Curriculum: Year 7 and 8

At The Latimer Arts College students in Years 7 and 8 study a highly focussed curriculum that provides both depth and breadth, and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. The following subjects are taught:

• Art
• Dance
• Design and Technology
• Digital Studies
• Drama
• English
• French
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Music
• Physical Education
• Religious Studies
• Science

This curriculum is carefully balanced in order to provide a breadth of study in a full range of subjects. For example, we ensure the Performing Arts subjects of Dance, Drama and Music are taught in depth as discreet subjects, providing students with a rich experience of learning. French has the same time allocation as English, Maths, Science and the Humanities subjects of History and Geography, ensuring all students achieve a strong foundation in a modern foreign language that builds on their primary school experience.  

Each subject has a progressive, spiral curriculum which is carefully sequenced in order to build upon key concepts, ideas, skills and content over time.  Our aim is for students to build disciplinary knowledge in each subject in order to be equipped for the next stages of study.

Curriculum: Pathways Choices

In addition to studying our core curriculum, students make pathways choices in Year 8 for subjects they will specialise in and study for the next three years.  By Year 11 these subjects will provide qualifications in GCSEs or in Vocational qualifications (BTECs.)

All students study the following Core subjects:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Religious Studies
• Core PE
• PSHE
• Creative Rotation* (comprising a rotation of 5 x creative subjects: Dance or Music; Drama; IT; Food; DT)

All students will also study a Humanities subject, either History or Geography (or both if they choose.)

Students express preferences for the study of three additional subjects. Our wide range of subjects on offer are:

• Art, Craft and Design
• BTEC Business
• Dance
• Design and Technology
• BTEC Digital Information
• Drama
• Food and Nutrition
• French
• Geography
• BTEC Health and Social Care
• History
• BTEC Media
• Music
• Philosophy and Ethics
• Physical Education
• Psychology
• BTEC Sport
• Triple Science

 

The pathway process is carefully constructed in order to provide student with the opportunity to study a range of subject combinations across, and within, a range of different disciplines is possible. We do not limit pathways by reducing, for example, the possible study of the number of Performing Arts or creative subjects.

We firmly belive that our curriculum design leads to increased levels of engagement and enjoyment by allowing students to personalise their study as they specialise in subjects of their choice from Year 9 onwards. 

Extensive support is provided for students at this stage of their learning journey: we provide a Pathways Assembly and Learning Experience, where students sample GCSE lessons; we offer individual meetings with our Independent Careers Advisor; we host a Pathways Evening, at which independent careers advice can also be provided; and we run a 1:1 Consultation Evening, where personalised meetings with subject staff are offered in order for a student and their parents and carers to explore suitability for an individual subject.

For more information about the Year 8 Pathways process, please see the information booklet provided here.

Curriculum: Year 9

Following pathways choices, Year 9 is a transition year when students personalise their study and specialise. This enables students to both apply and further develop expertise and disciplinary knowledge in the subjects of their choice.
In Year 9 depth and complexity is added to learning with wider learning taking the student experience of studying their preferred subjects beyond the exam syllabus, thus providing a broad, rich and diverse curriculum experience.  We firmly believe this provides a genuinely broad curriculum and leads to increased student engagement in and enjoyment of learning.
All Year 9 students will also have a creative entitlement on their timetable. Students will study a rotation of creative subjects, with 4 lessons each over an 8-week period. These subjects are Design Technology, Drama, Food, IT and Music. This is independent of any option subjects and will further broaden and enrich student learning and experience of the curriculum.
As in Year 7 and 8, learning in subjects is sequenced and designed as a spiral curriculum, building on previous learning and providing building blocks in order to support the learning of new content.

Curriculum: Years 10 and 11

In Years 10 and 11 students will explicitly focus on GCSE and BTEC content of their chosen subjects, whilst still being provided with a broad and diverse learning experience in which connections are made across the curriculum.

All students complete GCSE English Language, GCSE English Literature and GCSE Mathematics at the end of Year 11.  In Science, the majority of students follow a GCSE Science Trilogy pathway which will lead to two GCSEs.  A Triple Science route is available for all students as one of their pathways choices. Both are completed at the end of Year 11.

Specialist subjects are completed at the end of Year 11. 

Curriculum: Sixth Form

We have a broad range of A level and vocational subjects (BTECs) on offer in the Sixth Form.  Most students generally study the equivalent of 3 A level subjects, although the most able students may take 4 subjects. 

We do not close off options of study at Key Stage 5 if they have not been chosen at Key Stage 4, provided students meet our entrance requirements.

Please visit the Sixth Form page on our website for more details.