A curriculum that delivers an education of excellence for all. Leigh Academy Halley aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills and experiences so that they can play an active and informed role in modern 21st Century Britain.
We believe passionately in the mastery of the core within a broad, balanced and coherent curriculum that develops the whole child holistically.
The curriculum is shaped by, and deeply rooted in, the strongest available evidence about how students learn and retain knowledge in the long term. We value the uniqueness of each subject we offer. We are committed to students engaging deeply and comprehensively with both substantive and disciplinary knowledge so that they achieve strong outcomes throughout each phase of the curriculum: the Middle Years Programme (MYP), a two year Key Stage 4 and the International Baccalaureate Careers Programme (IBCP).
Our curriculum prepares students to lead fulfilling and successful adult lives: inquisitive, articulate and internationally engaged, our students are defined by their boundless thirst for knowledge, self-improvement and learning.
We have a deliberately planned and sequenced 7 year curriculum journey. We have identified and considered the knowledge, skills and values that enable academic excellence and develop quality of character. Directors of Learning and teachers then plan backwards from this point, to ensure that at each phase of their journey they receive a rigorous, coherently and intelligently sequenced curriculum.
Our robust assessment practices carry real meaning: they explicitly challenge the misconceptions of students, so that our lessons are unapologetically focused on removing the barriers to learning for all learners.
Students have deep and substantive knowledge precisely because this is deliberately planned, honed and mastered. Our schemes of learning are interleaved, providing ample and timely opportunities to purposefully practice skills and retain knowledge in the long term.
We strive towards our students increasingly making progress at or above national standards. We do this precisely because they have engaged deeply and meaningfully with a broad and balanced range of diverse and challenging academic and vocational disciplines. Students can make informed post-18 decisions, most suited to their interests, abilities and future career goals due to the quality of the qualifications and character development they have received at our academy.
Subjects
VALUES
- Physical and Health Education – P.E.
- Individuals and Societies – Geography, Global Citizenship and History
- Language Acquisition – French and Spanish
- Arts – Art, Drama and Music
- Design – ICT and Technology
- Curriculum Phase – International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP)
- Language and Literature – English Literature and Language
- Mathematics – Mathematics
- Sciences – Science
VALUES
- Physical and Health Education – Physical Education (non-examined) and BTEC Sport
- Individuals and Societies – Geography, History and Religious Studies
- Language Acquisition – French and Spanish
- Arts – Art, Drama and BTEC Music
- Design – BTEC Business, Creative iMedia, Design Technology, BTEC Engineering and BTEC Food Technology
- Curriculum Phase – GCSE and Vocational Qualifications
- Language and Literature – English Literature and Language
- Mathematics – Mathematics
- Sciences – Combined Science and Triple Science
VALUES
- Physical and Health Education – BTEC Diploma Sport
- Individuals and Societies – BTEC Criminology, IB Geography, IB History and IB Psychology
- Language Acquisition – IB French and IB Spanish
- Arts – IB Art and BTEC Performance Art
- Design – BTEC Business, BTEC Diploma Engineering and OCR ICT
- Curriculum Phase – International Baccalaureate Careers-related Programme (IBCP) and Vocational Qualifications
- Language and Literature – IB English Language & Literature and GCSE English Resit
- Mathematics – IB Mathematics and GCSE Mathematics Resit
- Sciences – IB Biology, IB Physics and BTEC Diploma Applied Science
Teaching and Learning
At Leigh Academy Halley, student learning is at the heart of everything we do. We use the strongest possible evidence of how students learn best, work hard and remember more to ensure that all students enjoy meaningful, challenging and successful learning experiences.
We have 6 core teaching and learning principles which drive forward the learning that takes place in lessons at the Academy.
We…
So that students…
Promote active participation
Engage in thinking hard about their learning
Reward effort and recognise effort
Understand the connection between effort and achievement
Ensure consistent application of our behaviour policy
Can think hard about their learning free from distraction
Have clear routines and effective classroom management
Do not waste valuable lesson time due to distractions from others
Every lesson has…
So that students…
Clearly defined outcomes
Know what they are learning and how to do it during the lesson
Highly effective explanations
Can understand new ideas and tasks quickly
Activities where new knowledge is founded upon previous knowledge
Learn new knowledge by referencing the knowledge they already know
Independent practice
Apply their knowledge to different questions, make mistakes and learn from them
Key vocabulary highlighted
Develop their subject specific literacy
Every lesson has…
So that students…
Substantive knowledge
Develop a deep and critical engagement with the substantive knowledge being taught
Excellence modelled and how to achieve it
Know what excellence looks like and how they can do the same in their own work
The promotion of the highest standards of literacy
Read, write and speak with fluency and accuracy
Opportunities to apply new knowledge to a range of questions
Perform to the best of their abilities in their examinations
Every lesson…
So that students…
Features low stakes testing
Make progress by knowing what they are doing well, and what they can do to improve
Models excellence and how to achieve it
Know what excellence looks like and how they can do the same in their own work
Addresses misconceptions
Avoid mistakes and misunderstandings
Builds upon previous learning
Cover the full curriculum so that they can get the best grades possible
In every lesson we…
So everybody…
Pitch high
Is challenged to exceed expectations
Break new knowledge into manageable pieces
Retains new knowledge in their long term memory
Provide support and scaffold for all
Can access and enjoy their learning
Ensure teaching understands and meets the learning needs of students
Makes exceptional progress
We provide…
So…
Timely feedback to maximise learning
Students can swiftly unlock further learning
Formative assessment throughout a lesson
Teachers know which topics to re-teach so that students can make excellent progress
Specific, accurate and clear comments
Students know how to improve their work and perform at their best
Time to reflect and act upon feedback
Students develop their critical self-reflection skills