Curriculum Overview
The curriculum at Joseph Leckie Academy is built on the solid bedrock of the Academy’s vision and values.
Our curriculum:
- Is ambitious for all our students.
- Is coherently planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills are built on what has been taught before, striving towards clearly defined end points.
- Is successfully adapted, designed and developed for all our students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and our EAL students, so they can all engage fully in the curriculum.
- Is broad and balanced for all our students with a wide range of subjects offered in addition to the academic core, including EBacc and vocational and practical subjects.
- Develops knowledge and skills that enable our students to take advantage of opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that will equip them for later life.
- Addresses gaps in students’ knowledge and skills, especially those that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.
Through our taught, enriched and experienced curriculum, we strive to ensure that every student leaves Joseph Leckie Academy as a secure, confident, empathetic and kind young person who acts with integrity. This carefully designed curriculum gives our students the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge, values and personal attributes required to become successful adults and lead healthy and fulfilling lives. It provides the knowledge and wisdom which enables students to become lifelong learners and leaders, so that they can transform their own lives and the lives of others within local, national and international communities.
Our curriculum seeks to instil the belief in every student that, through their leadership and awareness, they can make a positive difference to their community and the wider world by protecting the climate and the environment.
The continuum of the taught curriculum, with a blurring of the key stages, builds on prior learning, concepts and knowledge. It ensures that every learner gains core skills in numeracy and literacy whilst providing time to explore the full breadth of creative, technology, scientific and humanity subjects. There are opportunities to specialise and personalise the curriculum through curriculum pathways, interventions and option subjects to ensure the needs, interests and career ambitions of every individual student are met.
Each subject has been designed to allow students to engage, challenge, inspire and discover at school every day. Our core values of developing; leadership, empathy, community partnerships, kindness, integrity and a responsibility for protecting the environment lie at the heart of all we do. A focus on these key areas, alongside a programme of personal development, careers and character education, ensures that Joseph Leckie Academy is equipping every student with a secure foundation for their future lives.
The enriched curriculum encourages all students to grow in confidence and develop personally by offering a vast range of leadership roles, the opportunity to perform and compete within the Inter-house competitions, complete challenging pledges and represent the Academy in local and national competitions.
KS3
At Key Stage 3 the Academy follows the statutory requirements of the DfE and students study a full range of subjects over the two years. This offers an opportunity for students to experience a full range of subjects and develop their understanding for future choices.
Year 8 Options and Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 begins in Year 9. In year 8 students will choose from a full range of optional subjects which they will study alongside the compulsory English, Maths, Science, History or Geography, Physical Education and PDP.
Key Stage 5 (Sixth Form)
At Key Stage 5 subjects are offered which allow students to meet their potential and progress to higher education or employment. Subjects offered include traditional A Levels and Level 3 vocational subjects, both of which may be studied alongside each other.
Homework
The Academy believes that homework is a vital part of all students’ learning and is essential for all students. It is not optional and is set to:
- Encourage students to take responsibility for organising their own work.
- Support development of skills required for independent learning and encourage good study habits.
- Consolidate, reinforce and extend knowledge and understanding developed in the classroom.
- Enable students to meet the demands of coursework and prepare them for examinations.
- Catch up on any learning lost due to absences for example due to COVID-19 Lockdowns, isolations or illness.