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Curriculum Overview
At Rainham School for Girls we have an ambitious and rich curriculum with opportunities to develop thinking skills, promote curiosity and to nurture life-long learners.
Curriculum Intent:
Our curriculum intent is underpinned by ambition, richness and thoughtfulness and designed to support students in knowing more, understanding more and demonstrating more.
Students study a broad range of subjects in KS3 from academic, creative and physical subjects, such as Dance and Textiles, this broadens at KS4 with subjects such as Photography and Enterprise, and broadens further at KS5 such as Law and Criminology to give students choice for future progression.
Our progressive curriculum is designed to develop students’ knowledge, understanding and skills, and its integration with our teaching and learning model enables them to retain and apply knowledge over time.
In English, Year 7 learn about Victorian England through reading an abridged version of Oliver Twist which supports their learning when they study Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in Year 10. The explicit teaching of knowledge and techniques make it really clear 'what' students need to know and 'how' to demonstrate this so that over time students can show that they know more and can demonstrate more.
At the heart of our curriculum is the big question which allows students to think about conceptual topics that transcend subjects. For example ‘What is power?’ is considered in Physics, History and English in similar and different ways allowing students to draw on their knowledge from different subjects.
Our reading curriculum from Year 7 - 13 develops the links between subjects (as well as supporting students’ reading skills) and further enhances our wider curriculum that develops students’ personal characteristics. You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed helps students to appreciate and develop confidence, but also make links to Maths, Performing Arts and PE.
Our curriculum aims to develop the individual as well as their ability to know, understand and demonstrate more.
Each subject Curriculum Map holds the holistic view of knowledge from Year 7 to 13, taking into account the knowledge acquired in each transition phase.
Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is taught for three years, meaning that every child at RSG maintains the broadest possible curriculum for the longest possible time. During Year 9, students are provided with bespoke support and guidance to help them choose the subjects which are most appropriate for them in Key Stage 4. Through the ‘options’ process, the school ensures that students maintain a broad and balanced curriculum whilst also supporting them in making personalised choices.
We have high expectations and ambitions for all of our learners and aim to provide a range of academic, technical and vocational options to meet the needs of every student. The options process is mirrored as students make the transition from Key Stage 4 into Key Stage 5.