We endeavour to offer all our students an outstanding curriculum that equips them to meet the challenges they will face in the future, so maximising their life chances. We also strive to ensure our students leave St Martin's as confident and independent individuals who are able to adapt to the many challenges in adult life.
Our students are at the heart of our family and what we do and as such our planning of the curriculum focuses entirely on the needs of our students and how best to support them through close work with our primary schools, colleges and other outside agencies to ensure all transitions are as smooth as possible.
We provide a balanced pastoral structure to give our students the confidence to develop holistically through our wellbeing programme (Click here to view our Wellbeing Programme) so that they are able to demonstrate teamwork and leadership skills. Our curriculum prioritises to allow for our students to achieve high standards in attainment and make excellent progress in all their subjects.
Below, you will find comprehensive information on our curriculum offer. If you wish to find out more about our curriculum, please email stmartins@stmartins.academy in the first instance.
Should your child require remote learning provision, this would be provided using Google Classroom.
There have been a number of changes to the Key Stage 3 curriculum recently.
Our aim is to provide students with a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum that fosters a love of learning and enables all students to reach their academic potential.
We build on students' achievements in Key Stage 2 to develop the breadth and depth of their knowledge, skills and understanding, preparing them thoroughly for the end of Key Stage tasks, tests and assignments in Year 9 and for taking GCSE and Vocational courses at KS4.
Each year within Key Stage 3 has a different emphasis:
The Key Stage 3 Curriculum at St. Martin's is broad, balanced and reflects the aims and ethos of the school: in Year 7, 8 and 9, students have 30 lessons per week, divided according to the chart below.
We use every relevant subject to develop students' mathematical fluency. Confidence in numeracy and other mathematical skills is a precondition of success across the national curriculum at St Martin's. Students understand and appreciate the importance of Mathematics across all their subjects. Students are taught to apply arithmetic fluently to problems, understand and use measures, make estimates and sense check their work across all subjects. Students also apply their geometric and algebraic understanding, and relate their understanding of probability to the notions of risk and uncertainty. They are taught to apply their Mathematics to both routine and non-routine problems, including breaking down more complex problems into a series of simpler steps.
Teachers develop students' spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject. English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching; for students, understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum. Fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects here at St Martin's.
Spoken language is taught to speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English. Students learn to justify ideas with reasons; ask questions to check understanding; develop vocabulary and build knowledge; negotiate; evaluate and build on the ideas of others; and select the appropriate register for effective communication. They are taught to give well-structured descriptions and explanations and develop their understanding through speculating, hypothesising and exploring ideas. Teachers develop students' reading and writing in all subjects to support their acquisition of knowledge. Students are taught to read fluently, understand extended prose (both fiction and non-fiction) and are encouraged to read for pleasure.
A range of strategies are employed to provide additional support for students who have not achieved secondary ready standards in English and Mathematics by the end of Year 6.
For those students who join us with additional needs in Literacy, Numeracy or English we provide additional support tailored to those students throughout KS3 and KS4.
The Key Stage 4 curriculum is followed by Years 10 and 11. We offer a wide range of academic and vocational courses. All students are given subject options advice, guidance and make their choices during the spring term in Year 9. We guide our students to follow the EBacc pathway. EBacc subjects consist of the following choices:
The number of students following this pathway continues to grow. Where this pathway does not meet the needs of the students we tailor their KS4 provision accordingly.
The table below shows the number of 50 minute lessons allocated to each subject per week and their percentage of the curriculum as a whole.
Science | 5 (16%) |
English Literature | 3 (10%) |
English Language | 3 (10%) |
Mathematics | 5 (16%) |
Option A | 3 (10%) |
Option B | 3 (10%) |
Option C | 3 (10%) |
Physical Education | 2 (6%) |
Wellbeing | 1 (3%) |
Religious Education | 2 (6%) |
OPTION A:
Drama, French, History, Computer Science, BTEC Sport, Psychology
OPTION B:
Art, Business Studies, French, Health & Social Care, Music, Spanish, Sociology
OPTION C:
BTEC Business Studies, Geography, History, Health & Social Care, Business Studies, Psychology
The table below shows the number of 50 minute lessons allocated to each subject per week and their percentage of the curriculum as a whole.
Science | 6 (20%) |
English Literature | 2 (6%) |
English Language | 3 (10%) |
Mathematics | 5 (16%) |
Option A | 3 (10%) |
Option B | 3 (10%) |
Option C | 3 (10%) |
Physical Education | 2 (6%) |
Wellbeing | 1 (3%) |
Religious Education | 2 (6%) |
OPTION A:
Geography, History, Art, French, Health & Social Care
OPTION B:
French, Health & Social Care, History, GCSE PE, Graphics
OPTION C:
Spanish, Geography, Drama, Music, Business Studies