The curriculum at Bishop Stopford School is underpinned by our Core Values of Faith, Justice, Truth, Responsibility and Compassion and carefully aligned with Our Intent.
We are committed to ensuring that each student realises their unique potential and that no student will be left behind or left out because of social, learning or other disadvantage. Delivering on this ambition enables our students to progress successfully through the key stages and beyond school to further study or employment.
Underpinning curriculum design at the school is the recognition that our students are entitled to access the “best which has been said and thought in the world”. As a result, schemes of work are academic, sequential and knowledge-driven, and lessons have a rich language base and intellectual rigour inherent within them.
In the Wider Curriculum, students develop skills, knowledge and attitudes which complement their subject learning. Worship is a vital part of daily life where spiritual development, values building and reflection guide all that we do. Students also learn about careers, resilience and emotional wellbeing, develop their reading and wider literacy, team-building and character development. Where necessary, there is access to additional learning support, whether for a specific learning difficulty, disability or for subject intervention. Personal, social and health education and relationships and sex education are delivered through the taught curriculum and conference days.
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 lasts for Years 7-9 to allow the range of subjects to be studied and to build secure foundations for the two-year GCSE programmes of study.
Students are taught in sets for some subjects (e.g. Mathematics); in others, they are taught in mixed ability groups (e.g. History).
In addition to lessons, students take part in a range of other activities to enhance their learning and to foster character development, independence and interdependence. These include STEM days (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), team building residentials, sporting, languages and creative arts events.
During Year 9, students make choices about the Key Stage 4 courses they wish to follow. These courses will lead to qualifications which both have integrity and enable our students to move confidently into the next stage of their lives.
Key Stage 4
Our curriculum at Key Stage 4, in line with our intent, is unapologetically academic. Over 95% of our Year 10 and 11 students are currently entered for the EBACC suite of subjects. This gives them access to a full range of employment options when they leave school and the broad knowledge which employers are looking for.
A small number of students follow a more bespoke, alternative curriculum but will still take up to 8 GCSEs.
Beyond the classroom, as well as subject-related activities, students take part in a variety of events such as Enterprise Day, Holocaust Awareness Day, sporting and creative arts activities.
Key Stage 5
There are 23 A Level/BTec subjects on offer to students which reflects the seriousness of our curriculum ambition. Students usually study three subjects for two years.
Alongside the taught curriculum, there are impressive university-style study facilities to support independent study. In Year 12, students take part in a fortnightly programme of careers education, study skills and personal development and in Year 13, they are allocated a personal mentor. There are also a number of personal development conferences to support students as they consider their futures, covering topics such as health and finance. Extracurricular sports and extensive subject-related activities are all part of the ‘BSS6’ experience. Further details of our A Level courses are available here.
For more information on the curriculum, please contact Mr G Kirke.