Welcome
Art and Photography
Business
Careers Education
Child Care
Computing and Computer Science
Creative iMedia
Design & Technology
Drama and Performing Arts
English
Food and Nutrition
French
Geography
Government and Politics
Health & Social Care
History
Hospitality and Catering
Mathematics
Music
Psychology
Religious Studies
RSHE
Science
Wellbeing Active, PE, and Sport Science
Welcome to our Curriculum
Welcome to our curriculum at Q3 Academy Great Barr. We are proud to be able to offer a broad and balanced curriculum which provides all students the opportunity to be successful. We focus our curriculum around the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects (English, Mathematics, Sciences, Languages, and Humanities), but also provide a creative curriculum through Hori7on (Year 7), Cre8 (Year 8), and 9Teen (Year 9). This creative curriculum allows further opportunity for parental engagement through regular showcase events. These events encourage all students to have the following experiences by the end of Key Stage 3:
- Perform on a musical instrument to an audience of 3;
- Perform in a piece of drama to an audience of 75;
- Design, produce and sell products to refugees;
- Cook a meal;
- Have art work displayed in a gallery-style setting.
You will see from our curriculum maps that: Literacy, RSHE, and Wider Opportunities are embedded across our curriculum. We have particularly been focusing on the use of cross-disciplinary reading to support students’ achievements across a wide number of subjects. Disciplinary reading is incorporated into all subject areas to support the development of subject-specific vocabulary. In addition, our Tutor Time reading programme exposes students to range of books across a number of genres to develop comprehension and vocabulary.
Wellbeing is built into our curriculum and named. Wellbeing Active focuses on not only the National Curriculum for PE, but also reinforces healthy lifestyles and the importance of self-care. Wellbeing Inspire (RSHE/PSHE) focuses on the wider aspects of wellbeing related to how we respect ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Careers, Information and Guidance is supported throughout all year groups and we are pleased that none of our students go on to further education or employment at post-16. For more information about our careers programme, please click here.
We follow a two-week timetable to provide students with more time across a wider range of subjects. We constantly review our provision to ensure we are providing the best education we can.
An average Key Stage 3 student studies:
Subject |
Hours per fortnight |
English |
6 |
Accelerated Reading |
1 |
Mathematics |
7 |
Computing |
1 |
Science |
8 |
Wellbeing Active |
4 |
Wellbeing Inspire |
2 |
Religious Studies |
1 |
History |
4 |
Geography |
4 |
French |
4 |
Art |
2 |
Design Technology |
2 |
Drama |
2 |
Music |
2 |
An average Key Stage 4 student studies:
Subject |
Hours per fortnight |
English |
8 |
Mathematics |
8 |
Science |
8 |
Wellbeing Active |
4 |
Wellbeing Inspire |
2 |
Humanities |
5 |
Option A |
5 |
Option B |
5 |
Option C |
5 |
Grouping
Students at Key Stage 3 are taught in mixed ability groups, with the exception of those students who arrive (or demonstrate after they arrive that they are) working well above expected levels, and those who are working significantly below expected levels. Those working significantly below expectations remain in a focused group for primary-style, targeted provision. This has a further focus on literacy and numeracy and is supported by interventions within the SEN department.
At Key Stage 4, students are grouped by ability, which is reviewed and adapted regularly, for English, Mathematics and Science. All other subjects are taught in mixed ability groups.
All groups at Key Stage 5 are mixed ability.
Please refer to our Curriculum Policy for further detail about our offer at Q3 Academy Great Barr.
Pathways
Please see the information and Subject Videos that can be found here.
Careers Education
Did you know? 97% of our students stay in education or enter employment after Key Stage 4. Please visit the DfE for more information.
Please find our Careers across the curriculum document below.
For further information, please click here to visit our Careers section of the website.
RSHE
RSHE is delivered at the Academy in Wellbeing Inspire lessons as well as through the PE and Science curriculum. Our RSHE policy can be found on our policies page here.