Our Curriculum Intent is the framework which sets out the aims of the education we choose to deliver at Hillside High School. This is underpinned by our three core strands:
Knowledge Led
Reading is Power
Diverse Opportunities
These core strands have been informed by evidence and the needs of our pupils. These core strands permeate each curriculum area across the school, and you can explore the knowledge and skills set out to be covered within each subject area on our website.
You can find an infographic which provides more detail here. Below the infographic you can also read the full outline of our Curriculum Intent.
Curriculum Intent and Vision
Curriculum Aims
To create:
It is essential that the curriculum is organised in such a way that it provides all pupils with the opportunity to develop themselves as successful learners who are well-prepared and excited about life after Hillside. It is essential that the curriculum is organised in such a way that it ensures the values inherent in our “Excellence in the Heart of the Community” ethos becomes a reality for the pupils.
Strategic Intent
To develop a curriculum which:
Curriculum Principles
Course Content
Key Stage 3 Pathways: During the first three years at Hillside (Years 7 to 9) pupils will follow the following subjects: English Language and Literature, Maths, Science, Spanish, History, Geography, Art, Design Technology, Computer Science, Drama, Music, Religious Studies and Physical Education.
In Year 9 pupils will decide on a range of subjects they wish to study at KS4 in Years 10 and 11 through the options process.
Key Stage 4 Pathways: All pupils study Core subjects of English, English Literature, Maths, Science, PE and Personal Development. Through the Options Process pupils choose at least one subject from: Spanish, History or Geography and then three additional subjects, in which they will gain either GCSE or equivalent qualifications.
Enrichment
We recognise the need for a curriculum to extend beyond the academic, technical or vocational and provides for learners’ broader development, enabling them to develop and discover their interests and talents. Hillside provides a wide range of enrichment activities which aim to broaden our pupils’ knowledge of the wider world and supports them to develop important life skills.
Personal Development
At Hillside High School we recognise that for pupils to benefit from their time with us we must ensure that they have the best possible teaching and pastoral care and they must ensure that they try to meet the expectations placed on them in work, conduct and attitude.We believe that the school should actively promote all pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by providing positive experiences through planned and coherent opportunities in the curriculum and through interactions with teachers, other adults and the local community.The aim of our Personal Development curriculum aims to ensure that the values inherent in our “Excellence in the Heart of the Community” ethos becomes a reality for the pupils.
At Hillside High School, the purpose of Personal Development is to develop pupils who are:
In order to achieve these aims, the following sets out the Personal Development curriculum intent:
Character Development
At Hillside High School, we recognize the importance of character education in our culture and ethos and through the Hillside Way, we summarize our core values.
Three aspects of the Hillside Way focus specifically on the development of pupil’s character; Resilience, Positivity and Kindness.Each term there will be a focus on each of these three-character virtues. Staff should, where appropriate, in lessons or in discussions with pupils highlight these virtues to pupils. It is important that through our personal development programme we explicitly teach pupils about the virtues but staff should also exemplify and communicate our character traits in the way they interact with pupils, parents, colleagues and governors.
Behaviour and Attitudes
At Hillside High School we aim to create a school where the personal development of our learners is pivotal. From the outset of a pupil’s secondary school journey we believe that the emphasis should not only be about progress and attainment of an individual, but of equal importance is equipping learners with the skills and characteristics to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who contribute positively to the local and wider community.
Our aim is to support learners to become young people who are:
We believe that it is the shared responsibility of all staff to support pupils in the above through their everyday practice. We recognise that pupils need a tailored approach to supporting their personal development. We also recognise the need to build positive relationships with parents and families and we believe that early identification and intervention is the key to positive outcomes.
We know that the most effective learners are learners who feel safe and happy in school. To ensure this we must create a culture where pupils and staff have, and insist on consistently high expectations in terms of behaviour and attitudes. We aim to foster a culture where ‘every pupil has the right to learn and every teacher has the right to teach’. We understand that creating a sufficiently disciplined environment in school and the classroom is a prerequisite to any learning taking place.
Hillside High
Breeze Hill
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 9NU
Tel: 0151 525 2630
Email: admin@hillsidehigh.co.uk
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