Our Curriculum
Our collective mission at Hummersknott Academy is to empower and inspire all students to excel as lifelong learners and become informed, compassionate global citizens. The whole school curriculum rests at the heart of this mission, and strives to ensure every pupil thrives across all aspects of school life, through an unwavering focus on the following key principles:
- Rigour
- Progression
- Coherence
- Engagement
- Ambition
At Hummersknott Academy, we pride ourselves on delivering a curriculum that develops confidence, resilience and independence in all learners by delivering a high-quality, evidence-informed education. Our curriculum is both knowledge-based and knowledge-rich whilst allowing students to build a range of skills. We are determined that our pupils will leave the Academy with the combined knowledge and skills which not only create excellent life opportunities but also prepare them for life beyond school.
The aim of our curriculum is for no learner to be left behind. The curriculum balances ambition, inclusivity, relevance, and flexibilityfor all children, thereby promoting social justice and ensuring all pupils make outstanding progress. We intend for all pupils to master both academic and practical skills through the delivery of a curriculum that offers equitable opportunities and removes any potential barriers to learning. We strive to dismantle the barriers of disadvantage and special educational needs as well as address gaps in prior learning so that all pupils have the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed beyond the school gates.
The development of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) is a thread that runs through the whole curriculum with the ambition for all children to leave our care with the confidence and ability to fully engage with and contribute to our community and society at large. Through the delivery of a curriculum that explicitly champions pupils’ cultural,moral, social, mental and physical development, our pupils prosper as young people, and are fully prepared for life in modern Britain, holding British values close to their heart.
RIGOUR – developing deep knowledge and critical thinking
The whole school curriculum is characterised by its rigour in nature, challenging pupils to develop complex cognitive skills and to be the very best they can. We set high expectations for all students, demanding deep critical thinking, and pushing them to learn at a challenging level by engaging with complex concepts and applying knowledge in meaningful ways, rather than just memorising facts; we create a learning environment where students are actively challenged to reach their full potential.
Expertise comes through the ‘struggle’ of not knowing everything. By delivering a curriculum that marries high challenge with low threat, we ensure that the correct conditions are in place for students to thrive. Teachers routinely create desirable difficulties in their classrooms, thereby triggering the encoding and retrieval processes that support long-term retention and progress.
Our development of a demanding curriculum requires fewer topics to be taught in greater depth. Our focus is on teaching a smaller number of key concepts in much greater detail, allowing for deeper understanding and critical thinking around those core ideas; essentially, prioritising quality over quantity in learning. By spending more time on fewer topics taught in a deeper, more profound way, students can explore different perspectives, apply knowledge to real-world situations, and develop a more nuanced understanding. Driving deeper learning aligns with learning better. Our approach supports the principles of mastery learning, where all pupils need to demonstrate proficiency in a concept before moving on to the next one. Through deep learning, secured in central concepts and big ideas, we help children to understand more, know more and do more.
Our intention is to do justice to the curriculum by taking the right amount of time. Pace is not privileged over the security of content, making our students’ learning experience more meaningful, purposeful and appropriate to their needs. We aim to build resilience and autonomy in our learners, so they are able to embrace challenge and learn from their mistakes. We believe that the development of a rigorous and stimulating curriculum prepares our pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain.
PROGRESSION – an integrated and structured learning journey
Our curriculum is designed so that key concepts, content and skills are ordered logically so that all pupils can increase their knowledge whilst improving their skills over time. It is designed for progression within and across subjects, helping students to deepen their understanding, see connections in their learning and transfer knowledge to other situations and subjects.
Our pupils are supported to acquire both breadth and depth of knowledge as they progress through the curriculum. They develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of concepts that underpin their learning. They see the relationships between these and use them to further shape, make sense of and apply knowledge. We plan for common misconceptions and mistakes, allowing for productive failure.
It is our intention at Hummersknott Academy that the curriculum is done with pupils, and not to them. It is very much a curriculum that has been developed with memory in mind and influenced by the science of learning, supporting students to become equipped with enduring understandings. Students are encouraged to become metacognitive learners, so they are able to monitor and evaluate their own learning and take more responsibility for their progress across the curriculum. We build target memories into the heart of the curriculum to support our students to successfully build knowledge on knowledge.
We are determined that all pupils at Hummersknott Academy will be literate and numerate. Without these secure foundations in basic functional skills, our pupils are unable to progress across the curriculum and access the world around them, be this in the community or at our school.
The development of pupil language, vocabulary and oracy is at the forefront of our curriculum as we understand how vital it is for our pupils to build confidence in communication skills not only for their time in school but also to prepare them for their working life. We ensure pupils have opportunities in all subjects to discuss, challenge and build on other points of view and to develop their formality of language to ensure they can have the confidence to speak to different audiences.
We know that reading mediates the curriculum, so we are determined for our pupils to become confident, skilled and knowledgeable readers. All teachers are teachers of reading and prioritise reading opportunities within their curriculum. Appropriate levels of literacy will ensure that our pupils can access the curriculum in every subject and fulfil their potential. Struggling readers are signposted to a reading intervention to address individual areas for development. Reading is a gateway to lifelong learning as well as a source of great pleasure. We therefore dedicate time during morning registration for students to read collaboratively on a range of texts, and we offer a host of extra-curricular reading opportunities.
The school ensures that pupils are numerate enabling them to flourish, thrive and access the next stage of their education, employment or training. Maths underpins our world; as such, numeracy skills are not only embedded across the curriculum but also celebrated. Pupils who arrive with below-expected maths skills are quickly caught up through specialist teaching and intervention.
COHERENCE – making connections within and across disciplines
Our aim is to provide a coherent curriculum across all subjects, so that pupils can see connections between their learning and other facts and ideas, making use of it in various ways, including in new situations. Our curriculum holds together, makes sense as a whole and entails unity and connectedness at all levels. Leaders have created coherent curriculum sequences that allow our students to develop rich patterns of well-organised, interconnected knowledge.
We allow for knowledge to build on itself, with a clear progression from one topic to the next. All aspects of learning are aligned, including content, assessments, teaching methods, and learning experiences. Our curriculum is based on evidence of age-related progression and material is organised in a way that helps our students to build on what they already know.
The techniques of spacing and interleaving are embedded into our whole school curriculum, helping our students to learn more effectively and retain more information longer. Through spacing, our students are provided with a mental rest from learning. The reduction in the demands on their cognitive load through a deliberate period of rest allows our students’ working memory to recover. Interleaving opportunities prompt our students to focus on the differences between two or more topics, allowing them to discriminate between the topics, and engage and reflect more with the material. We provide continuous opportunities for pupils to revisit key concepts, enabling repetition and revision.
We know from research that our brains privilege story. Stories help pupils to make sense of new content, to make connections and finally they are enjoyable! Where appropriate, our curriculum content is structured as narrative over time to help our pupils to know more, remember more and be able to do more.
ENGAGEMENT – inspiring a passion for learning
At Hummersknott Academy, we are dedicated to creating a curriculum that is relevant, content-rich and stimulating for all learners. All leaders and teachers challenge themselves to identify the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of the content to be taught to ensure we are continuously cultivating ‘will, thrill and skill’ in our pupils. Quality-first teaching combined with real-world connections ensure that lessons are culturally engaging, interactive, and inspiring, and students engage deeply with the material. By adopting a varied and dynamic approach to teaching, we strive to spark curiosity, promote independent learning and foster a love of learning that extends beyond the classroom.
Our ambition is that all pupils are motivated to be actively involved in their own learning. We encourage students to work collaboratively, engage in discussions and debates, and develop their problem-solving skills. We train students to be active listeners and more confident speakers through the explicit teaching of oracy skills within the subject domains as well as form mentor time. The development of talk is key to our entire curriculum and underpins everything else: all learning, including reading and writing. Students develop a hands-on approach to learning and are actively contributing to lessons.
We value our students’ opinions and where possible, tailor the curriculum to engage them fully and meet their needs. We are transparent with goals and develop a shared understanding of the learning process. Students respond well to this sense of ownership which makes the learning journey more meaningful to them.
We are committed to providing our students with a variety of engaging and practical learning experiences both in and out of the classroom that serve to bring the learning to life and develop well-rounded learners. These include field trips, international visits and guest speakers to name a few. We are determined for our pupils to be inspired and empowered to be successful in their future studies and the wider world.
AMBITION – aspiring to excellence
Our intention is for all pupils to experience a broad, deep and knowledge-rich curriculum that enables everyone, regardless of their background, to achieve high standards and make excellent progress. Gaps in prior knowledge are quickly identified and addressed to create a more level playing field for all. Learners are supported to acquire and retain powerful knowledge that takes them beyond their own experiences. The mastery of basic literacy skills and the acquisition of a rich vocabulary both which underpin curriculum development are prioritised to ensure all pupils can thrive in life.
We continuously encourage students to be the best they can and aspire to excellence in all they do. We set high expectations for all and challenge students to step outside of their comfort zone. This ambition is embedded in every lesson, ensuring that students are continually challenged to think critically and perform at their best.
We are determined for our students to be well-rounded individuals who become informed, compassionate global citizens. Beyond academic achievement, we are committed to nurturing the personal skills of resilience and perseverance in our learners. We firmly believe that these qualities empower students to face challenges with confidence and to take pride in their progress, fostering a culture of striving for excellence both inside and outside the classroom.
At Hummersknott Academy, we have a comprehensive careers’ curriculum that supportsstudents in setting ambitious academic and career goals. Through structured guidance, mentoring, and work experience opportunities, we aim to inspire students to set ambitious goals for their future. Regardless of their chosen pathway, we strive to instil a sense of ambition that drives students to pursue their future goals with determination.
Curriculum Guides
- Art
- Business Studies
- Careers
- Design Technology
- Drama
- English
- Enterprise
- French
- Geography
- History
- IT & Computer Science
- Life Skills
- Maths
- PE
- RE
- Science
Key Stage 4
A link to the information booklet on Option Choices available to students and parents in the final two years of study can be downloaded here:
In the autumn of year 10 we hold an Information Evening for parents. This explains the ways in which parents can support their child as well as giving information about assessment of work in each subject.
Wider Curriculum
All schools are encouraged to have a music development plan, as set out in the national plan for music education.
Schools are asked to publish a summary of their music development plan on their website in order to:
- raise awareness of their music development plan;
- promote the school music offer to parents and prospective parents;
- give greater opportunity for schools and music hubs to work together.
Our music development plan is attached below:
