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The Canterbury Academy

What we are, what we stand for and what we do

The Canterbury Academy is a comprehensive school ‘for all the talents’. We are determined to provide for the needs and talents of every individual student and at a very high standard.

Our core purpose is to provide an excellent education for all. We are shaping the adults of the future, and our objective is to ensure that our students can live happy and fulfilled lives. We want our students to value themselves and to be a force for good in the local and global community. We expect all staff to deliver high quality lessons daily, where all students are fully supported, engaged and challenged whilst achieving their potential. We aim to promote a culture of a passion for learning so that students are enthusiastic, inquisitive, resilient and life-long learners. We believe passionately in the importance of reading and the role reading plays as a gateway to learning.

To achieve this purpose, our curriculum, inside and outside of timetabled lessons, is overflowing with opportunities to try something new and develop new skills. We listen carefully to each student, and their parents, to provide something which is right, special and highly motivating for them. Every effort is made to do this, and it happens in a myriad of ways. 

Academic learning is very important. We focus carefully on it, not least, through our close partnership with Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. However, we believe that there is more to a great education. As well as ensuring our students succeed academically, we believe that many students have gifts in the performing or visual arts, in sport and in practical learning. We are extremely proud of all our students’ achievements across these pillars of excellence in academic learning, sport, performing arts, practical learning and enterprise education; alongside our area wide work in youth, community and extended service.  

The Canterbury Academy offers all students a broad curriculum. Students have a very wide choice of subjects throughout their time here. All students have access to the full curriculum, irrespective of gender, SEND, ethnicity, academic ability, social or cultural background.  
Everything that students learn in school – the taught subject timetable, the approach to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, provision outside lessons and the classroom, the ethos, values and ‘hidden curriculum’ of the school – forms the curriculum.  

Our students enjoy educational visits abroad and various residentials, university visits, talks by inspirational speakers, as well as countless opportunities to collaborate with their peers from other schools across the region. Throughout their time at The Canterbury Academy students are expected to contribute to our community and to society. We want students to try things they cannot do, to persist in the face of difficulty and to become resilient in overcoming obstacles. We want our students to approach life with a can-do attitude.  

Philosophy and Principles of our Curriculum Design

Our intention is to provide an excellent education, which enables all students to be successful learners and successful in life. Our curriculum, then, is designed to provide students with the core knowledge they need for success in education and beyond, to maximise their cognitive development, to develop the whole person and the talents of the individual, and to allow all students to become active and economically self-sufficient citizens.

The curriculum is founded on these key principles:
  1. We have high expectations and aspirations for all and believe that all students have a right to learn what is in our curriculum; we have a duty to ensure that all students are taught the whole of it.
  2. By drawing on the best that has been thought, said and done in each subject, our curriculum enables students to appreciate and participate in the full richness of the human experience, developing positive lifelong values. We expect our pupils to experience and increase their cultural capital each day.
  3. We want all students to achieve a deep understanding of the knowledge specified in the curriculum for each year, and that teaching secures this for all students. In each subject therefore, as appropriate to that subject, the content is carefully planned and sequenced so that it builds students’ knowledge and understanding systematically.
  4. We want all students to excel from the moment they join us. Our curriculum will ensure continuity between primary, secondary and post-16 phases, so that it complements the work being done in other places to support student progress, ensuring continuous improvement for all.
  5. Our curriculum ensures that concise knowledge, skills and content is taught and learned; it is for faculties and teachers to decide how to teach and bring it to life, developing both mastery and character in our students.
  6. We understand the nuanced differences of each subject discipline delivered and therefore we provide autonomy and time for the expert leaders and teachers to create long term and short-term plans for their subject thinking carefully about the sequencing, the pre-requisite knowledge and carefully, carefully chunking learning, considering important threshold concepts and carefully planning in opportunities for retrieval practice.
  7. The curriculum is made bespoke, as far as possible, to each individual student. (See, for example, the section entitled ‘Pillars’ below).
  8. Our curriculum support pupils to develop their skills as effective communicators and respectful citizens and provides opportunities to study important life skills including sexual health and healthy relationships, protected characteristics and tolerance and respect and fundamental British Values. Pupils have opportunity to debate, reflect and contribute to the themes which are age appropriate and embedded over time. (This is explained further in the section entitled ‘Core’ below).

How the curriculum is implemented

This section explains how pupils make options, and why these are organised as they are. At the outset, it is important to say that these provisions can always be overridden, adjusted, or added to, for individual or groups of students, if it is in the students’ interests to do so. Students’ individual needs, and providing for their talents, come before the convenience of the system.

Key Stage 3 is delivered over 3 years to facilitate deeper learning and mastery. It provides a firm basis for future success. It is a time of both physical and emotional growth when our students increasingly define their own discrete identities and aspirations.

In Years 7 and 8 all students have access to a wide curriculum. Every student studies Mathematics, English, Science, Geography, History, RE, Languages, Computing, PE, Dance, Drama, Music, Art, Technology and Food Studies. Students are set for English Baccalaureate subjects and in mixed ability classes for foundation subjects. As part of our ambition for all and our focus on stretching the most able, we are committed to a grammar stream, in partnership with The Langton, delivered through flexible ‘Star Groups’ for our most high attaining students in particular subjects.

In Years 7 and 8, students’ curriculum experience is enhanced by weekly ‘Pillars’ lessons. These enrichment activities allow our students to sample and select from a wide range of different subjects, such as, forensic science, photography, hair and beauty and musical theatre. The options come from across our Four Pillars of Excellence and allow students the additional time to develop their gifts and talents. They select an option three times a year, so they can broaden their experience within a variety of different subjects, or study one subject in depth for the whole period. Many of the subjects on offer through pillars are not part of the standard Key Stage 3 curriculum but can become Key Stage 4 options.

Year 9 is an especially important year for the personalisation of the curriculum. A wide range of subjects is made available in this year group. Students therefore make their first selection of subjects, referred to as preferences, at the end of Year 8, with staff support. These are not confirmed GCSE options at this stage and can be changed before GCSE and equivalent courses start. This allows students to consider their interests, and their talents, carefully with some flexibility.

In Year 9, all students study Mathematics, English, Science, History, Geography, PE and Core Learning. The choices for their further five preferences include: Modern Foreign Languages, Sports Studies, Computing and ICT, Business Studies, Social Sciences, Food Studies, Design and Technology, Textiles, Child Development, Health and Social Care, Hair and Beauty, Construction, Art, Photography, Dance, Drama, Music, Performing Arts and Religious Studies. Students remain in sets for English Baccalaureate subjects and in mixed ability classes for other subjects.

Key Stage 4 starts in Year 10 and operates over 2 years. At the end of Year 9 students confirm their GCSE options ahead of transitioning into their Key Stage 4 study. To give students the breadth of curriculum appropriate in the 21st century and prepare for the academic rigours of further study, all students undertake a core curriculum of English Language, English Literature, Maths, Science, History or Geography, Core PE and Core Learning alongside their wide range of further options. This means that students work towards at least 8 GCSEs, or equivalent qualifications.

The school promotes the English Baccalaureate (EB) without insisting on it. This is consistent with our ‘all talents’ philosophy. The EB is available to all students, at all levels of ability. Individual alternative requests from students and parents may be agreed by the school where particular learning needs, or aspirations, suggest this is most beneficial to the student. All students are encouraged, and have the opportunity, to take a language in order to complete the full EB. At the same time, the school prides itself on its flexibility of its curriculum, reaching the individual aspirations and talents of each child.

The development of students’ personal and social skills and their spiritual and cultural development are nurtured specifically through our Values Education curriculum, ‘Core Learning’ and assemblies, as well as permeating the whole curriculum, both formally and implicitly.

Post 16 Curriculum

Post 16 education can be an even more personal journey. We believe that every student should follow their own individual curriculum path to reach their goals. In Year 12 and 13 students belong to one of our four colleges; Academic, Vocational, Sport or Performing Arts and can study a vast range of courses in many combinations. Students can pick any combination of BTECs, A-Levels, City and Guilds, or Level 1 or 2 qualifications, to find the pathway that is most appropriate for them. We are flexible and create bespoke timetables for our students, which allows students excellent choice and variety in their study. It is possible to study a combination of qualifications from across the colleges.

Our sixth form is hugely popular. Its size allows us to offer a vast array of subjects and courses as well as specific programmes to meet individual and group needs.

Sixth Form students have more freedom and independence to develop and manage themselves as young adults. Teachers develop working relationships with them, with the expectation that students work increasingly independently, managing their own time to complete coursework and research. Sixth form students are also encouraged and expected to participate in positive activities outside of lessons, and to take opportunities to serve others. Many such opportunities are available. Students are expected to continue to develop their cultural capital.

University is an appropriate destination for many students and increasing numbers progress there. For others, employment or further study is appropriate. All students are guided to a suitably ambitious destination that enables them to succeed.

Reading

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. Our whole school reading approach is centred upon three clear strands:

  1. Classroom practice – teachers promote disciplinary literacy and guide learners to ‘speak like the expert’. Teachers also carefully engage with students’ reading levels to cater for their needs in the classroom.
  2. Reading Culture – we have a thriving library that benefits students in all year groups. The reading curriculum has been carefully mapped to ensure students engage with challenging texts based upon engaging themes and links to school life. We are proud to run a peer-reading programme, alongside ‘Canterbury Reads’, which takes place daily within morning mentoring for students in Years 7 and 8.
  3. Interventions – if students are not yet at age related expectations for reading, we have a dedicated reading tutor who will diagnose the best intervention pathway to support students. As a school, we are committed to ensure that all students have both the will and the skill to read well.

Mentoring

All students in Years 7-11 are assigned to a mentor group with a teaching member of staff. Their mentor meets with them every morning to ‘check-in’ and ensure our students are supported to enjoy, achieve and make progress.

Mentoring sessions also focus on ensuring students have the equipment needed for learning. Students will read the school newsletter, celebrating key events and student successes from the week; also sharing any pertinent notices. Once a week, students attend a year group assembly.

Additionally, we have several ‘specialist’ mentor groups for students who excel in sports and performing arts. These groups offer flexibility and enrichment in order to support students in balancing the demands of their extra-curricular activities with their studies.

Core

Students in Years 7-11 will attend a weekly core learning lesson. Students will cover key components of the curriculum through Core learning, such as Sex and Relationships Education, Equality and respect. They will also study a range of modules, including current affairs, life skills, British values, mindfulness, emotional and mental wellbeing and Information Advice and Guidance workshops.

This programme continues into the sixth form, where, related to their age, students expand on these topics further.

Additionally, sixth form core sessions prepare and support students for their next positive step. We aim to equip our students with an ability understand the political system, to be financially literate and to lead a healthy lifestyle, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Our Curriculum Delivery

The curriculum in each subject can be accessed here.

Subject specialism, led by professionally qualified and expert staff, is at the heart of our curriculum. There are differences in the ways that the curriculum is constructed and assessed in different subjects. Staff subject specialism is developed through internal collaboration, training, and through engagement with external advisory and training bodies, including teaching school alliances.

With our mastery approach, students study topics in great depth, with a clear understanding that they secure knowledge and revisit misconceptions or gaps in learning.

Key Stage 3 provides students with the time and space to gain this secure understanding. In lessons students will will typically grapple with the same challenging content, with teachers providing additional support for those who need it. Rather than moving on to entirely new content, our higher attainers are usually expected to produce work of greater depth, flair and ambition.

Our approach to teaching and learning supports our curriculum by ensuring that lessons build on prior learning and provide sufficient opportunity for guided and independent practice.

Our Teaching and Learning approach is centred upon The Canterbury Academy’s Effective Teaching Principles. These principles are broken down into five key categories: expert planning, clear routines, questioning, modelling and explanation and feedback. These 5 strands hold together our golden thread of adaptive teaching.

Expert Planning:

Our principles in this category hinge upon drawing upon teachers’ subject expertise to ensure that learning is carefully sequenced to focus on depth of knowledge and application. Planning involves building in strategic retrieval practice to both connect and consolidate learning. Learners’ needs are catered for through quality-first teaching, using additional explanations, scaffolds and models for both support and challenge, along with careful understanding of students to ensure that needs are met within the classroom in order for all learners to progress and achieve. Assessment must be meaningful, well planned and designed to inform planning for future lessons.

Clear Routines:

Routines are embedded to our teaching model, starting on the threshold of the classroom, moving to carefully constructed seating plans. We insist on ‘no wasted learning time’ through a prompt ‘Do Now’ activity at the start of each lesson and clear end of lesson routines sum up and consolidate learning. There is a clear system embedded across the school for both sanctions and rewards to champion student learning and progress. Our reward system ensures that students in Years 7-11 are rewarded regularly for effort and progress through Arbor, postcards home, positive phone calls home and Heads of House newsletters. This system continues into the sixth form, where students are allocated a tier based on their effort and attainment and will regularly receive letters home, rewards and sixth form leadership opportunities.

Questioning:

Our approach to questioning places ‘no hands up’ questioning as our default method. We deploy a wide range of formative assessment strategies in order to include all learners and carefully identify progress and misconceptions. We provide opportunities for students to engage with high level discussions through ‘think, pair, share’ and guide them towards harder thinking and reasoning. Questioning must allow all students to reflect, think hard, analyse and create more questions for themselves.

Modelling & Explanation:

We demonstrate excellence to learners through live modelling, employing strategies such as ‘I do, we do, you do’. Our teachers carefully include explicit vocabulary instruction and encourage students to ‘speak like the expert’.

Feedback:

Feedback is integral in helping students move forward with their learning. Teachers provide feedback that is tightly linked to learning in a variety of forms. Live feedback is deployed whilst teachers circulate and assess progress; whole class feedback is used to address and re-teach misconceptions to ensure that gaps in knowledge are quickly closed. We encourage our students to be reflective learners, activating them as owners of their learning though a variety of methods; students engage with purposeful, purple pen Pupil Improvement Time (PIT).

The Golden Thread of Adaptive Teaching ensures that learners’ needs are met, supporting them to progress and achieve.

To allow the mastery approach to be effective (i.e. students learn what they are expected to in the year they are expected to), early catch up is essential. We aim to identify and support promptly students who start secondary school without a secure grasp of reading, writing and mathematics so that they can access the full curriculum.

The Impact of our curriculum  

The impact of our curriculum is measured through a number of mechanisms, some of which are listed below. These contribute to the whole school self-evaluation model of improvement.

  • Outcomes for students, including in examinations and qualifications
  • Progress and attainment in each year group
  • Destinations
  • Attendance
  • Behaviour
  • Engagement in enrichment activities
  • Student voice
  • Progress towards the Gatsby benchmarks

Overall, at the end of their time with us, we hope that our students will progress to a positive next step, having developed their character, resilience and independence, so that they feel confident and excited about the impact they will go on to have in their world.

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