INTRODUCTORY PAGE In 2013-2014 the Year 9 curriculum at Wilmslow High School has the following organisational structure: Curriculum Organiser Subjects Periods (30 x 50 minutes) Individual Development P.E. 3 Art 2 Music 1 Drama 1 PHSCE Theme Days and Tutorial Programme Multiliteracies English 4 Mathematics 4 ICT Across the Curriculum Modern Foreign Languages 3 (2nd Language - optional) 1 (outside the core day) Global Communities Geography 2 History 2 R.E. 1 Business Studies and Enterprise Across the Curriculum Empiric Enquiry Science 4 Design and Technology 3 Subjects are grouped together in these four Curriculum Organisers so that students develop an understanding of the knowledge and skills in the four main areas of learning. Although many courses link the knowledge and similar skills within an area of learning we encourage students to see that there are links between the four areas through ‘Organiser Events’ such as the PHSCE Days. Additionally we believe it important that students understand and appreciate the various ways in which they use and develop both Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) and Reading Writing Communication and Mathematics (RWCM) in school and throughout daily life in order that they become better at transferring these skills from one setting to another. For more details on this please see the separate PLTS and RWCM sections below and the references in curriculum team entries. In Year 9 all students still have the opportunity to study all subjects within the ‘Organisers’. Nevertheless, as students develop we increasingly personalise their courses aiming to meet the needs, ability and interests of all students. For example, within PE students follow one of three different pathways while in Design Technology they select three from the five subject specialisms offered by the curriculum team. Year 9 – Curriculum Digest – 2013-2014 Page No. 1 As a Sports and Arts College we believe all students should be healthy, safe and enjoy their education at Wilmslow High School. Although sport and the arts are very important to us they are also a catalyst to quality and success across the curriculum. We intend, with you, to ensure your child achieves and makes significant progress whilst at Wilmslow High School. This booklet contains a description of the courses your son or daughter will be following this year. It should be a guide to you in terms of courses, how the work will be assessed and the homework requirements. Please discuss the contents of this booklet with your son or daughter. Further details about each curriculum area are also available on our public website, www.wilmslowhigh.com, while there is an increasingly extensive range of online activities to support student learning within our password protected virtual learning environment, http://vle.wilmslowhigh.com. For detailed information about the National Curriculum you should explore the following section of the Department of Education website: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/secondary This year is particularly important as choices will have to be made about courses to follow at Key Stage 4 next year and assessments made at the end of Key Stage 3 will be a significant indicator of progress. Indeed, in addition to receiving the end of Key Stage 3 Teacher Assessments in all National Curriculum subjects, Year 9 students will have the opportunity to gain national qualifications such as the GCSE (Short Course) in Religious Studies. All students should try to get the most out of this school year by participating fully in the wide range of opportunities and activities school has to offer and working hard in all lessons to achieve their full potential. If at any time you wish to discuss your son or daughter's progress please contact the appropriate Head of House. Bollin House : Mr D Jones Email: [email protected] Harefield House : Mr M Bebbington Email: [email protected] Norcliffe House : Mrs C Dunn Email: [email protected] Thorngrove House : Mrs L Easton Email: [email protected] Alternatively, if you wish to discuss the present contents of the curriculum and share ideas for its future development, then please contact me. Dr J. Pullé Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum Development) Email: [email protected] Year 9 – Curriculum Digest – 2013-2014 Page No. 2 Developing learning skills across the curriculum Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) In the Year 9 curriculum, teaching and learning continues to highlight and develop students’ use of the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills that were first introduced during the Year 7 PHSCE programme. The PLTS provide a framework for describing the qualities and skills needed for success in learning and life and have been developed over a number of years in consultation with employers, parents, schools, students and the public. The framework enables students to develop in six skill areas: independent enquiry - Young people process and evaluate information in their investigations, planning what to do and how to go about it. They make informed and well-reasoned decisions, recognising that others have different beliefs and attitudes. creative thinking - Young people think creatively by generating and exploring ideas, making original connections. They try different ways to tackle a problem, working with others to find imaginative solutions and outcomes that are of value. reflective learning - Young people evaluate their strengths and limitations, setting themselves realistic goals with criteria for success. They monitor their own performance and progress, inviting feedback from others and making changes to further their learning. team work - Young people work confidently with others, adapting to different contexts and taking responsibility for their own part. They listen to and take account of different views. They form collaborative relationships, resolving issues to reach agreed outcomes. self-managing - Young people organise themselves, showing personal responsibility, initiative, creativity and enterprise with a commitment to learning and self- improvement. They actively embrace change, responding positively to new priorities, coping with challenges and looking for opportunities. effective participation - Young people actively engage with issues that affect them and those around them. They play a full part in the life of their school, college, workplace or wider community by taking responsible action to bring improvements for others as well as themselves. What are we aiming to achieve? To develop learners who are aware of the transferable skills they gain in school. They understand how they develop each skill in each subject within school and make links between these areas. They are fluent with PLTS as the common language of learning, can reflect on their learning strengths and weaknesses and take responsibility for their own development. Where will students gain these skills? PLTS are part of everything that students do at school. In every lesson, homework and Xtra activity there will be the opportunity to develop their skills. Lessons are planned with development of PLTS in mind and the skills will be discussed with students by their subject teachers. Year 9 – Curriculum Digest – 2013-2014 Page No. 3 So that students become fluent with the language of PLTS, the form tutor PHSCE curriculum is based around the skills. On Tutorial Review Day students will reflect on their skills development and the end of year report will refer to these skills. Reading, Writing, Communication & Mathematics (RWCM) In a similar way that we try to draw students’ attention to the way they use PLTS across all of their subjects, so do we place great value in how reading, writing, communication and mathematics are important in all of their subjects too. You may note that in student planners there is a discrete section which gives an introduction to what RWCM is about as well as some useful resources to support students. What are we aiming to achieve? We want all students to value their work and recognise the importance of these fundamental skills and how they have an impact across all of their subject areas. We are aiming to give students support with some of the elements of their work that they may find difficult as well as an opportunity to reflect for themselves on how they can improve their literacy, numeracy and communication skills. How will students develop these skills? RWCM is incorporated into all of the work that students do at school. That doesn’t mean they will be using all of the individual aspects all of the time but each lesson will require the use of one or more element. Teachers are aware of the importance of RWCM and will be seeking to challenge students to reach high standards and to recognise for themselves where they could improve further. Student reflection will become an increasingly important aspect of this and to this end it is intended that students will increasingly respond to teacher comments with their own written comments. Further to this, the planner now has a section for students to make notes of learning strategies which they may have found useful and also to jot down spellings of words which they may find need extra practice. Also in planners, students will find supportive subject specific vocabulary, a times tables grid to help master that important building block as well as a section dedicated to the reading miles scheme which runs in school in conjunction with the LRC and the English Team. How do we assess progress? It is most important that students are able to reflect for themselves on their relative strengths and weaknesses in different settings. As students move up through the school this reflection will become increasingly sophisticated. Consequently, progress is assessed by giving students opportunities in both lessons and with form tutors to reflect on their progress. This reflection will be referred to in end of year reports and on Tutorial Review Day.