Curriculum Aims and Principles

Curriculum Aims

Irrespective of students’ social background, ethnicity, gender or ability; the curriculum will:

• Allow students to develop knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes to make a positive contribution to society, through economic, cultural, social, personal and environmental goals. It will contribute to students leaving school as committed learners ready to move forward with confidence and curiosity.
• Deliver a breadth of high quality qualifications which will allow students to make choices in their career paths.  There will be opportunities to participate in a broad range of educational experiences and acquire a knowledge and appreciation of a range of subjects including the Arts, Humanities, Languages, Physical Activities, Mathematics, the Sciences and Technology.
• Develop personal skills and learning habits to run alongside knowledge, enabling students to make the most of the opportunities which arise. This will allow them to continue to contribute positively well into the future. Central to this will be a desire to continue learning. Students will be able to communicate effectively using a variety of methods and apply their knowledge in a functional way. They will be engaged in activities which require them to solve problems, take responsibility and risks, be creative and show resilience. Students will leave healthy, balanced, adaptable and reflective individuals.
• Support students’ ability to work with, appreciate and understand their wider responsibility to others.  Students will recognise the increasing relevance of the world beyond national boundaries, being able to appreciate diversity and be responsible global citizens, while also having an appreciation of the nature and traditions of the country in which they live.

Curriculum Principles

These principles are used to evaluate and develop the curriculum. Any changes must take these into consideration.

Balanced

One of the challenges is deciding what to leave out as well as what to include – we have to leave out important elements to create more time for the even more important ones. As students progress through their education at Wellington School a balance is needed. One which provides opportunities for students to specialise in areas of interest whilst still providing the breadth of experience should students pursue different ambitions.

Rigorous

Rigor comes through the study of subject disciplines. Skills and competences can’t be taught in a generic way. The acquisition of powerful knowledge is a prerequisite to applying and developing skills like critical thinking, debating and evaluating.

Coherent

The challenge of a curriculum built around subject disciplines is ensuring that students see the connections between subjects and are given the opportunities to transfer skills and knowledge. This often entails concessions and compromises. For example, the mathematics teachers may feel that equations and graphs are best taught in year 9, but if the science teachers need to use equations and graphs in year 8, there is a problem.

Vertically integrated

‘A curriculum needs to be clear how material taught at one point in time builds on materials taught earlier, and feeds in to what is to be taught later. The sequence in which we teach things matters and requires careful planning. It requires subject teachers to have a deep understanding of the knowledge and skills they are teaching.’

Focused

A common complaint is that the curriculum is too full – a mile wide and an inch deep. Each curriculum subject will have a set of ‘big ideas’. These will provide a point of reference when planning specific programmes of study.

Relevant

The key is relevant to what – the student’s current needs, their future needs, the school, the wider community? This decision is often best made by the teacher and relates more to how the curriculum is taught rather than the content itself. All hours are per fortnight.