Curriculum Overview

At OSCA we offer a broad and balanced curriculum to students in each stage of their learning, ensuring that the needs of each individual student are met through our subject offer, support systems for SEN and More Able/ G & T students and our pastoral systems. This was mentioned in our 2015 OFSTED report “leaders have improved the curriculum by offering a wider and more challenging range of courses in Key Stage 4.”

Year 7-9:

Year 7 – we offer a curriculum in line with the National Curriculum.  All students will study Mathematics, English, Science, Geography, History, RE, Design Technology, PE, Art, Music, Dance and Drama and ICT.  All students in Year 7 also study French.

Year 8 – we offer a curriculum in line with the National Curriculum.  All students will study Mathematics, English, Science, Geography, History, RE, Design Technology, PE, Art, Music, Dance and Drama and ICT. All students in Year 8 also study French.

Year 9 – we offer a curriculum in line with the National Curriculum.  All students will study Mathematics, English, Science, Geography, History, RE, Design Technology, PE, Art, Music, Dance and Drama and ICT. All students in Year 9 also study French.

For Year 7-11 Citizenship will be delivered through a variety of means including assemblies; our tutor led sessions in Years 7-11. In addition, many aspects of Citizenship will also be addressed throughout the curriculum.

Our form time and Character Development programme also enables the needs of the new RSE – Relationships and Sex education and health education curriculum (2020) and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) issues.

The Options process is very thorough and robust.  This is supported by student and parent voice.  Students are given a significant amount of guidance, including independent careers advice.  Students are given greater ‘personalisation’ through their Key Stage Four curriculum as they follow one of three bespoke pathways which best meets their needs:  Aspire, Advance or Achieve. There is dialogue around the allocation of Pathways with parents and students and an element of flexibility as appropriate.

Year 10 & Year 11:

All students study Maths, English and Science and participate in PE.  Students will also have a lesson focussed on character development. To complement the academic rigour of their studies, students will be exposed to key aspects of character growth, utilising aspects of citizenship and RE to be taught a program that entwines ethics, civic duty and moral development.

In Science specifically, students are guided to study either double Science or triple Science based upon progress made throughout Years 7-9.

Our KS4 character curriculum delivers RE as well as exploring topics and providing opportunities to practice skills which highlight critical and creative thinking as well as developing ‘the whole child’.