As part of our vision of pursuing excellence, we strongly believe in offering a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum, which caters for our pupils’ needs. 

It supports them in fulfilling their ambitions, whilst also fostering a love of learning, the skills to be successful and an understanding of how they can be healthy, safe and well-rounded citizens. This successful curriculum approach is underpinned by high quality teaching and an emphasis on fostering positive learning behaviours from pupils. 

Our curriculum is a knowledge-rich curriculum, which has been carefully mapped out across all subjects to develop powerful knowledge – knowledge which is systematically developed to predict, explain concepts and enable pupils to envisage alternatives. This knowledge is not just that prescribed by the national curriculum or by exam boards, but knowledge which allows pupils to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject and foster a full appreciation for each discipline and its importance in the world. 

To this end, our curriculum is built around providing pupils with a strong appreciation for academic subjects as well as practical foundation subjects such as Music, Performing Arts, Graphic Arts and Design Technology. Across all year groups in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, the curriculum offer is underpinned by a strong investment of time in English, Maths, Science, History, Geography and Modern Foreign Languages in Key Stage 3 and 4. These subjects, which form the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects, have been demonstrated to have a beneficial impact on student attainment and on pupils remaining in A-Level education subsequently. 
 
Another key focus of our curriculum is on personal development. This focus is developed throughout all aspects of the taught curriculum as a Golden thread, as well as being taught discretely through PD lessons and assemblies. The taught PD programme fulfil the statutory requirements for relationships and sex education, RE and PSHCE. They also promote Fundamental British Values, develop pupils’ understanding of careers, and promote the development of character. These attributes complement the academic development of pupils to ensure they become healthy, well-rounded and effective members of society. All aspects of our curriculum are founded in the Academy values; We Care, We Challenge, We Commit. 
 
Our curriculum also includes a wide and varied extra-curricular enrichment offer through after school clubs and activities. We also offer daily homework clubs to support our pupils in completing homework where they may have barriers away from the Academy. 

We also use home learning as a means of consolidating and extending the learning which occurs within the classroom, which we encourage parents/carers to discuss and support students in completing. Home learning support is run after school, once a week, by Key Stage Phase leaders. Further details of our approach to home learning are available HERE (link to be added) 

Key Stage 3 

At Fulwood Academy, we run a three-year Key Stage 3 (KS3) with a focus on breadth, balance and challenge. At KS3, pupils will study: Music; Performing Arts (including Drama); Design Technology (Food Technology & Textiles); Graphic Arts (Fine Art, Graphics, Photography); Computer Science; Religious Education; Personal Development and Leadership through PE. These subjects sit alongside the academic disciplines of English, Maths, Science, History, Geography and Modern Languages, which are also undertaken by all pupils. 

Key Stage 4 

At Key Stage 4, pupils select four options which they choose to specialise in at greater depth. These options are undertaken alongside the core provision of GCSE English, GCSE English Literature, GCSE Maths and GCSE Combined Science/Triple Science, Personal Development, Core RE and Core PE. 
 
All options are chosen at the end of Year 9 and studied over two years. Pupils receive extensive guidance and support in making informed choices which best meet their needs and aspirations. To this end, pupils are guided onto one of two options pathways: 

• Core Plus: a pathway in which pupils are guided toward studying the full suite of EBacc certificate qualifications (Core subjects plus a humanities subject and a modern language). Alongside this, they have two further option choices. 

• Core: a pathway in which pupils are able to make a more open choice whilst having the ability to choose an EBacc pathway. This pathway allows them equality of opportunity to opt to sit the EBacc certificate suite of qualifications if they wish.