Curriculum Overview

Our Intent

The curriculum at The Archbishop’s School is ambitious and inclusive for all.

The School’s Christian principles are built on a foundation stone that enables all to flourish and fulfil their potential through hope, perseverance and compassion.

Leaders provide ambitious opportunities that respond to the needs of all young people regardless of ability, nationality and faith.

Our intentions are formed from the context of our local communities so that the gaps that may exist on entry have become strengths by the time our students leave us.

The school plans and delivers learning that is carefully arranged to enable our students to grow skills, understanding and knowledge that will empower them to develop the wisdom and courage to take their next steps in life with confidence, dexterity and the empathy to help others who are in need.

Our curriculum is broad, balanced, agile and purposeful.

We are determined to help every student to flourish through the creative curriculum they receive.

Years 7, 8 and 9

Students study Art, Computer Science, Drama, English, Food Technology, Geography, History, Mathematics, Music, PSHE, Physical Education, Religious Studies, Science and Spanish.

Students are put into sets for English, Mathematics and Science following their SAT scores and CAT4 test scores. These sets are evaluated on a regular basis by the pastoral and subject teams to assess progress. Within Humanities, students are also now put into sets, following the first term when they start in form groups. Within Art, Drama, Food Technology and Music, students are on a rotation, so they do two of the four subjects each term and then swap to the other two subjects.

The school runs two specialist programs to support students where appropriate. ICAN helps students with low levels of literacy and some EAL students (typically Bell Foundation A or B), who are taught their Humanities subjects in much smaller groups, with a pathway back to mainstream as appropriate. The school also runs a pathway called 'Turing' in Years 8 and 9 which is for identified students who may have SEN statements for SEMH and are again on a pathway which is broader than ICAN and includes English, Mathematics and Science alongside Humanities. The curriculum matches the wider school KS3 curriculum and the aim is to again see students join mainstream classes when appropriate. Students with special educational needs are given support by the Special Needs Department. Students are normally supported in lessons although, where appropriate, they are given a programme of individual support. Some students benefit from a literacy support programme including one-to-one reading and spelling and grammar intervention.

Years 10 and 11

All students follow a core curriculum and then choose additional subjects from a range of possibilities to ensure that breadth and balance is maintained. Core GCSE and non-examined subjects are:

• English Language
• English Literature
• Mathematics
• Double Award Science
• Religious Studies
• Physical Education
• PSHE

All students have the opportunity to study at least one of either History, Geography and Spanish to GCSE if they wish to pursue the English Baccalaureate Certificate. In addition, the school also offers Heritage Language GCSEs in the full range of available GCSEs including the likes of Persian, Turkish, Portuguese, Arabic etc.

Students can also study up to three (four in Year 11 as a final offer for 2023-24) further GCSE courses or equivalent from the following list of courses: Art and Design, Drama, Digital IT, Enterprise, Geography, Health and Social Care, History, Hospitality and Catering, Music, Photography, Spanish, Sport and Travel & Tourism.

Sixth Form

In Year 12, students study 3 or 4 A-level courses or the equivalent from a very broad range of subjects, as follows:

• Art and Design A-Level
• Biology A-Level
• BTEC National Extended Certificate in Business
• Chemistry A-Level
• Criminology Diploma
• English Language and Literature A-Level
• Geography A-Level
• History A-Level
• Law A-Level
• Photography A-Level
• Politics A-Level
• Psychology A-Level
• Sociology A-Level
• Spanish A-Level
• BTEC National Extended Certificate and BTEC National Diploma in Sport

There is a strong emphasis upon students complementing these with an Extended Project Qualification. These subjects are taught over five lessons of fifty minutes a week (per subject). 

Students who have not yet secured the grade 4 threshold in either Mathematics or English Language will be required to undertake GCSE courses in these subjects as a priority in the Sixth Form.

Students in the Sixth Form also have a double lesson of PE each week, a lesson of Religious Education in Year 12 and one lesson a fortnight of PSHE.

For further information about our curriculum please contact Mr G Gleadall ggleadall@archbishops.kent.sch.uk or Mr R Clarke rclarke@archbishops.kent.sch.uk