Secondary Curriculum
At the core of Hollinwood Academy's mission is "Learning together, learning for all, learning for life." This belief, along with our school values, shapes our whole curriculum. We are committed to enabling all children and young people, regardless of their background, ability, or additional needs, to flourish and become the best version of themselves.
Our vision is to "Create Meaningful Futures" within an inclusive learning environment where all children and young people are valued, supported, and challenged to achieve their personal best. As such, our curriculum offer is designed to align with our values, which are as follows:
- We are caring.
- We are creative.
- We are inspiring.
- We are passionate.
- We are innovative.
- We trust each other.
Curriculum Design: Hollinwood Academy’s whole curriculum is shaped by the school vision, which aims to enable all children and young people, regardless of background, ability, or additional needs, to flourish and become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be. These values are woven throughout our curriculum, ensuring that every aspect of our teaching and learning fosters a positive and empowering environment.
Our secondary curriculum is designed to provide a seamless progression of skills and knowledge across all subjects, allowing children and young people to build a solid foundation of learning and develop transferable skills. We follow the 2014 National Curriculum in England, ensuring that our children and young people receive a high-quality education that meets national standards.
Our curriculum is dynamic and aspirational, providing rich and varied learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and purposeful for our children and young people. We believe that every child deserves a broad and balanced education that allows them to develop academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.
Throughout the Secondary stage, our children and young people are split into three discrete class types:
Main Body
Nurture
The Hubs
Main Body: The main body curriculum at Hollinwood Academy is designed to provide children and young people with a comprehensive and dynamic education, enabling them to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for their personal and academic growth. Following the 2014 National Curriculum in England, we prioritise English, Maths, and Science as core subjects, where children and young people are taught in grouped ability classes. In all other curriculum subjects, we adopt a mixed ability approach to promote inclusivity and diversity in learning.
The foundation of our Main Body curriculum comprises a wide range of subjects and areas of learning, including English, mathematics, science, humanities, arts, physical education, and social and emotional development. We believe in the importance of nurturing essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and communication, which are vital to children and young peoples' holistic development.
Our primary goal is to equip children and young people with the knowledge and skills that they require to achieve their full potential in life and support each child and young person to reach their desired destination. We aim to do this by ensuring our curriculum offer is ambitious (broad and balanced) to meet the needs of all children in the following areas:
Cognition and Learning
Communication and Interaction
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
Alongside the core subjects, our curriculum encompasses a range of subjects including History, Geography, computing, modern foreign languages, and relationship and sex education. Moreover, we believe in the value of creative subjects such as Music, Food Technology, and Art, which are integral to our holistic approach in nurturing well-rounded individuals. We also promote physical education and outdoor education, encouraging all children and young people to participate actively and develop key life skills. The outdoor education curriculum further supports tailored interventions to ensure that children and young people have the necessary skills to become active and responsible citizens in both the school and wider society.
Through our Main Body curriculum, we aim to empower children and young people at Hollinwood Academy to become confident, knowledgeable, and resilient individuals who are well-prepared for their future endeavours. We continually strive for excellence, ensuring that our curriculum is continuously reviewed and adapted to meet the ever-evolving educational needs and aspirations of our pupils.
Nurture: It is our aim to provide a focused learning environment that considers the wide diversity of characteristics and needs for children and young people who struggle to prosper in the main body curriculum setting. The Nurture Group offers a bespoke learning programme and an adapted curriculum embracing child centred pedagogies. The Nurture Group promotes a “learning for all” ethos focusing on:
- Cognition and Learning
- Communication and Interaction
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
Our curriculum delivery encompasses a balanced approach, incorporating subjects studied in the main body curriculum of the school. In addition to these subjects, we provide enrichment and intervention sessions that specifically address communication, social, emotional, and mental health needs.
The nurture classes are predominantly taught in mixed-ability groups, providing children and young people with a sense of familiarity and continuity. We minimize changes to their learning environment to ensure a stable and supportive setting.
The intent of our Nurture Curriculum is to create an inclusive and nurturing learning experience for our children and young people. By providing a bespoke curriculum that caters to their individual needs and promoting a "learning for all" ethos, we aim to foster their cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Through this approach, we strive to raise aspirations and enable each student to achieve their full potential.
The Hubs: The Wellbeing hub, Inspiration hub and Vision hub promote and support the holistic development for children and young people with diverse characteristics and complex needs. The Wellbeing Hub is a short-term strategy that focuses on developing positive mental health and wellbeing alongside EHCP outcomes and key skills such as: confidence building and resilience, self-worth, being respectful, building and maintaining healthy relationships, managing emotions and anger management; to support children and young people to achieve their full potential in school and prepare them for adulthood.
The inspiration and Vision hub are long term strategies that provide targeted support, alongside a broad and balanced curriculum, offering opportunities for both academic and social and emotional success. The children and young people attending the hubs have found it difficult to prosper in the main body. Both hubs provide focused learning environments that focus on supporting children and young people to achieve the best they can both academically and socially. There is a strong emphasis on supporting children and young people to achieve their EHCP outcomes including preparation for adulthood and careers.
Our core values: we are caring, creative, inspiring, passionate, innovative and collaborative influence the ethos of the hubs ensuring they are focused, safe and inclusive to meet the individual needs of all children and young people who require short or long-term support.
Within these classes, children and young people follow Schemes of Work (external or Hollinwood Academy’s own) and work along a Progression Map which is tailored to the needs, learning styles and outcomes for the individual.
A range of subjects are taught across all the class types, with the Intent, Implementation and Impact altered and applied accordingly.
It is our aim to offer a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development and prepares children and young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adulthood. Our KS3 offer provides more than just the subjects of the National curriculum. We focus on holistic development, the promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing as well as providing academic opportunity. Our curriculum is built around the Code of Conduct’s four areas of SEND:
1. communication and interaction
2. cognition and learning
3. social, mental and emotional health
4. sensory and/or physical.
Key Stage 3
KS3 timetable includes the following subjects:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Modern Foreign Language
- Geography
- History
- Computing
- Food Technology
- Physical Education
- Outdoor Education
- Art
- EHCP intervention lessons
- Relationships and Sex Education
In addition to the above, personalised interventions are scheduled for children and young people who require more intense and focused support. This may be in the form of a group or on a one to one basis.
Key Stage 4
The focus within Key Stage 4 is to continue to develop the social and emotional, communication and independence skills of our young people alongside an academic and/or vocational curriculum. We teach appropriate qualifications at levels suitable for our learners.
Key stage 4 offers the following core subjects:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- ICT iMedia
- Spanish
- Geography (GCSE commencing September 2023)
- History (GCSE finishing July 2024)
- Relationships and Sex Education
- Physical Education
and the following options are chosen by young people.
- Food Preparation and Technology
- Duke of Edinburgh
- Art, Craft and Design
Our Curriculum
Secondary-Subjects (ID 1004)
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English
English
At Hollinwood Academy, we want all of our children and young people to achieve success, whatever their starting points and however small the steps.
The study of English is the foundation for successful learning across the curriculum, as children and young people develop communication skills which help them understand the world around them through a variety of activities designed to develop their reading, writing and speaking and listening skills.
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Maths
Maths
At Hollinwood Academy, we teach maths creatively, incorporating the use of concrete manipulatives to help our young people understand abstract concepts and apply them to their learning.
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Science
Science
Our aim in the secondary science department is to build on the good practice of the science curriculum taught in primary at Hollinwood Academy. We do this by offering a ‘hands on’, challenging, and dynamic 5-year science curriculum, across Key stage 3 and 4.
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Art
Art
Art at Hollinwood Academy is about ensuring every child and young person can join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and recreational activities. Children and young people are engaged and inspired by a challenging curriculum where they gain knowledge about the work of great artists and how art and design reflect and shape our history and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. These inform their own exploration of themes relevant to their interests and life experiences.
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Employability & Careers
Employability & Careers
Rebecca Jones is the school’s named Careers Leader and her email contact is:
rebecca.jones@newbridgegroup.org
Vicky is the school’s Independent Careers Advisor and her contact details are:
vickymcmanus@positive-steps.org.uk
The Government’s careers strategy aims to make sure that all young people in secondary education get a programme of advice and guidance that is stable, structured and delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience.
At Key stage 3 & 4 careers forms part of the school curriculum and is taught as a discrete lesson to all pupils, through their Preparation for Adulthood lessons.
Pupils at Key Stage 4 have opportunities for tailored work experience placements and vocational opportunities build on our effective careers programme.
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Food Preparation and Nutrition
Food Preparation and Nutrition
The main intent of the Food Preparation and Nutrition curriculum is to introduce young people to the concept of understanding what we eat and how it impacts our bodies. This subject focuses on both theoretical knowledge and practical cooking skills, aiming to develop a comprehensive understanding of nutrition, food provenance, and the working characteristics of food materials.
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History
History
At Hollinwood Academy, history is delivered as an immersive approach for all young people, designed to give them an understanding of the world locally, nationally, and globally, both past and present. Our aim is to develop an inquiring approach to learning and the world around them.
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Geography
Geography
At Hollinwood, Geography is delivered as an immersive approach for all young people, designed to provide them with an understanding of the world locally, nationally, and globally, both past and present. Our aim is for all young people to develop an inquiring approach to learning and the world around them.
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RSE & SMSC
RSE & SMSC
The aim of the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum is to provide young people at Hollinwood Academy with the knowledge, understanding, and skills they need to make informed decisions, promote healthy relationships, and navigate the challenges of adolescence and adulthood confidently. This curriculum reflects our school's commitment to promoting equality, respect, and diversity, and aims to prepare our young people to contribute positively to society.
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Computing
Computing
At Hollinwood Academy in our computing curriculum we aim to:
- teach pupils computational thinking, ICT and computer science through a balanced curriculum designed to appeal to all genders.
- develop a deep understanding by delivering a spiral curriculum where topics are revisited in subsequent years with the opportunity to build on knowledge and skills previously developed.
- provide opportunities during each year to enable pupils to extend their learning in a variety of contexts and to develop links between the theoretical and practical elements of the course.
- support pupils to become safe users of technology and the internet.
- provide a curriculum that aims to push students to reach their full learning potential, whilst remaining personalised to meet each student individual learning, social and emotional needs as well as their interests.
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Music
Music
Music at Hollinwood Academy aims to cultivate children and young people’s appreciation for various genres of music and encourage them to explore the sounds that surround them. Our inclusive curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of all learners, with fully differentiated schemes of work that engage children and young people at all levels.
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Modern Foreign Languages
Modern Foreign Languages
At Hollinwood Academy, we believe that learning a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It not only helps pupils to develop their communication skills, but it also strengthens grammatical knowledge, along with other key skills such as reading, writing and listening that pupils learn in their own language.
In addition, learning a foreign language allows our children to access more equal opportunities and gives a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand other cultures as well as their own.
Learning a foreign language, particularly for children who are neurodiverse, has been shown to have many benefits such as strengthening memory and helping pupils to improve their executive functioning skills, which includes helping their organisational skills.
All the teaching of MFL is done in a multi sensory way, using lots of repetition to build up confidence in the language for our learners.
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Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education
At Hollinwood Academy we understand the importance of community access and ensure that all students no matter their individual pathway have the opportunity, confidence and appropriate support to access their local community safely within our exciting Outdoor Education curriculum offer. Students have the opportunity to access their local community on a weekly basis.
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PE
PE
At Hollinwood Academy, our vision aims to provide all children with a broad, high quality and relevant physical education. Through a well-structured and progressive school curriculum we enable all children to develop and challenge their knowledge, skill and understanding. It is essential that children develop an understanding of the benefits of exercise and make connections between physical health and positive mental health with the vision that children will continue to adopt a healthy lifestyle into their adult life.
