careers, Mental Health and topical issues.

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Subjects currently offered at Key Stage 4 (Year 10 and 11)

 

Core

GCSE English Language

GCSE English Literature

GCSE Mathematics

GCSE Science (Trilogy)

Physical Education

Character and Culture

 

Optional Subjects

GCSE Art and Design

GCSE Business

GCSE Computer Science

City and Guilds Construction (Level 2)

GCSE Drama

RSL Dance

BTEC Engineering

GCSE Food and Nutrition

GCSE French/Spanish

GCSE Geography

BTEC Health and Social Care

GCSE History

GCSE Media

RSL Music

GCSE Photography

GCSE Psychology

GCSE Religious Education

BTEC Sport
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If you would like further information on the curriculum at Chamberlayne College for the Arts, please contact us here.