Curriculum Overview
The Harris Academy Purley curriculum aims to develop reflective and resilient learners and will offer students a breadth of learning experiences with an emphasis on meaningful and deep engagement within the subjects.
The curriculum is designed so that students, regardless of starting points, will thrive in an educational environment where the rigours and demands of the different subjects are embraced and taught in a supportive manner without compromising the academic challenges needed for success at all key stages. An emphasis on links with other subjects will help develop a student’s contextual and intertextual knowledge and understanding of the curriculum.
Vision
The Harris Academy Purley (HAPU) curriculum aims to develop reflective and resilient learners and will offer students a breadth of learning experiences with an emphasis on meaningful and deep engagement within the subjects. The curriculum is designed so that students, regardless of starting points, will thrive in an educational environment where the rigours and demands of the different subjects are embraced and taught in a supportive manner without compromising the academic challenges needed for success at all key stages. An emphasis on links with other subjects will help develop a student’s contextual and intertextual knowledge and understanding of the curriculum.
Our strategic intent:
- Deliver a coherent, well-sequenced curriculum that builds knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary progressively from foundational concepts to advanced understanding.
- Foster curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning, enabling students to explore ideas and develop talents across a wide range of disciplines, including modern foreign languages.
- Personalise learning to prepare students for further education, employment, and life, equipping them with the skills and character needed for success.
- Promote confidence, resilience, and well-being, embedding personal development alongside academic achievement.
- Uphold British Values and SMSC, preparing students to be responsible, informed global citizens.
- Ensure neutrality and integrity, avoiding any political or ideological bias.
The key values underpinning our curriculum intent:
-
Deep engagement with subject content.
-
Knowledge and vocabulary as the foundation for mastery.
-
Personal development integrated with academic success.
Equality and Inclusion
Our curriculum guarantees equal access and opportunity, complying with the Equality Act (2010) and SEND Regulations (2014). We prioritise reading, writing, speaking, and numeracy, offering targeted support from phonics intervention to advanced language development. Teachers know their students and adapt learning to meet individual needs, ensuring every learner can succeed.
Our values will be achieved by:
- Students being fully involved in their learning at all stages and by engaging with their teachers to assess and improve their knowledge, vocabulary and skills
- Parents and carers being actively involved in working with the Academy to support their child's academic progress, through consistent and regular communication and full involvement in the advice and guidance process at all stages
- Teachers being experts in their subjects, planning and delivering their curriculum in line with expectations, meeting the individual learning needs of their classes
- Subject leaders ensuring high-quality and coherently sequenced schemes of learning and resources are in place to support lesson planning and delivery at all key stages
- Senior leaders and governors leading the way in reviewing the curriculum and supporting everyone to experience an outstanding curriculum
Key Stage 3 (Year 7 to Year 9)
The Key Stage 3 curriculum is followed by students in Years 7, 8 and 9. Following their admissions tests for the Academy, Year 7 students are banded into X and Y bands with top sets, middle ability sets and lower ability sets in each band.
In this way stretch and challenge as well as additional support can be given to all students allowing teaching to be as closely matched as possible to students’ needs and to ensure all students make the best possible progress.
Regular assessments every half term means that progress is reviewed and students are able to move up or down sets within their banding
|
Subject |
Periods |
Total Minutes |
|---|---|---|
|
English & Drama |
5 |
250 |
|
Maths |
5 |
250 |
|
Science |
5 |
250 |
|
Physical Education |
2 |
100 |
|
Spanish |
2 |
100 |
|
Geography |
2 |
100 |
|
History |
2 |
100 |
|
RE* |
1 |
50 |
|
Computing |
1 |
50 |
|
Music |
1 |
50 |
|
Art |
1 |
50 |
|
DT & Food |
2 |
100 |
|
PSHE & Careers in Tutor Time |
2 |
100 |
|
Total |
30 |
1500 |
Key Stage 4 (Year 10 and Year 11)
The Key Stage 4 curriculum is followed by Years 10 and 11. The Academy offers 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.
Most students will follow an Ebacc Pathway enabling them to study a range of academic core subjects as well as individual choices. The Academy tries as far as possible to cater for all subject choices within the timetable, but if only a small number of students express a preference for a Key Stage 4 course it may not be possible to offer the course. Some subjects may also be oversubscribed, in which case students will be selected according to their aptitude and Attitude to Learning.
|
Subjects |
Periods |
Minutes |
|---|---|---|
|
English Language |
3 |
150 |
|
English Literature |
3 |
150 |
|
Maths |
5 |
250 |
|
Science |
6 |
300 |
|
Physical Education |
2 |
100 |
|
Languages/Creative GCSE |
3 |
150 |
|
Humanities |
3 |
150 |
|
Open Choice 1 |
4± |
200 |
|
Open Choice 2 |
4± |
200 |
|
RE & Citizenship* |
1 |
50 |
|
PSHE & Careers in Tutor Time |
2 |
100 |
|
Total |
32 |
1800 |
± For 3 days each week, Key Stage 4 pupils will have a seventh period (Period 7).
Key Stage 5 (Year 12 and Year 13)
The Harris Academy Purley Sixth Form curriculum provides an educational offer for students who have a breadth of subject interests.
The curriculum is designed for students who will thrive in an educational environment where the rigours and demands of the different subjects are embraced and taught in a supportive manner without compromising the academic challenges of Sixth Form study.
Whilst the majority of subjects on offer are A-Level qualifications, some subjects follow a Technical Level route, in order to support students who have specific vocational paths in mind or who have a preferred learning style different to that required for the A Level qualifications.
Whereas the A-Levels are assessed predominantly through external examinations, the Technical Levels will have a greater percentage of coursework involved. A student can choose to follow either route or a combination of both. Whichever pathway a student follows, the aim is to build upon the foundation knowledge and skills gained throughout their KS3 and KS4 study.
At the point of enrolment, students are guided in their course choices so that they follow a cohesive and coherent programme of study where the content and skills of the individual subjects complement each other, as well as furnishing students with a depth of cultural, social and intellectual ideas.
Our current offer includes the following subjects:
| Applied Science (AAQ) | Biology (A-Level) | Chemistry (A-Level) |
| Computer Science (A-Level) | Economics (A-Level) | English Literature (A-Level) |
| French (A-Level) | Further Mathematics (A-Level) | Geography (A-Level) |
| Government & Politics (A-Level) | History (A-Level) | IT: Data Analytics (AAQ) |
| Mathematics (A-Level) | Physics (A-Level) | Psychology (A-Level) |
| Religious Studies (A-Level) | Sociology (A-Level) | Spanish (A-Level) |
| CTEC Business (Diploma) | CTEC Business (Extended Certificate) | CTEC Media (Extended Certificate) |
| CTEC Sport (Diploma) | CTEC Sport (Extended Certificate) | GCSE Retakes (English and Mathematics) |