Curriculum Intent
Our vision is to deliver an authentic education for the 21st century for children aged 11-18 years through our No Limits Curriculum. The aim of our No Limits curriculum is to ensure all students are inspired with a love for learning and achieve high levels of academic success in a broad range of subjects, whilst at the same time equipping them with the knowledge, skills and mindsets required to play an active and successful role in today’s highly competitive and fast-changing world. All students at Park Academy West London (PAWL) learn in a challenging, engaging and supportive environment through a well-thought-out curriculum which encourages creativity, celebrates diversity and utilises knowledge, skills and cultural experiences of the local community. The curriculum ensures our community is enriched as students leave well prepared and well rounded young people.
At PAWL we follow the Aspirations three guiding principles: self-worth, engagement and purpose which underpin our curriculum. Alongside this we encourage our students to dream about their futures, develop the mindsets to allow them to believe and equip them with the skills to succeed. Students are provided with experience and opportunities to develop and demonstrate our core values of: ambition, determination, innovation, integrity, resilience and respect.
PAWL’s curriculum aims are:
- To deliver a broad, knowledge rich curriculum which considers the starting point of all learners;
- Plan and deliver a well sequenced and progressive curriculum that allows students to revisit learning;
- Create a range of opportunities for personalised challenge and support
- Enhance knowledge acquisition by effectively applying it to real-life situations and problems;
- Develop transferrable skills which enable our students to be successful in a fast changing world;
- To prepare students for life, further education and employment;
- Provide memorable and enriching experiences to equip students to become culturally rich and active citizens in modern Britain;
- Ensure high rates of progress for all students.
The curriculum at PAWL ensures our community is enriched as students leave well prepared and well rounded.
Curriculum Implementation
At PAWL, the curriculum is organised into a 48 period fortnight with lessons being 60/65 minutes long. To ensure the curriculum is successful, joint planning is a key feature of our implementation and specific time is allocated for this fortnightly. Staff are encouraged to plan jointly not only within departments, but also with other Trust schools and cross phase to ensure sequences of learning build and secure substantive knowledge.
At PAWL the curriculum is regularly reviewed by all stakeholders and adapted to ensure all students make progress and are highly successful learners. We acknowledge the individual learning needs and styles of our students, as well as their own starting points. Lessons are planned to ensure these needs are met and there is challenge for all. A wide variety of methods and approaches are used in the curriculum delivery to encourage high levels of student engagement. This is underpinned by a strong pedagogical approach to CPD ensuring that teachers can be flexible in their approach to teaching and respond to the needs of the students. Teachers are encouraged to take risks in their classroom as well be highly reflective practitioners.
As part of the No Limits curriculum, students in Years 7 and 8 experience Applied Transdiscipinary Learning (ATL) where they are exposed to a unique learning experience that challenges students and takes them outside their comfort zone, in order to achieve great outcomes. The development of links with a range of business, industry and university partners has provided opportunities for students to experience learning in a variety of settings away from the classroom. ATL allows students to acquire and draw on knowledge from a wide range of subjects and develop transferable skills, such as computing, enabling them to be successful in a fast changing world.
Students are provided with opportunities to study RS, Computing and PSHCE including RSE. These take place though a variety of means including timetabled lessons, deep learning opportunities, academic mentoring and assemblies which allows the delivery of a progressive curriculum from Year 7 through to the Sixth Form.
All teachers are considered to be teachers of literacy and numeracy and both are key features in all classrooms. Literacy and independent learning is further encouraged by the development of a well-resourced school library, which also supports students to develop a love of reading. Students who identified as requiring additional literacy and numeracy support in Key Stage 3, have access to the additional support and Lexia as part of their curriculum.
Since the curriculum of PAWL is seen as being the total educational experience offered to our students, the wider curriculum is designed to provide memorable experiences for the students, as well as to enrich and equip students to become culturally rich and active citizens in modern Britain. Break and after school activities such as sporting activities, Art, and Book Clubs, Student Council, prefecting serve to extend our students fully. There are also a range of other opportunities such as visits to museums, galleries and sporting events as well as entering external competitions such as the Jack Petchey Speak Out Competition.
At PAWL, students are provided with opportunities to prepare themselves for life, further education and employment. The Careers Programme is part of their journey from Year 7 and continues as students move through the Academy in the academic and wider curriculum. Education visits as well as visitors who are regularly invited into the school enrich the curriculum and support students to make informed choices. Visitors include the Police and other emergency services, employees from a range of companies as well as representatives from a range of Further Education providers.
Curriculum Impact
At PAWL we believe that a well-thought-out curriculum which meets the needs of students should lead to positive outcomes for students. The impact of the curriculum is evaluated through the following measures:
- The percentage of students who achieve at least expected academic progress and high levels of attainment in national assessments and examinations including GCSE and A levels.
- Progress and attainment of current students across key stages
- Reading Test data
- ‘Cultural Capital’ for all students
- The range of high level 21st century skills developed by students
- Destinations data – The percentage of students entering skilled employment or higher levels of study
- The percentage of learning that is challenging and engaging
- Attendance data
- Engagement in enrichment activities
- Student Voice.
PAWL Curriculum Outline 2022-2023
Curriculum Subject Offer 2022-2023
If you would like to know more about the curriculum offer please contact the main reception or email info@park-aspirations.org