Curriculum

The overriding ambition of our curriculum is to cater for the needs of all our pupils and enhance their life chances.

This ambition links to our core vision of enabling every child to achieve more than they think they can achieve by letting all their bright colours shine – a vision which is at the heart of everything we do as a school.

Our vision reflects our belief in Jesus’ call to fullness of life. Therefore, the overriding ambition of our curriculum is to give our pupils every opportunity to flourish, to develop their God given talents to the full and enhance their life chances so that they achieve all that they want to in life.

Our belief that humans are created in the image and likeness of God means that all people have an inherent and immeasurable worth and dignity. This gives us a radical equality before God which is the basis of our commitment to the principle that every member of the school community is entitled to equal opportunities and treatment, irrespective of ethnic or national origin, race, gender, physical disability, sexual orientation, marital status, social background, or religion.

Everything we do is underpinned by our Christian faith and our belief in equality of opportunity for all and our conviction that pupils’ starting points in life and their social and economic status should not define their endpoints.

By the end of each pupil’s time at Fisher More, we aim to have transformed their lives and educational prospects through a wide-ranging and ambitious curriculum that does not cease at the boundaries of the classroom or the school. We teach knowledge rigorously but also place an emphasis on skills and preparing pupils for the world of higher education and work.

As such:

Our curriculum aims to meet the needs of all pupils, providing each individual pupil with a range of opportunities to learn and achieve. Pupils should build on their strengths and develop their enjoyment of and commitment to learning. In doing so, pupils develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities to the full and can maximise their true potential.
The Catholic ethos of our school forms the basis of the curriculum. The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. In particular, the curriculum enables pupils to grow in their Christian Catholic faith and to function as active,

At Ss John Fisher & Thomas More RC High School, our curriculum seeks …

To ensure that all pupils receive a broad, deep and knowledge rich curriculum
To ensure that all pupils build their character and develop socially, morally, and mentally as Catholics while also understanding fundamental British values and appreciating the breadth of cultural diversity and values within Britain
To ensure that all pupils are prepared for higher education and the world of work, so that every pupil will leave Fisher More with a clear plan and strategy for their progression
To ensure that all pupils have high expectations for their own behaviour and achievement
To ensure that all pupils are literate and numerate
To ensure that all pupils experience a wide variety of learning opportunities outside of the classroom through an extensive programme of curriculum enhancement
To ensure pupils can access the curriculum from home through a broad remote learning offer.

Curriculum Policy

Subjects

The curriculum at Fisher More is divided into Key Stage 3 (Years 7 – 9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10 – 11) and aims to prepare all our pupils for further education, employment and/or training as well as being fully prepared to make a contribution as citizens of 21st Century Britain.

Key Stage 3

The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is designed to take all our pupils from key stage 2 to the point of being ready to start their examination courses by the end of year 9. It therefore concentrates on developing the knowledge and key skills in each subject area so that all pupils have the firm foundation necessary for examination success.

Year 7 focuses on smoothing the transition from the primary curriculum to the demands of the secondary National Curriculum. In year 7, all pupils study the same range of subjects including the core subjects of Maths, English, Science, RE, PSHCE and PE as well as the full range of foundation subjects including Spanish, Geography, History, Computer Science as well as Music, Art, Drama, Food and Graphics.

Groupings vary across the curriculum in Year 7, 8 and 9 but they are sensitively arranged so that all pupils are able to access the curriculum and make good progress as a result. Setting occurs in all subject areas apart from PE, Music, Art, Food and Graphics; Key Stage 2 information as well as the results from CATs tests and reading ages are used in the setting process. Setting is regularly reviewed after internal progress data collections in school. Pupils continue to be taught in sets in some subject areas as well as mixed ability groups in others. Year 9 is an important year for preparing all pupils to make the appropriate Option choices for Key Stage 4 and to complete all the necessary key stage 3 work ready for the work in year 10.

Secondary National Curriculum (Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4)

Key Stage 4

Fisher More offers a very traditional Key Stage 4 curriculum with most pupils studying 9 or more GCSE’s. All pupils study English Language and Literature, Maths, at least two sciences, including Core Science, RE, PSHCE and PE. Most also study three other subjects from a very extensive range of GCSE and some BTEC qualifications.

There are other vocational elements to our key stage 4 curriculum. All pupils access a comprehensive programme of careers education and information, advice and guidance, particularly through key stage 4.

During the academic year, pupils from different year groups can experience ‘Enrichment Days’ during which PSHCE and cross-curricular themes are explored. These days can also be used to provide additional help and support to pupils in year 10 and 11 in preparing for their final GCSE’s and decisions about further qualifications and careers.