As part of United Learning our curriculum is based on these key principles:

• Entitlement: All students have the right to learn what is in the United Learning curriculum and our curriculum at Central Academy offers a breadth of learning to all.
• Coherence: Taking the National Curriculum as its starting point, our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that powerful knowledge builds term by term and year by year. We make meaningful connections within subjects and between subjects.
• Mastery: We ensure that foundational knowledge, skills, and concepts are secure before moving on. Students revisit prior learning and apply their understanding in new contexts. 
• Adaptability: The core content – the ‘what’ – of the curriculum is stable, but we bring to life our own local context, and teachers adapt lessons – the ‘how’ – to meet the needs of their classes and our students.
• Representation: All students see themselves in our curriculum, and our curriculum takes all students beyond their immediate experience.
• Education with Character: Our curriculum - which includes the taught subject timetable as well as spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, our co-curricular provision, and the ethos and ‘hidden curriculum’ of the school – is intended to spark curiosity and to nourish both the head and the heart.

At Central Academy we have an aspirational curriculum which is broad, balanced and dynamic. Our aim is to ignite within our students the self-belief to meet their potential. We want students to learn and to enjoy learning. We want students to think and to ask questions. Most importantly, we want students to achieve and feel proud of their success.

At Central Academy we follow a thirty-period two-week timetable, with 3 x 100-minute lessons each day. This enables us to have a balanced amount of curriculum time for English and Mathematics and maintain a wide range of subjects. In addition, there is a 35-minute tutor period between lesson two and three each day.

We pay particular attention to the core skills of English, Mathematics, and ICT; however, we are keen to ensure that students develop the essential skills and qualifications they need to reach their full potential. This means accelerating the more able students and giving extra support to those who need it. Our curriculum meets all the requirements of the National Curriculum and other statutory subjects. We ensure that students are aware of links between different key stages so they can take their knowledge and experience with them from one stage to another.

In Key Stage 3 all students follow the same wide range of subjects, before beginning their GCSE and Vocational courses in Year 10.

Key Stage 3 introduces students to a broad, balanced curriculum. Students study a wide range of core and common curriculum subjects. Through our 3-year Key Stage 3 the curriculum is designed to introduce, develop and prepare students for mastery in a wide range of subjects. Students have the opportunity to experience the time and space needed to build a secure understanding over time. We believe this fully prepares students to flourish when studying their individual options at Key Stage 4.

Key Stage 3 students participate in a daily reading in form time through the tutor reading program. This provides students with exposure to wider reading experiences focusing on fluency and culture.

At Central Academy all students follow a common curriculum within Key Stage 3. This supports students to develop their breadth of skills and knowledge. Supported by United Learning, we have tailored the curriculum package recommended to the requirements of our students and to fully reflect the students that we teach here at Central Academy.

How many lessons will my child be taught?

In Year 9, students make their pathway choices for the subjects they will go on to study through Key Stage 4 in Years 10 and 11. We have an innovative approach to this process where students rank order their subject preferences and our school timetable is built around the ambitions and aims of the students. Students and parents/carers are informed of the whole process in more detail during the January and February of Year 9.

Our Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum is delivered through dedicated drop-down days. This is a sequenced, spiral programme that build on prior learning as pupils progress through their secondary education. In addition, our Relationships and Sex Education curriculum is also delivered through assemblies.

Although it is not yet a statutory requirement, we include economic wellbeing, careers and personal safety as part of our PSHE programme to ensure our pupils are as well prepared as possible to take their place as successful citizens in modern day Britain.

You can find our GCSE Options Booklet 2023/2024 HERE

In Key Stage 4 students at Central Academy follow a curriculum consisting of a number of core subjects complimented by a suite of options from which students tailor their personal curriculum.

How many lessons will my child be taught?

The intervention timetable is regularly updated and circulated to students and their parents/carers. Students and their parents/carers are notified of the intervention sessions that they are required to attend and the duration for which these sessions will last.Students are targeted for intervention as part of our extra-curricular package. Students attend directed intervention either in the morning, lunchtime and/or after school during period 4. These targeted sessions support students to extend and master their learning.

The KS5 curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment. This has been supported through the United Learning subject mentors and the Teaching and Learning fundamentals training. 

Sixth Form students study the intended curriculum. We ensure this by teaching all components of the full programmes of study, although adaptions were necessary for the 2022 examinations due to COVID as specified by the relevant awarding bodies. Remote education was integrated into courses of study and its use for Supervised Study through Teams has continued to support the wider implementation of the school’s curriculum as the Learning Mentor can supervise work directly. 

Over the course of study, teachers design and use activities to help students to remember long term the content they have been taught, to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts. All courses clearly support the intent of a coherently planned curriculum, sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning, independent living and employment. 

Year 12 students currently study 3 x A-level courses – 5x 100 minute lessons per fortnight.

Year 13 students currently study 3 A-level courses – 6x 100 minute lessons per fortnight.

Parents or other members of the public can find out more about the curriculum by contacting subject leaders using info@rrca.org.uk.

They can also access the relevant awarding body websites to obtain information regarding qualifications.

AQA: http://www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications

Edexcel: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/home.html

Eduqas: http://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/

OCR: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/

RSL: https://www.rslawards.com/

WJEC: http://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/