The Beulah Hill Curriculum
The Beulah Hill Curriculum
Scholarly, Aspirational and Compassionate
We want our students to be scholarly, aspirational, and compassionate.
- Scholarly, in their determined and thoughtful approach to work;
- Aspirational, in their desire to overcome challenges and succeed; and
- Compassionate, in the way they treat others with kindness and care.
Our curriculum embodies these core three values in a range of different ways. First, the curriculum is designed to be knowledge rich. At its most fundamental level, for students to achieve well, they need to know more and remember more. In all subjects, the sequencing of the curriculum is planned in a coherent and logical way so that new knowledge consistently builds on existing knowledge. Regular checkpoints and reviews take place both in lessons and throughout the year to ensure that knowledge is retained. Where gaps appear, measures are put in place to address these.
Second, our curriculum is challenging. Subject teachers are experts in their discipline and plan lessons that force students to think. Regular modelling of tasks and clear explanations help to frame discussions before guiding students towards independent work. Stretch activities feature in all lessons and are designed to push students academically. However, the curriculum is also inclusive. Scaffolding and success criteria are included at each steps to support students to access difficult content and to achieve.
Third, the curriculum also supports students to develop their knowledge of the world and to understand others. Whether exploring global issues in tutor discussions, reading diverse texts in English, studying moral issues in Humanities, we teach our students the values of tolerance and respect and to stand up to prejudice in all its forms.
A Typical Lesson:
To support students to succeed, we believe consistency across subjects is key. Teaching can be a complex task, but if overcomplicated can become detrimental to students learning. As such, we have outlined some basic principles that will feature in all lessons detailed below.
Literacy
The Beulah Hill curriculum also promotes the development of literacy. It is widely recognised that literacy is one of the most important indicators of academic success. Building strong vocabulary is at the heart of this process and features in all lessons as well as opportunities to read, practise extended writing and discuss and debate ideas. We also support departments in developing specific disciplinary literacy, which is unique to each subject. Finally, the Academy has a dedicated tutor reading programme and library to promote a love of reading from a young age and foster good habits for future academic success.
Our literacy approach is summarised here:
literacy and develop disciplinary literacy within their subject areas:
Numeracy
At Harris Academy Beulah Hill, we firmly believe that all students should be numerate and its with this conviction that we have implemented the following strategies to engage and promote the need for numeracy.
What is Numeracy?
Numeracy is a proficiency, which is developed mainly in mathematics but also in other subjects. It is more than an ability to do basic arithmetic. It involves developing confidence and competence with numbers and measures. It requires understanding of the number system, a repertoire of mathematical techniques, and an ability to solve quantitative or spatial problems in a range of contexts. Numeracy also demands understanding of the ways in which data are gathered by:
- counting and measuring
- presented in graphs
- diagrams
- charts and tables.
Numeracy Policy can be found (here) – policy to be shared
How we promote Numeracy at Harris Academy Beulah Hill
Tutor Time KS3
- Tutor time numeracy programme for all KS3 students weekly.
- Stage 1 – Improving Mental Maths
- Stage 2 – Maths in the real world
- Real life scenario in Math lessons at least once per week
Numeracy Across the Curriculum
- KS4 and KS5 lessons
- Cross curricula planning
- A member of the maths department will be responsible for the numeracy component of each subject
- The team member will meet with that subject once a month to ensure we are using common language across key numerical concepts
We believe the development of numeracy skills is a basic entitlement for all pupils. Poor numeracy skills can hold back students’ progress, not just in Mathematics lessons, and can lower self-esteem. Improving these skills is a whole-academy matter.
Why is Numeracy important?
Everyone needs to be numerate to maximise their life chances and to make a positive contribution to society.
We want every student to reach a level of numeracy that allows them to follow the career or further education path of their choice when they leave us. We want them to reach a level of numeracy that enables them to realise their full potential and carry out day-to-day numerical tasks with ease.
Students at the academy experience numeracy in a range of subjects, not just Maths. From weighing ingredients in food technology to calculating average times in PE, all subjects aim to give students a grounding in numeracy.
Mathematics teaches us how to make sense of the world around us through developing a child’s ability to calculate, reason and solve problems. It enables children to understand and appreciate relationships and pattern in both number and space in their everyday lives.
Our Numeracy policy has been developed to inform both teachers and parents about strategies used for teaching key topics within the Mathematics Department.
Other departments and schools within the Academy use this policy to understand how topics are taught in Mathematics, meaning that the teaching of topics is more uniform and thus makes students’ learning easier.
It is hoped that the use of the information provided in the links below will help you understand the way a number of key topics are taught to your children, making it easier for you to support them with their homework and, as a result, improve their progress.
Key Stage Four
The intent of our curriculum is to provide a solid foundation across a wide range of disciplines to allow students to specialise in certain subjects as they progress through the school. This is achieved through our comprehensive Key Stage 3 programme which offers a great deal of variety and meets the NC in full. This offering at Key Stage 3 allows us to be ambitious for Key Stage 4, where all students continue to study an academic curriculum, taking one or more humanities subjects with as many as possible also studying a language to complete the Ebacc qualification. However, we also offer a vocational route to students wishing to pursue a potentially different future career path. This approach will maximise the number of students equipped to progress to higher education.
At key stage four:
All students will study:
English language, English literature, Mathematics, Combined or Trilogy Science, Core PE and Core RE
They are able to choose from:
History, Geography, French or Spanish, Religious Studies, Computing, Music, Art, GCSE PE, Economics, Sociology,
Vocational: Media, Music, Business, Sport, Travel and Tourism
PSHE & SRE
Careers – CBU
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
& Work-Related Learning (WRL)
By working in partnership with external agencies, businesses, and members of our community we will provide accurate and focused career information, advice and guidance tailored to the individual needs of our students, and thereby enabling our students to make informed choices about their career pathways.
Our annual careers plan is embedded into everything we do as an Academy. In the tutor programme, students are exposed to the platform UNIFROG which enables them to research, record and interact with Labour market information about relevant careers and use this information to make career choices at every year. There are days assigned to careers within the school yeas in Autumn, Spring and Summer, where students get ample time to interact with employers, business leaders and places of work, through Assemblies, virtual experiences as well as field trips. We have Careers Day in Autumn, Careers Week and Apprenticeship Week which take place in the Spring term and a Careers and PSHE day in summer term which are pre-planned experiences for students to participate in. We also encourage students and teachers to evaluate the experiences so that the provision can be revisited and re-evaluated to improve, so that students are better suited to make informed decisions about their career pathways. To also aid this, we also work alongside the Federation Careers Team, and each student across the year is provided with careers guidance from our very experienced careers advisor.
Provision per term is detailed more below:
| Year Group | Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Year 7 |
UNIFROG sessions Careers Fair | National Careers Week National Apprenticeship Week |
|
| Year 8 | UNIFROG sessions
Careers Fair | National Careers Week
National Apprenticeship Week |
|
| Year 9 | Careers Fair
Choosing the right options to help me reach my dream careers college talk |
National Careers Week
National Apprenticeship Week | Careers session
UNIFROG sessions |
| Year 10 | Let’s talk College carousel assembly Interview Skills workshop Apprenticeships College Session | National Careers Week
National Apprenticeship Week | Careers Fair
Careers Workshops with employers in subject areas |
| Year 11 | Skills London Expo ExCel London | National Careers Week
National Apprenticeship Week |
|
| Year 12 | Skills London Expo ExCel London | National Careers Week
National Apprenticeship Week | University visits Careers Expo- London Olympia |
As a Careers team, we are also guided by the latest labour market information, which helps us keep our provision for our students as relevant to the current world of work as is possible.
Unifrog
Unifrog is a careers platform that is used at the academy. All pupils have their own account to record any careers related activities they take part in, for example:
- Any encounters with employers
- Meetings with the Careers Adviser throughout the year
- Any skills they acquire as part of their learning journey
- Visits to other education providers
- Recording work experience placement
Unifrog can be found here. 
Labour Market Information
In addition to the work we do to increase student awareness of careers and work, we also encourage all students to regularly access the most up to date information about careers and pathways. Below, students can find a brilliant tool from 'LMI For All' that helps them to investigate information about a wide range of careers.
To embed Careerometer from LMI for all please use code below:
The Skillsometer
Skillsometer has been designed for those who are not sure what jobs they may be interested in. Thinking about skills, interests and the ways these can link to jobs can be a helpful first step in identifying possible future jobs. Users take the quiz, which requires them to reflect on a number of statements and decide what they love, are not sure about or dislike.
To embed the Skillsometer from LMI for All, please use code below:
Careers and Provider Access Policies
The most recent versions of our Careers Education Policy and our Provider Access policy can be found in the policies areas here <
Further information and useful information
The Harris Careers Education website is free for all Harris students to access
Scholarship Programme – CBU
When students are admitted to the academy in September, they complete additional Cognitive Abilities Tests (CAT4) in or just before the autumn term. Research has shown that these tests make a difference to how children learn and achieve as they give us an accurate indication of students’ competencies in verbal, non- verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning. Along with this data, we also consider students SAT scores from primary to then invite the top 40 students in the cohort to apply for one of our STEM or Maths scholarships. These students will then sit tests in Science and Maths and the top 30 will be awarded a place on the scholarship programme. They will stay on the programme for three years. Upon successful completion, they will move over into the Brilliant Club and Harris Experience programme.
- Masterclasses
- Workshops
- Visits to universities
- Specialist careers guidance
- Visits to Museums
- Bespoke Programmes in Engineering
- Additional resources
We also offer our more athletic students a PE scholarship. Our very adept PE team will conduct a talent ID programme from September, after which 15 successful students will be chosen to be on the programme. This will be a 3-year non-monetary award, but with numerous additional opportunities for your child to flourish in our Sports Programme. The provision includes:
- Masterclasses and Workshops
- Coaching sessions
- Visits to universities and sporting arenas
- Opportunity to be selected on merit to represent the Academy at Federation and regional sporting competitions on Academy Teams
- Opportunity to be a Student Ambassador within the Academy and wider Federation
- Additional Sporting kit
To retain the scholarship each year, your child will be expected to be present at and participate in the extra-curricular activities relevant to PE each week, take part in planned competitions and coaching activities, maintain top grades in PE and continue the subject into GCSE.
Impeccable standards of behaviour and discipline are also expected. Failure to uphold this means that the scholarship award can be withdrawn.
Year 9 Options Process - KBU
Towards the Middle of the year in Year 9, student will be engaged in their Options Process. This is the opportunity for students to choose subjects that they would like to sit their exams for at Key Stage 4.
Our curriculum is designed to ensure students study a rich and broad variety of subjects offered within each option block, which will enable students to flourish in the next step of their education and life.
We have high expectations for all of our students and would encourage as many students as possible to study subjects that allow them to achieve the EBacc (English Baccalaureate). This would include choosing at least one of the humanities (History or Geography) and a language. This route is strongly recommended for those students considering applying to a top University.
We also offer a range of vocational qualifications that combine coursework and examinations, alongside several creative subjects that ensure students can develop their passions.
Students will be asked to make their final decisions about their option choices towards the end of March, when they will be asked to complete an online form indicating their preferences.
Students are always encouraged not to make their choices based on what their friends are doing or whether they like a particular teacher. They should choose options that they enjoy and are likely to have the best possible outcomes.
Which subjects can you study?
Students will be asked to select four subjects from the list of options available. You will find short video presentations on our website for each subject that you will find helpful.
Community Languages at Key Stage 4 (GCSE)
All students who can already speak, read and write a language other than English, such as French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, Urdu, Bengali or Arabic, may be able to take an early entry GCSE in the language. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain an additional qualification and have this linguistic ability officially recognised. This is also a skill that is much sought after by employers.
Students will need to provide evidence of their ability and study independently for the exam. Students who are interested in taking a GCSE in their chosen language will be baseline tested at the end of Year 9 to determine whether they are ready to take the exam.
If you have any questions before then please contact the Assistant Principal in charge of Languages, Ms A Bonney (BonneyA@harrissouthnorwood.org.uk)
Choosing which subjects to study
To help you decide what subjects to study in Year 10 and Year 11 start by considering which subjects you enjoy and subjects you are good at.
Questions to consider when making your choice:
- What are you interested in? it could be other cultures and languages, writing projects, helping people, being outdoors or designing things.
- What types of activity do you enjoy most? working things out and thinking them through, writing short stories, practical activities or artistic options like painting, photography, drawing or performing music?
- What are your hobbies and interests outside of school and how do you think it might tie into subjects? For example, if you enjoy designing you may want to consider Design Technology or Art as an option.
- Do you have an idea of what type of career you would like to pursue in the future, and if so, have you researched subjects that are related to it?
Which subjects are useful for certain careers?
Different subjects are useful for certain career choices. For example, studying business studies can lead to jobs as an estate agent, digital marketer, or financial adviser.
The websites below will give you more information about how the subjects you choose can support future careers, degree choice and apprenticeships.
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors
https://www.studential.com/GCSEs/choosing-your-GCSE-subject-options
http://www.apprenticeshipguide.co.uk/what-are-the-entry-requirements-for-apprenticeships/
What if you don’t know what you would like to do as a career?
It’s ok if you are unsure of what type of career you would like to do in the future. The quizzes below will help you by identifying your strengths and skills and will then match these to particular job sectors. The quizzes take less than five minutes to complete and are worth completing to give you an idea of the types of careers you might like.
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/quiz
The decision is yours to make, although, you may want to talk it through with family members or friends as they know you best. But remember they may not have a lot of knowledge about particular careers or courses, make sure you research all of your possible options. Your friends may want you to choose the same subjects as them, but you may have a different career goal from them, so it is important to not let them impact your final decision.
Your subject teachers have a wealth of knowledge about their subject and careers relating to it, so it is always worth speaking to them after you watch the subject presentations on the school website.
Lastly your Careers Lead, Mr M LeMarerchal (LeMarerchalM@harrissouthnorwood.org.uk) is on hand to offer careers advice as well as the Careers Adviser Ms L. Miller-Simon who is in school once a week and offers drop-in sessions during lunchtime.
