Spark imagination – be inspired
Push the horizon – be aspirational
Seek to know about our world – be knowledgeable
Live an extraordinary life – reach potential
Nurture character – be individual
Build foundations for the future – be the future
At Parkside, we pride ourselves on our deep, rich and relevant curriculum that enables all pupils to excel academically, whilst developing their character so they become socially and emotionally aware, confident young people.
We challenge and inspire our pupils. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and cultural capital to be successful in the modern workplace; we ensure that our pupils are ready for the next stage in their education. Our close liaison with feeder First and High Schools ensure that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before, revisiting and embedding essential knowledge through adept retrieval.
At the core of our curriculum is our pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. We actively promote British values and this is woven into the ethos of our school. We place high priority on ensuring that pupils’ physical and emotional wellbeing are met through our Thrive approach. We understand that our young people will not be successful learners unless they are emotionally secure; therefore, we carefully design our curriculum and are flexible and responsive to needs within its delivery. Our pupils’ physical and mental wellbeing are as valued and important as academic achievement.
Standards of excellence and high aspirations are embedded into the culture of our school. The curriculum design meets statutory requirements, and its delivery facilitates pupils to not merely cover content but achieve a depth to their learning through regular and systematic retrieval practice, meaning our pupils remember more; this enables them to use their skills and understanding in all areas of the curriculum to achieve academically.
Reading is prioritised to enable pupils to access a full curriculum. The school implements a broad, balanced and inclusive education that adapts to the needs of individual children, from all ethnic and social groups – for all abilities.
Our curriculum is tailored to capitalise on the experiences and needs of our young people, as well as providing them with relevant new opportunities through our wider curriculum: this consists of extra-curricular clubs and activities, inspiration days, residential trips, educational visits, visitors to the school and business links. We place particular emphasis on our STEM provision, with in-school competitions, links to businesses and guest speakers playing a key role in broadening our pupils’ aspirations. Throughout our enrichment activities and subject teaching, pupils are encouraged to consider real-life contexts of their work; pupils are engaged in learning about how their studies can link to potential careers and their adult life. Home-learning is used to further enhance pupils’ independence, deepen and give breadth to understanding and consolidate knowledge and skills. There is a high academic, vocational and technical ambition for our pupils.
Our curriculum promotes a positive attitude towards learning, so that our pupils enjoy coming to school in an exciting and stimulating environment. We are excited to tell you more about our curriculum on these pages. Please use the subject links to explore the opportunities and learning that our school has to offer.
If you have any questions regarding the curriculum, please contact via the school office:
Mrs J Terrey - Deputy Headteacher responsible for Timetable, Curriculum, Personal Development & Reading
