Success for Everyone: Our Curriculum  

The vision of our curriculum is success for everyone.  A successful Poly Student is one who is ambitious and has high expectations of his or her own learning.  Through determination, being ready to learn and facing challenges, they have reached their full potential in all aspects of their education.  They have a breadth of knowledge, skills and concepts and have developed skills of reading, writing and oracy.  The successful Poly student is a sensitive and respectful, someone who listens, is articulate and, ready to lead.  A successful Poly student is ready for university, apprenticeships and the world of work.   

Woolwich Polytechnic offers an ambitious curriculum which is designed to facilitate success for all of our students.  We are committed to enabling all our students to enjoy learning and to become independent learners through the provision of a challenging and stimulating curriculum.  Our curriculum is designed so that students can make interconnections between the various subject disciplines, hence stimulating a culture of curiosity and questioning.   We aim to ensure that students reach or exceed their potential through a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum provision which extends their knowledge and vocabulary; ensuring that they have the cultural mobility which will ensure progression.  The curriculum is designed to be inclusive to reflect the diversity of our Poly family, of our local community, and of our globalised world. 

Our students receive twenty-nine 50-minute periods of timetabled lessons a week with the additional benefit from an extended curriculum via a range of clubs, activities and subject specialist lessons after school, on Saturdays and during the holidays.  

Our curriculum priorities are 

• Well qualified teachers 

• Subject specialist teaching  

• Personalised learning to meet individual needs and to develop students’ strengths whilst identifying areas for development and challenge.  This ensures that good progress is made in all subjects by all students. 

• Personalised curriculum pathways discussed with student, parent and tutor. 

• A rich and varied curriculum to prepare students for GCSE, A level, university, apprenticeships, and the world of work. 

• Consistent, impactful practice in Teaching and Learning 

Key Stage 3  

We operate a three year Key Stage 3. As well as the core of English, Maths and Science, all students study a Modern Foreign Language (either French or Spanish), Geography, History and EBC as well as Art, ICT, Design Technology, Drama, Music and Physical Education.  Also, students take part in a Personal Development Programme. 

Key Stage 4  

Students make their option choices at the end of year 9 and continue to enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum in years 10 and 11.  The options are designed to stretch and challenge students. The students are offered a mix of practical, vocational and academic subjects from all areas of the curriculum.   All students study GCSEs in English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and Science and the majority will choose either geography or history and have the option to take a language (French or Spanish).  Woolwich Polytechnic also offers GCSEs in Art, Computing, Design Technology, Drama, Graphics, Photography and Physical Education as well as vocational courses including Cambridge Nationals in Sport and IT as well as Btec Enterprise and Music Technology.  All of these subjects are linear courses, examined at the end of year 11. A small number of students are also able to opt for vocational courses at local colleges.  We are also able to offer examinations in community languages such as Polish, Mandarin and Turkish.  At Key Stage 4 core subjects are set by ability. 

Key Stage 5 

Our Sixth Form is co-educational and we provide a wide range of Level 3 courses, leading students on to university, apprenticeships or the world of work. Students are able to pick subjects which meet their career aspirations.  A level options include, Art, Biology, Business, Computing, Chemistry, Design Technology, Drama, English Language, English Literature, Finance, Geography,  History, Photography, Physics, Politics and Sociology.   Vocational subjects offered are Applied Science, Criminology, Cambridge National Sport, ICT, Btec Business, and Marketing.  All subjects have seven 50-minute periods a week.  Independent Study is timetabled in sixth form study areas.  

Beyond our formal curriculum, we offer students a full programme of Personal Development.  This is mostly delivered through a timetabled period with their tutor but enhanced through workshops and visiting speakers.  Here they receive guidance on careers, personal, social, health and economic education, and citizenship. Careers Education Information, Advice and Guidance is delivered through PD, academic subjects, workshops and visits, with the opportunity for work experience in year 10 and 12. Leadership opportunities are offered through tutor group representatives, our student council and prefects.  The students are taught to be resilient, reflective and independent to enable them to be successful lifetime learners.   

Our students have a wide range of needs which are supported through the curriculum and specialised provision.  Our most able students will be supported through our Grammar School Intake (GSI) provision.  Students with EAL and SEN needs have the support of specialised staff and carefully planned interventions to ensure that we can maximise their progress.   

A consistent approach to teaching and learning 

We aim for all of our lessons to be outstanding.  Outstanding teaching and learning is achieved through a consistent delivery of the curriculum.  This is underpinned by key elements: 

• Mastery 
• Literacy -reading, writing and oracy 
• Metacognition 
• Retrieval practice 
• Assessment and feedback 

Curriculum Review 

• Weekly line management meetings with all subject leaders and their attached member of leadership.  These meetings regularly involve discussions about curriculum to ensure it is ambitious, coherently planned and sequenced.  Also how broad and balanced and inclusive the curriculum is for all the different groups of students.  
• Curriculum implementation will be reviewed and quality assured through line management meetings, annual department evaluation, exam reviews, book scrutinies and learning walks. 
• Department reviews are discussed at academic committee meetings 
• The curriculum delivered in each subject is reviewed and developed throughout each school year.  It is also formally reviewed annually by subject leaders to ensure the sequence of delivery allows students to build on their knowledge and that students are sufficiently stretched and challenged. 
• The curriculum hours and subjects offered will be analysed by the senior leadership team on an annual basis and discussed with governors. 
• Feedback from student, staff and parent voice.