Curriculum
Our Mission
Our mission is to motivate and prepare our students for a rapidly changing world, by instilling in them the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in life, and to uphold our core values of Aspiration, Integrity and Respect.
Our Curriculum
The curriculum refers to the learning experiences and academic content delivered through lessons, enrichment activities and beyond the school day.
Use the menu to access the curriculum overview for each subject and access a range of resources to support subject learning.
The curriculum at Newhouse Academy improves and evolves every year to meet the high expectations of our students and their families, and colleges, apprenticeship providers and employers. With the changing employment opportunities, we know a curriculum is more than just the subjects we teach. Alongside a raft of excellent qualifications, we ensure that students develop the necessary life skills to succeed on ambitious pathways when they leave us. We understand the resilience, determination and social skills needed to succeed in the workplace and consider these attributes as important as the examination certificates students are awarded.
As part of Hollingworth Learning Trust, we use our connections to draw upon staff expertise across every department. This is so we can be confident that the subjects we offer align locally across Rochdale and nationally across secondary education. High expectations permeate our teaching and learning, staff development and behaviour and attendance policies, which ultimately lead to students achieving their full potential.
We know that a genuinely ambitious curriculum offer works in partnership with families supporting their children throughout their learning, both in the academy and at home.
We offer a broad curriculum as we believe students must grow holistically. Our offer for all year groups encompasses academic, artistic, creative and scientific characteristics.
Our Technology department is growing, with Construction, Engineering and Design Technology now running alongside Food and Nutrition. Links with Morgan Sindall, who are responsible for our new build, have enabled us to bring learning to life for students with on-site opportunities and experiences.
Through an extensive Key Stage 3 offer, we can be confident that when it comes to making their option choices, students and families are clear on the areas they wish to pursue, the grades they can achieve and the career pathways this will lead them onto. With superb facilities for PE, Dance and Drama, Technology subjects, Music, IT, Art and Photography, we guarantee that students’ passions and talents will flourish with the opportunities on offer.
Preparing our students for 21st century careers
- Our curriculum is reviewed regularly as part of strategic planning to ensure that it meets the needs of the cohort.
- At the core of the curriculum is a commitment to provide a broad and balanced foundation which will ensure quality support for life after school.
- We have a strong emphasis on spiritual, moral, social and cultural education which is embedded through our values, positive behaviour support and the curriculum itself.
- We expect all of our students to be highly motivated in developing their curiosity for learning, to show resilience and independence not only in lessons but in the academy and wider community, and we aim to foster a clear enthusiasm for learning, progress and success.
- We have high expectations both in and outside of the academy and expect students to be positive role models both in school and in the community: we expect them to be active citizens with a good understanding of British values.
- Our curriculum underpins all of this and enables students to thrive within all aspects of academic and social development which will in turn enable them to apply the skills they learn across a lifetime.
- Our curriculum will ensure that our students acquire both knowledge and skills in all areas of academic and social development.
Key Stage 3 - Year 7 - 9
To ensure that we have a broad and balanced curriculum we have a strong offer with all students in KS3 studying:
| English | Maths | Art and Design |
| Computing | Technology | Geography |
| Religious Education | Spanish | Dance and Drama |
| History | Music | Our People (PSHE) |
| PE / Games | Science |
Key Stage 4 - Year 10 - 11
The KS3 offer continues and expands in KS4 where additional specialist subjects are currently included. PSHCE is taught through a pastoral programme of form time activities and weekly assemblies. We also have support throughout both key stages for CEIAG (careers education information, advice and guidance) which involves the careers service, local colleges, work experience and mock interviews.
We consider throughout the year how our extra-curricular offer compliments the formal curriculum and aim to ensure that students have access to a wide variety of clubs and opportunities. This offer will support not only academic progress with for example intervention and homework clubs, but also skills and talents which students wish to further for example sports and artistic clubs, reading and social groups.
| Core Curriculum |
|---|
| English Language |
| English Literature |
| Maths |
| Biology / Chemistry / Physics |
| Non-Examined Core Curriculum: PE |
| Non-Examined Core Curriculum: PSHCE |
Option choices can change slightly from year to year.
This is the current curriculum offer for key stage 4.
Whilst we endeavour to deliver all option choices, subjects and qualifications may change based on student numbers and staffing implications.
| Option Subjects | |
|---|---|
| Geography | History |
| Religious Education | Spanish |
| Further Maths | Statistics |
| Triple Award Science | Computer Science |
| IT - Digital Information Technology | Engineering |
| Construction | Design and Technology |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | Art and Design |
| Photography | Performing Arts - Acting |
| Performing Arts - Dance | Physical Education |
| Sports Studies |