We believe that key to achieving this, is giving every single student a broad, balanced and highly academic curriculum, which has knowledge at its heart. The central place of knowledge acquisition within our curriculum is explicit and we provide rich and varied contexts for students to acquire, develop and apply this broad knowledge.

Powerful knowledge takes a student beyond their own experience. It is knowledge that many will not have access to at home, amongst their friends or in the communities in which they live. We are all the inheritors of the great ideas, writings and discoveries of the past and our young people have a right to learn this knowledge.

We are an inclusive school, yet we are uncompromising in our belief that every student should study our full curriculum. We know that some students will need more help in order to flourish and we work tirelessly to make sure they get the right support to succeed.

By learning our curriculum, we know that our students will be provided with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life and make that positive contribution to society. 

At Plymstock School our core purpose is to empower young people, through education, to have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life and make a positive contribution to society.

Our curriculum in Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9) recognises the National Curriculum as a minimum entitlement. Irrespective of starting point, we aim for all students to study every National Curriculum subject: English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science, at least one Modern Foreign Language, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Computing, Art and Design, Music, Design and Technology and Physical Education. Citizenship, PSHEE, RSE and Careers Education are delivered through our Personal Development curriculum and opportunities to support their delivery across the full KS3 Curriculum are identified. In addition to the National Curriculum, students also study Drama, and a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities are provided to enrich the KS3 Curriculum.

We focus on learning French for the majority of students and provide access to a second language (German).

The breadth of our curriculum continues into Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) and enables students to work towards the equivalent of nine qualifications. Balance is ensured through a compulsory core curriculum of English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science, Geography and/or History, Physical Education, Religious Studies (Ethics and Philosophy in Culture), Personal Development (Personal, Social, Health, Economic and Careers Education and Relationship and Sex Education). There are further option choices from a wide range of additional subject areas, spanning the Arts, Languages, Technology, Sport and the Humanities.

The minimum expectation is that all students study Combined Science – a pathway that facilitates access to A Level Sciences and progression beyond into STEM subjects and into medical professions. We offer Triple Science as an option at KS4 to support those young people with a significant interest in STEM. Religious Studies is taught to all students in KS4 through our Ethics and Philosophy in Culture curriculum, alongside a RS GCSE option for those who choose it.

We recognise that for some learners we may need to provide non-GCSE qualifications and awards as stepping stones to success in literacy and numeracy. Our students take exams at the point of maximum maturity and when content has been studied in the appropriate level of depth. This means we will not pursue early entry as a rule – the exception would be for EAL and bilingual students entering exams in a language they speak at home. 

Our Key Stage 5 (Years 12 and 13) curriculum offers a wide range of Level 3 qualifications. We recommend that the majority of students study three A level/Level 3 qualifications, but further subjects can be taken if appropriate for the individual. Core Mathematics and/or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) can be studied alongside three A Levels/Level 3 qualifications.

The KS5 curriculum is supported by a rich tutor programme which aims to develop students as learners alongside their personal development. The tutor programme includes lessons on study skills, careers, Relationship and Sex Education (RSE), and a tutor project mainly focused on health and wellbeing to develop students’ collaborative skills and confidence in presenting to others. Careers advice and guidance is part of the weekly tutor programme. All students have access to Unifrog to help build their knowledge and understanding of careers, next steps and applications. All students in year 12 undertake work experience. Membership of the Sixth Form Leadership Team develops student responsibility around student voice, wellbeing and inclusion. All students in the Sixth Form are encouraged to ‘Give an Hour’ through volunteering either in school or the wider community.

We have an agreed curriculum structure for all secondary schools within the Trust. This is facilitating high quality curriculum planning by subject specialists, which allows for curriculum alignment, sharing of resources, high quality subject CPD, and a reduction in staff workload. Heads of Department are supported by Executive Directors of Subject and Lead Practitioners.

We see reading as the gateway to the curriculum. An enriched vocabulary enables a better understanding of concepts and ideas, and facilitates access to, and the remembering of, substantive knowledge within and beyond subject areas. All subject areas teach key ‘Tier 3’ vocabulary and high frequency ‘Tier 2’ words through their curriculum. We also provide a personalised, structured reading programme for pupils requiring support with reading development so that they can access our challenging curriculum. Reading instruction focuses on improving students’ phonics awareness and their decoding and comprehension skills. Reciprocal Reading is utilised to improve pupils’ ability to predict, question, clarify, summarise, infer and to activate prior knowledge.

Our well-designed curriculum aims to ensure that our students grow in self-confidence in their ability to make progress as they master rigorous content. In addition, we fully embrace the responsibility we hold in the wider personal development of our students. Our curriculum provides numerous opportunities for personal development outside of the classroom through a diverse range of activities including visits to the theatre, concerts, sporting events, field trips, challenges and opportunities to engage with local employers. We aim to provide co-curricular activities across a wide spectrum of different domains and monitor that all groups of students are participating and carefully consider any barriers to participation. We are continuously seeking to increase the opportunities for volunteering. Our aim is to ensure character education is fully embedded across the school and that teachers are striving to ensure that students develop the character traits that will support our students to flourish in wider society. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our students and, within this, the promotion of fundamental British values, are at the heart of what we do at Plymstock School. Within our curriculum we plan for many opportunities to help our students to develop into well-rounded citizens, ready to play an active part in 21st Century Britain.
All Year 7 pupils take part in a day of team-building activities as part of their induction to the school, geography fieldwork and a community cohesion week at the end of year 7. All Year 8 and 9 students take part in ‘challenge week’ where they can opt for a variety of activities that further enhance their personal development. Activities on offer range from residential trips to France, Germany, Cornwall to a PGL camp. Students can take part in off-site activities such as fishing, water sports, horse riding, surfing and skiing, as well as school-based activities that include art workshops, theatre workshops and citizenship studies. Various foreign trips throughout the year give our students the experience of a different culture and the opportunity to use the language they are learning in the classroom in real life situations. 

We actively encourage participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and large numbers of students readily take up this opportunity. Our outstanding sports provision encourages inclusivity across all year groups. There are many different sporting clubs available. We also hold a yearly ‘Festival of Sport’ that enables all students, whatever their sporting interests, to take part in a wide variety of sports, in addition to competitive athletics.

We provide high quality, impartial careers guidance that helps our students to make informed choices about which courses suit their academic needs and aspirations. Our students are well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment, self-employment or training. The school employs a full-time careers advisor, who provides impartial advice to all students. Careers education is strong and forms an important part of the Personal Development Programme and tutorial programme. We actively promote employer engagement with our students. We are one of the few schools that continues to promote work experience and every student completes a one-week placement at the end of Year 10 along with further opportunities in Year 12.