Curriculum

The curriculum at Priory is varied, deep and rich. We ensure a broad and balanced curriculum, supplemented by enrichment and other activities, delivered in conjunction with our partners to guarantee a curriculum better matched to all students' learning needs with personalisation at its core.

OFSTED said, “The personal, social and health education programme is good and students value the way this is delivered through the 'super learning' days. Curricular and extra-curricular activities are significantly enhanced through the specialist college provision and the students' take-up of the wide range of opportunities in and outside school is good.”

Intent

At Penwortham Priory Academy the curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning from each key stage, provide challenging learning experiences that require pupils to think hard, allow them to develop leadership and organisational skills and be resilient, learners with initiative who have excellent communication skills and are ready to face the challenges beyond school. High quality academic and pastoral guidance enables this and we provide subject choices that support pupils’ learning and progression, and enable them to work towards achieving their goals. The curriculum remains as broad as possible for as long as possible. Pupils study a strong academic core of subjects through the EBacc.

There is a high focus on developing the character and culture of the pupils to be positive, committed individuals willing to evolve, and show kindness and respect to all.

Knowledge is at the heart of our curriculum and underpins our approach because we are all empowered by knowing things and being able to apply what we have learnt in varied and new situations. We believe that pupils deserve to know the detail of what they will learn, how this links to the schema of the subject they’re studying and how this in turn links to other subjects so they have a broader understanding of how the world works. The knowledge we want pupils to acquire is sequenced and mapped deliberately and coherently and we use strategies such as spaced retrieval practice, low-stakes testing and plenty of repeated practice for automatic responses and fluency to ensure that concepts are understood, knowledge that has been taught is remembered and it is shown through the skill to apply it to specific situations in and beyond school. We put emphasis on the acquisition and use of a broad vocabulary and facilitate this through the reading of fiction and non-fiction texts in various scenarios. 

In addition to the diverse and rich opportunities offered through the teaching, we value opportunities to take pupils out on trips and visits to help put the learning into context, expose them to experiences they might not otherwise have and encourage them to learn about the local, national and international communities of which they are a part.

Key Stage 3

Throughout Years 7, 8 and 9 our students follow, a curriculum structured to the needs of the individual. We have increased the provision for English and Maths, as we believe that improving key skills of literacy and numeracy will improve engagement and the ability to access the curriculum for all students and will improve progression for students. The mostly Gifted and Talented students are identified from KS2 data and monitored by subject leaders to ensure they are suitably challenged in order to push their academic progress further.

Key Stage 4

At the end of year 9 pupils choose 3 option subjects which they will then study for 3 hours each per week in Year 10 and 11, in addition to English, Maths, Science, PE and RE. All pupils have to choose either Geography, History or French as one of their option choices and we strongly encourage as many pupils as possibly to study the English Baccalaureate

More information on the options process can be found on the following page: https://www.priory.lancs.sch.uk/pupils/year-9-options

For further information on any aspect of the school curriculum please contact Mr N Gee at Priory.