Curriculum Intent

Holcombe Grammar School Curriculum Intent

This statement sets out how we intend to achieve our vision for our students through our school curriculum.

Context

• Holcombe is a large and growing selective Grammar School with nearly 1200 students in years 7-13.
• In academic year 26/27 Holcombe is co-educational in year 7, whilst from Year 8-11 we continue to be boys only, with a co-educational 6th Form in years 12-13. All future year groups will be co-educational from the start of Year 7, meaning that by September 2030 all seven year groups will contain both boys and girls.
• As a selective school our students have prior attainment that is well above national average
• Holcombe Grammar School is based in Chatham, Kent but serves a community which is increasingly ethnically diverse, serving communities from across Medway, North Kent and South East London

Principles

As an ambitious and supportive grammar school, we have very high aspirations for all our students and we challenge them to achieve strong academic results and develop high levels of emotional intelligence. All students study the full National Curriculum, and Religious Studies and Relationships and Sex Education, with no student studying a narrowed curriculum.

Our curriculum sits at the heart of our vision. We encourage our students to develop Mastery within their learning but also of themselves. They will do this through rigorous Endeavour and through the daily use of our Thinking toolkit.

As an accredited Thinking School, we are a community of lifelong learners, skilled in using a range of thinking tools and habits. Advancing literacy is at the core of our curriculum with students aided to read challenging age appropriate and diverse texts.

Through years 7 to 13 we offer a broad, balanced, rich and relevant curriculum. Our clearly structured subject curricula ensure that our students constantly progress in learning knowledge and developing skills needed to succeed in the modern world. Every subject defines a coherently planned and sequenced ‘Learning Journey’ that all students will follow to achieve their aspirational goals.

Students have become skilled in utilising a range of digital resources that have equipped them to continue to learn outside of the classroom. We now continue to enhance and develop our digital offer to support our students in their learning journeys.

Here at Holcombe Grammar School we aim to support and challenge our students to achieve excellent academic outcomes whilst also striving to offer a high quality Personal Development curriculum. Through taught lessons, assemblies and the Tutor Programme we develop students understanding of:

• Relationships and Sex Education
• Health
• Careers guidance
• Citizenship and fundamental British Values

This is all further enhanced through our status as a Gold Rights Respecting School, accredited by UNICEF. We educate our students, both inside and outside the classroom, in accordance with this award.

As students journey through the school, our ambitious curriculum intends to consistently challenge and inspire them:

• Key Stage 3
  • In Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) all students study a wide range of 15 subjects including English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, Modern Foreign Languages, Computer Science and a range of creative subjects such as Art and Design, Music, Design Technology and Drama
  • All students study French and Spanish in Year 7 and will then specialise in one language from the start of Year 8, which they will the continue to study until the end of Year 11
• Key Stage 4
  • All students continue to study English, Maths, Science, Personal Development, Religious Studies and core Physical Education
  • All students then choose three subjects which must include one Humanity and one Modern Foreign Language, ensuring that 100% of our students will leave with the full EBACC.
  • To motivate and inspire, students can then choose two further subjects from a broad range including Business Studies, Design Technology, Physical Education, Art and Design, Music, Drama, Psychology, Sociology and Media Studies.
• Sixth Form
  • Our ambition is for all of our students to continue their learning in the Sixth Form to enable them to Be Their Best Self and prepare them for life beyond school.
  • All students study 3 or 4 A Levels for two years, choosing from a vast range of subjects, all taught by subject specialists.
  • The range of subjects available matches the ambitious and impressive array of subjects available in Key Stage 4 but also includes Law and Economics.
  • Students also continue to study Personal Development through the Sixth Form as part of our Total Education provision.

In all key stages we provide a range of extra and super curricular opportunities to enhance the learning experience for our students. A range of clubs and trips are provided that develop the cultural capital of all students in our community including the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme from Year 9. We are proud of our Music Mark status and we are currently working towards Artsmark Gold in recognition of our excellence in the arts.

Holcombe is an ambitious and supportive Grammar School where life chances are transformed.

Our curriculum sits at the heart of this vision and through implementing this curriculum, we ensure that our able and dedicated students progress to a range of ambitious destinations including Oxford, Cambridge and many other Russell Group Universities.