BHBS Curriculum Intent:

Our intent is to provide a broad, balanced, and ambitious curriculum which promotes an environment where every child is challenged to achieve.

Our ambition is to achieve excellence in all we do.  

 Our curriculum

• Promotes academic excellence through high-quality teaching and learning, ensuring that all students, regardless of background or ability, are supported and challenged to reach their full potential. The school curriculum is rigorous, responsive and focused on student progression. Misconceptions are clarified meaning all students can apply knowledge to develop skills and mastery. This creates an aspirational high personal achievement culture.

• Reflects our Christian distinctiveness, fostering a deep sense of compassion, dignity, respect, and service. Students are encouraged to explore their own beliefs and values while understanding and appreciating those of others. We interleave our school vision (LIAIF) and Christian values into every aspect of school life ensuring that all are supported, make progress and feel valued. 

• Equips students for life by developing knowledge, skills, and character needed for further education, employment, and active citizenship in a diverse and changing world.

• Supports personal growth through opportunities for reflection, leadership, and service, enabling students to become confident, kind, and responsible individuals. All students, irrespective of their starting point or vulnerability are encouraged and supported to make exceptional progress and achieve their full potential. We build on student’s individual needs. This allows everyone to experience success and understand how to embrace failure. This develops resilience.

• Fosters a love of learning and curiosity about the world, encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Students are respectful and motivated. They enjoy coming to school and work hard, they are resilient and take advantage of all opportunities. 

 

Through this holistic approach, our curriculum is designed to empower students not only to succeed academically but to become thoughtful, ethical, and courageous young people who contribute positively to their communities and the wider world. 

 

Curriculum principles that underpin our curriculum design:

• Breadth – so that young people gain knowledge and an understanding of the range of ways in which human beings have set out to understand and find meaning in our world. Also, to create cross curricular links to deepen understanding.
• Depth – so that, as they develop, young people begin to understand the concepts which provide structure to human beings’ search for meaning, and its complexity.
• Rigour – so that young people are encouraged, challenged and supported to grapple with difficult concepts, learn and develop high-order skills, and become confident, self-motivated learners.
• Progression – so that learning builds on prior experience, deepens understanding and mastery, and leads to personal fulfilment and high achievement.
• Spirituality – so that our young people develop imagination, creativity and insight; are able to reflect on their learning, their experiences, and their lives; can find deeper meaning, a sense of purpose, and an inner peace.
• Personal growth –so that our young people are fully supported in their physical and mental wellbeing.

We pride ourselves on

• Ambitious Goals:

The curriculum aims for all students to achieve high levels of knowledge and skills, regardless of their background or learning needs. 

• Coherent Sequencing:

Learning is carefully planned and sequenced to build upon prior knowledge, ensuring a progression of understanding. 

• Differentiated Curriculum:

The curriculum is differentiated and designed to meet the diverse needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. 

• Adapted Approach

Teaching is adapted in a responsive way, including by providing targeted support to students who are struggling, to increase pupil success.

• Focus on Knowledge:

The curriculum emphasises the acquisition of deep and meaningful knowledge, rather than simply memorising facts. 

• Positive Learning Culture:

The school fosters a positive and supportive learning environment that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and collaboration. 

• Growth Mindset:

Students are encouraged to believe that they can improve and learn from mistakes, embracing challenges and perseverance. 

• Oracy Development:

The school places a high value on oral communication skills, encouraging students to articulate their ideas and participate in discussions. 

• Reading and Literature:

Reading is seen as a key to unlocking access to all learning areas, and the school promotes a love of books and literature. 

• Engaging Learning:

Teachers are encouraged to be creative and innovative in their teaching, making lessons engaging and relevant to students' lives. 

• Assessment for Learning (responsive feedback):

Staff and students engage with feedback in books. Regular assessments are used to monitor student progress and inform teaching practices, ensuring that all students are making adequate progress. 

 

BHBS believes in a broad and balanced Curriculum.  We offer a wide range of high quality academic and vocational courses. The Curriculum is explained on our website under the individual subject links and within each subject there is a link showing the content for each year group from year 7-11. For examination subjects there are also links to the examination boards for further detail. More information about our Key Stage four Curriculum can be found in our pathway’s booklet.

 

For more information about the school curriculum please contact Mr Owen Collingbourne ocollingbourne@bhbs.hereford.sch.uk