Curriculum Overview

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Our core purpose at Dean Trust Ardwick is empowering all pupils to find their purpose and thrive as citizens of the world; the curriculum is arguably the most significant instrument in achieving this.  Our leaders and teachers, as subject experts, are all co-constructors of our curriculum to ensure the pupils we serve receive a rich, coherent and ambitious education which empowers them to be not only spectators in society but active participants. Through finding their passions our pupils are enabled to, and see it as their duty to, make a positive difference to the world. Our core purpose is not merely finite ‘success’ for our pupils but for them to thrive – continually grow and flourish.

The Dean Trust Ardwick Curriculum Aims:

Provide pupils with access to powerful knowledge that:

  1. Takes them beyond their experience.
  2. Helps them to understand, interpret and critique the world.
  3. Emancipates them as citizens of the world.

Develop pupils’ ability to clarify and communicate their knowledge and understanding by:

  1. Building their vocabulary and grammatical skill to successfully articulate their knowledge.
  2. Encouraging them to employ knowledge rationally and creatively across contexts.
  3. Developing the confidence and ability to discuss and debate issues with articulacy, coherence and precision.

Fostering a love for learning so that pupils:

  1. Intrinsically value the pursuit of knowledge.
  2. Possess a desire for continuous self-improvement.
  3. View hard work is its own reward.

Key Stage Three Curriculum

The Key Stage 3 curriculum is broad and balanced and it provides the foundations for your child to be successful at Key Stage 4. It focuses on embedding deep understanding of key concepts in each subject and it is based on high expected standards of pupils.

Key Stage Four Curriculum

At Key Stage 4 pupils make choices about the subjects they want to study at GCSE level. All pupils study English, mathematics and science and will make an additional four option choices from a range of other GSCE and vocational qualifications. Furthermore, pupils will also study RE/PSHE and physical education.

The table below outlines how the weekly timetable of 30 lessons is split between the subjects at Key Stage 3 and 4. Each lesson lasts for 50 minutes and there are six lessons a day.

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