Curriculum

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Sapientia, Scientia, Aequitas

Wisdom, Knowledge, Fairness

Through a relentless focus on the core principles of wisdom, knowledge and fairness, our curriculum not only lays the essential foundations for rigorous academic study but also excites the passions and enthusiasms of our students. This is underpinned by the absolute conviction that a truly meaningful education and one that truly unlocks a child’s potential is one that supports them in balancing academic success with a sense of personal ambition and social responsibility, one which values and promotes character development alongside academic excellence. Our academic curriculum is therefore complemented by an extensive enrichment / co-curricular programme and by a deliberate and sustained focus on personal development.

Each subject studied at The Suthers School makes a unique contribution to the rich tapestry of knowledge, skills, experience and understanding that enables our students to excel within and far beyond the classroom. Through an intelligently structured and carefully sequenced curriculum, students secure the highest levels of core knowledge from which a deeper understanding and wider appreciation develops. This building of core knowledge is driven by the acquisition of subject-specific vocabulary, expertly modelled by our highly-enabled subject specialists and supported by the strong emphasis we place on oracy, reading and writing. The precise selection of knowledge and the routine exposure to authentic and seminal texts, inventions, masterpieces and performances reinforces the value of academic tradition and resilience. It is on these foundations that our students form connections in their learning and become greater thinkers, innovators, experimenters and risk-takers.

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Our curriculum is structured as follows:

Key Stage 3

We believe that students deserve to study as broad a curriculum as possible for as long as possible and therefore operate a 3 year Key Stage 3 programme. Our curriculum not only provides an essential foundation in the core subjects (English, Maths, Science, French, Humanities) but also includes: Art, Music, Drama, Design Technology, PE, RE, Personal Development and Civics.

Curriculum Model

All pupils in Years 7–9 study a core curriculum (as detailed below). The number of hours allocated to subjects is shown below each subject heading and is in addition to the time provided for enrichment and Supervised Study each week.

SUBJECT	YEARS 7, 8 AND 9
English	4 lessons per week
Maths	4 lessons per week
Science	4 lessons per week
History	2 lessons per week
Geography	2 lessons per week
RE/Personal Development/Civics	3 lessons per week
French	3 lessons per week
Drama/Music	2 lessons per week
Art, Design and Technology	4 lessons per week
PE	2 lessons per week
Supervised Study	2 lessons per week
Enrichment/Co-Curricular	2 lessons per week
TOTAL	34 lessons per week

Key stage 4

At The Suthers School, students follow a two year KS4 programme in Years 10 and 11 which provides them with the time to build on the knowledge, skills and understanding developed at Key Stage 3 as they study for a combination of GCSE and CNAT qualifications. Students are encouraged to follow the EBACC pathway, consisting of English, Maths, Science, French, History or Geography and this is complemented by a broad range of optional subjects to enable students to succeed in areas of particular interest. The optional subjects currently available to KS4 students include: Art, Music, Drama, Geography, History, Business Studies, PE and Child Development. From September 2021, the option choices will also include Design Technology / Engineering.