Curriculum Rationale

Our curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced to ensure we deliver our overarching aim of ‘Achievement for All’: ‘for all our students to be safe, happy and successful, developing as individuals into caring, responsible citizens equipped for life in the 21st century’.

Achievement for All is underpinned by our school aims and it is as a result of our rich and challenging curriculum that we are able to meet the needs of our entire school community. We wholeheartedly believe that our curriculum is much broader than just our taught lessons and is present in every exciting opportunity and experience that we are so passionate about providing for the students within our school community.

“Learning is a constant process of discovery – a process without end”

Accepting that this statement is true, we firmly believe that our curriculum must look well beyond what is examinable and strive to develop well rounded, resilient individuals who are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to overcome future challenges. The curriculum at Haslingden High School and Sixth Form ensures students acquire a strong set of values and beliefs, leaving with the cultural capital to be successful learners in the future, who can confidently overcome new and more complex problems and are well equipped to navigate change.

The individual subjects combine to make up our curriculum and all recognise the unique contributions they can provide to a child’s development as they make their way through school.  Our curriculum is broad, balanced and ambitious, with the national curriculum offering a foundation on which to build. The three year Key Stage 3 allows for students to develop the building blocks of what they need to know and do in preparation for future success.

Each year has its own place in our curriculum and builds sequentially on prior learning whilst also preparing students for the next stages of their education, employment or training.  We prioritise opportunities to facilitate knowledge retrieval, assisting students to commit knowledge to long term memory and therefore reducing cognitive load when meeting new learning. This, in conjunction with our belief in the importance and value of metacognition and high-quality vocabulary, supports students in forming connections to other things they know, believe or have experienced, which in turn unlocks students’ potential to access further learning and understanding.

Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive for all learners. We recognise the challenges faced by our most vulnerable and disadvantaged learners and as such, our curriculum is adapted, designed and developed to overcome these barriers to success. We have placed greater emphasis on oracy, reading and vocabulary and seize opportunities within our curriculum to explicitly address these factors that limit performance.

With curriculum development being part of our daily practice, we believe that it is our coherent approach to planning and design, aided by expert delivery, that creates the perfect platform upon which to secure deep learning in the classroom and beyond. We believe we create the opportunities and experiences to motivate and inspire Haslingden High School and Sixth Form students to develop a passion for learning that will go with them into the world and ensure that they are both proud of their time at our school and that they are well prepared for their future.

If you wish to find out more about the curriculum on offer at Haslingden High School, please view the subject specific pages or contact Ms E Edyvean.