Curriculum Overview
Elevating Our Curriculum: Empowering Growth and Achievement
At Gable Hall School, our curriculum stands as a testament to our unwavering belief in the potential of every pupil. It embodies our ambitious aspirations, driving an unyielding dedication to enhancing teaching quality to propel an exceptional educational experience.
Our commitment to fostering a vibrant learning environment is embodied in the broad, dynamic, and ambitious curriculum we've meticulously crafted. Tailored to meet the diverse needs of our local community, our curriculum not only aligns with but often surpasses national standards. As students progress through Years 7 to 11, they engage not only with core subjects but also explore additional dimensions like drama and dance, expanding their horizons beyond the conventional.
In Years 10 and 11, a multitude of academic and vocational pathways unfurl, offering a range of options including Business and Finance, Dance, Drama, Hospitality and Catering, Health & Social Care, Music Technology, and Sport. Our comprehensive PSHE program, a blend of SMSC, RSE, Health Education, Safety, Financial Wellbeing, Citizenship, Community, and Careers, equips our pupils for the complexities of modern life, enabling them to stride confidently into their future endeavours.
Curriculum Intent: Our curriculum's essence lies in fostering choice, breadth, challenge, and aspiration for all students. It's designed to nurture individual growth, preparing them for higher education, local employment, and beyond. Structured by subject leaders, our curriculum is a carefully sequenced journey, building on prior knowledge, facilitating steady progress, and equipping students with Work Hard strategies to retain key content.
Key Stage 3 Offer: At this critical juncture, we forge Capable Learners, equipping them with foundational skills to confidently embrace the Key Stage 4 curriculum. Our approach ensures that students not initially ready for secondary education can flourish in line with their peers, leveraging reading age data to monitor and intervene for enhanced progress.
The 'Golden Threads': We champion equality, equity, and social justice through our 'Golden Threads' woven into the curriculum. These threads encompass applied Numeracy, integral Literacy and fluency, Scientific Enquiry and Creativity, and a profound Understanding of the world, relationships, and citizenship.
Literacy Amplified: We recognise the potency of literacy across disciplines. Subject-specific vocabulary is meticulously taught to facilitate curriculum access. Emphasising full sentence responses enriched with key vocabulary bolsters student engagement.
Aspiration and Cultural Capital: Aligned with our local context, our curriculum is a conduit to heightened aspirations and enriched cultural capital. Our remarkable Out of School Hours Learning program, immersive drop-down days, and robust extra-curricular offerings are instrumental in this pursuit.
Curriculum Implementation: Our all-encompassing curriculum boasts a spectrum of over 22 subjects from KS3 to KS5, far surpassing the National Curriculum prerequisites. This robust framework unfolds across 20 weekly lessons of 80 minutes each.
At Gable Hall, our curriculum is a living testament to our belief in every student's potential, a beacon guiding them towards excellence and fulfilment.
Crafting the Curriculum: Charting the Path of KS3
At Gable Hall, our KS3 program spans three pivotal years. We hold this structure in high regard, recognising its pivotal role in furnishing students with a well-rounded education that embraces an array of subjects, ultimately nurturing cultural capital and fostering social mobility.
Our curriculum strikes an optimal balance across subjects, meticulously detailed in the table below:
| Subject | Hours Per Week | ||
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | |
| English | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Maths | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Science | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Art | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Food / Technology |
1 |
1 | 1 |
| Dance | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Drama | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Geography | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| History | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| ICT | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MFL | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Music | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| PE | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| RS | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Navigating KS4: Forging Personalised Pathways to Success
As students transition to KS4, our curriculum equips them with essential foundational pillars for growth. English, Maths, Science, and the holistic subjects of PE (non-exam) and RE form the bedrock of their studies.
Additionally, students embark on a personalised journey by selecting one option from a selection of subjects, including French, Geography, History, and Computer Science. To foster diversity and cater to individual interests, students further choose three guided options from an expansive array of courses meticulously listed below.
Our dynamic approach harmonises student choices, carving out timetables and option blocks that reflect their aspirations. This innovative framework ensures that we offer multiple pathways to our students, paving the way for engaged learning experiences that align with their passions and interests.
| Subject | Lessons a Week |
| English | 5 |
| Maths | 5 |
| Science | 4 |
| PE | 2 |
| Option A | 3 |
| Option B | 3 |
| Option C | 3 |
| Total | 25 |
OPTION SUBJECTS - GCSE: Triple Science, Art, Computer Science, French, Geography, History, Media Studies, Music Performance, Photography, Physical Education, Product Design, Psychology, Statistics, Textiles.
Vocational Courses: Business and Finance, Dance, Drama, Hospitality and Catering, Health and Social Care, Music Technology, Sport.
For more information regarding our options click here
KS5 - Students for Key Stage 5 are selected by prior attainment, with the average prerequisite for enrolment being a Grade 5 at GCSE (including English and Maths). We offer KS5 English and Maths resits to students who did not achieve a Grade 4 at GCSE.
The broad KS5 offer (A level English Language and Literature, English Literature, Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, PE, Sociology, Psychology, History, Criminology, Law, Politics, Art, Textiles Media Studies, Music Technology, Photography, Economics, BTEC Health & Social Care, BTEC Applied Sciences, BTEC Sport, BTEC Business, BTEC Performing Arts- Drama, Football and Netball Academies) is complemented by a well-resourced Programme of Ethics, Transition and Citizenship (ETC), which prepares young people with the diverse experience needed for social accomplishment. Students are also able to combine both academic and vocational courses in some circumstances as this enhances inclusion. This includes a strong Post 16 Student Union.
Evaluating Curriculum Impact and Results:
The influence of our curriculum is marked by:
- Fostering a culture of accomplishment and flourishing amongst our students.
- Cultivating outcomes that effectively equip students for their forthcoming journeys.
- Bridging the achievement gaps between disadvantaged groups and their peers.
- Nurturing an educational journey that shapes adept, self-assured, compassionate, and well-prepared individuals.
- Attentively acknowledging and responding to the perspectives of parents and students alike.
For additional information on our curriculum, please email curriculum@gablehall.com
