Our Curriculum Approach

Our curriculum, like everything at Great Yarmouth Charter, is guided by the virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude. We believe that every young person is capable of achieving something great.

Our curriculum and the way that we deliver it, is designed to support the motto at Charter - 'Sapientia Potentia Est' - wisdom is power.

By providing a rigorous, academic curriculum that is rich in carefully sequenced knowledge, our goal is to enable pupils to take their place in the community of educated citizens. Respect is embodied in our curriculum through the high value we place on subjects and our teachers as experts in their subject areas. 

We want our pupils to have access to the best that has been thought and said, and with this in mind our teachers think carefully about what to teach and how best to teach it. We want pupils’ future options to be wide, so we do not narrow the curriculum. Instead, we ensure pupils are exposed to a wide body of knowledge through our Key Stage 3 curriculum over years 7, 8 and 9.

We think carefully about those pupils whose formal study of a subject will come to an end in Year 9, and prioritise the knowledge that creates well-rounded, well-educated individuals. 

Our teachers use their expertise and that of their teams and support of the education team at Inspiration Trust to deliver an evidence informed approach to planning and teaching. We carefully sequence and plan our lessons and work hard to ensure our curriculum is coherent. 

Our teachers use formative assessment as a means to improve pupils' understanding, not just to measure it.  

High expectations are evident through the rigorous academic focus of our curriculum. We offer a broad coverage of academic subjects, which ensures all pupils are prepared for GCSE and life afterwards, including sixth form study and a great university for those who wish to pursue such a goal.

We believe that learning built over time enables pupils to learn new knowledge that is efficient and sustainable.

We deliver a broad and balanced curriculum. Our extended school day allows us to ensure that all pupils have access to a curriculum that equips them to keep safe,and to know about the options options available to them to enjoy healthy lifestyles, relationships, experience of the world of work and play  a full part in society by learning what it means to be a British citizen.  In key stage 4, additional time is given to master the basics and progress well in a range of EBacc subjects.

Curriculum plans

Our curriculum plans establish a model of progression in each subject, and teachers think about how to test and for understanding through incisive questioning, retrieval practice and live marking, either within the classroom or online through virtual learning platforms. This means our pupils make good progress through our curriculum and are well prepared for their next level of study.

Great Yarmouth Charter Academy has a one-week timetable which runs for 28 hours. This is made up of two days of five one-hour lessons and three days of six one-hour lessons. Pupils are taught mirror banded sets throughout Key Stage 3, before starting Key Stage 4 in Year 10. They choose four level 2 qualifications, which they study for 2 years. English, maths and science are set by ability at Key Stage 4, while most options are mixed ability groups.

To find out more about our curriculum, please contact us.

Read our curriculum policy for more information

We're part of the Inspiration Trust and share their knowledge rich curriculum. We make sure our curriculum is inclusive and accessible for all of our students. Read our principles to find out more about how we achieve this.

View our curriculum plans:
 

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Plan

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Plan

Key Stage 4 Options

Curriculum and Qualifications List 2020/2021