At Guiseley School, we have a comprehensive intake drawn from the local area and beyond. Our broad and academically rigorous curriculum has a strong focus on the Core and Ebacc subjects so that our students can leave school for University or their very best alternative pathway. Powerful knowledge sits at the heart of our curriculum planning and is taught within the subject specific domains, developing skills and understanding. Our curriculum is carefully planned, delivering powerful knowledge (that which is specific, defined and taught within the subject specialism). This deliberate focus on knowledge is significant in improving the life chances of our students and ensuring they are equipped to grow as 21st century citizens. The planning takes careful account of that which know about how students learn, taking care to support cognitive processes so that working memory is not overloaded, and allowing for concepts to be revisited so that we harness the testing and retrieval aspects of learning.
Our curriculum is led by specialists who have carefully and coherently sequenced the curriculum. This allows the embedding of powerful knowledge and concepts so that they interlace and accelerate progression to bring about deep learning. Should you have any further questions please contact Mr Vasey, Deputy Headteacher.
Information regarding our policies for pupils with SEND can be found on our Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) page.
In order to implement our curriculum vision, our curriculum teams have carefully mapped the knowledge and skills students are required to master. It is, however, important to us that the Year 7 to 9 curriculum is more than preparation for Key Stage 4.
We give more curriculum time to Humanities and Modern Foreign Languages than many schools as we wish to encourage a high proportion of pupils to pursue the English Baccalaureate pathway beyond Year 9.
Pupils study one Modern Foreign Language, either German or Spanish, throughout Key Stage 3.
Study hours per week
| Subject | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Art | 1 |
| Drama | 1 |
| Design and Technology | 1 |
| English | 4 |
| Geography | 2 |
| History | 2 |
| IT | 1 |
| Maths | 4 |
| MFL | 2 |
| Music | 1 |
| PE | 2 |
| Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (RPE) | 1 |
| Science | 3 |
PSHE
Throughout all the key stages at Guiseley School subject curriculums are enriched with PSHE strands that help to develop students and raise their self-awareness. PSHE is also delivered twice weekly during form time. The PSHE curriculum has been carefully sequenced and covers key topics such as; careers and next steps, personal and online safety, fundamental British values, healthy lifestyle choices including mental health and wellbeing, sex and relationship education and key aspects of citizenship as well as providing opportunities to extend learning.
Our Key Stage 4 Curriculum is designed so that students can experience a range of opportunities across the curriculum and is taken over two years although Year 9 acts as a bridging year across a number of subjects. All students have access to the EBacc suite but take a mix of GCSE and other Level 2 qualifications so as to experience a mix of learning and assessment styles.
In Key Stage 4, pupils have enhanced time for the core subjects of English, Science and Mathematics as the building blocks for their progression routes. Core curriculum time is given for PE, recognising the importance of health and fitness in our lives. All pupils study Science, and a large proportion of our students choose to a foreign language.
Our curriculum offers flexibility and choice within a guided structure, personalised to meet the needs of the individual as far as resources will allow.
Core curriculum
- English Language and Literature
- Maths
- Science (Combined or Triple)
- PE
Mathematics and English receive four hours of teaching a week in Year 10 and 11, whilst Science delivers both Additional and Triple Science on six hours per week in Year 10 and four hours per week in Year 11.
Students in Year 10 receive two hours of Core PE per week; in Year 11 they receive one hour of Core PE per week.
IT skills are taught across the curriculum, with ICT/Computing groups existing as option cohorts.
Options Subjects
The following subjects were offered as options for 2022. Unless otherwise stated, these subjects were offered as GCSEs:
- Fine Art
- Design Technology Product Design (Materials and Textiles)
- Hospitality and Catering
- Digital Photography
- Drama
- Enterprise and Marketing (Cambridge National)
- Geography
- German
- History
- Computer Studies
- Creative iMedia (Cambridge National)
- Music
- PE
- Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (RPE)
- Spanish
- Sports Studies (Cambridge National)
All options currently receive three hours per week in both Year 10 and Year 11. RE is taught as an option subject in KS4 and through our PSHE programme. These sessions are designed by our Curriculum Leader for RE.
For more information about our Key Stage 5 Curriculum, see the Qualifications and Curriculum page in the Sixth Form section.