Curriculum Overview

We have collectively developed a knowledge rich and distinctive curriculum which is rooted in its diverse community and the needs and aspirations of children in Handsworth (Teach What Matters). It's a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum with ambitious outcomes that focuses on developing and enhancing knowledge, attributes, skills and experiences (KASE). It is a research informed curriculum with a high focus on reading and literacy. It has a specific aim of reducing curriculum bias, so that disadvantaged students thrive. The impact of our curriculum is that students know more, can do more and remember more.
It is more than the qualifications that students leave with, it's about real-life experience and opportunities. We know that Handsworth matters and what it means to live in a place that is home to people from every corner of the world.

Intention:

• Provide students with a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes personal development and meets individual needs while supporting equal value and opportunities.
• Foster self-confidence and respect for diverse perspectives within the community.
• Emphasise a structured and coherent wider curriculum to develop student potential and uphold high aspirations.
• Deliver high-quality education that promotes respect, responsibility, and excellence, and offers a wide range of progression routes through a comprehensive Careers Education and Information Advice and Guidance programme.
• Enhance cultural capital through diverse experiences, teach British Values and democracy, and invest in powerful relationships and community engagement opportunities.

We want all Holyhead students to be able to:

• Solve problems
• Apply knowledge to the real world
• Adapt to change and be resilient to failure
• Be aware of their own thought processes and memory
• Be articulate and express themselves
• Think critically

We want all students at Holyhead to be strong in relation to the following CORE character attributes:

• Confidence = A feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of our own abilities or qualities
• Organisation = The quality of being more systematic and efficient
• Resilience = The ability to recover from, or adjust to misfortune or change
• Empathy = This allows us to have compassion for others, relate to those close to us and strangers, and see things from the perspective of others.

Curriculum Plan

We teach to a 4-period per day timetable, with each subject lesson lasting 75 minutes. We believe that this allows for a greater depth of learning and challenge within each lesson. Tutor time is 25 minutes before subject lessons at the start of the day and is a crucial component for all year groups in the delivery of our Personal Development programme.

Key Stage 3

We provide a 3-year Key Stage 3 for our students in Year 7 through to Year 9 which follows the requirements of the National Curriculum. We believe this enables us to provide depth and breadth in our curriculum for our students, enabling them to make more informed decisions when they select their GCSE option choices midway through Year 9.

At Key Stage 3 students will be taught the following subjects:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Geography
• History
• Core Religious Studies
• Modern Foreign Languages (French or Spanish)
• Drama
• Art and Design
• Music
• Food and Nutrition
• Information and Communication Technology
• Physical Education
• PSHE

In addition to this, as at Key Stage 4 and 5, we offer a wide variety of extra-curricular activities which we would encourage all of our students to participate in. The importance of these cannot be understated, as they enable our students to realise their fullest potential, helping students learn valuable social skills, leadership and how to cope with responsibility. Details of these can be found on the individual faculty pages.

Key Stage 4

Our Key Stage 4 curriculum offer is designed to ensure our students have access to a broad range of high quality qualifications which will provide them with the currency to move forward in their students post-16, whilst also meeting the requirements of national performance measures.

What do we offer at Key Stage 4?

Students work towards their GCSEs or equivalent qualifications over the two years of study from Year 10 to Year 11. Students will have selected options during Year 9 and their curriculum at Key Stage 4 will be a combination of compulsory GCSE subjects and optional subjects. 

The compulsory GCSE subjects are as follows:

• English Language
• English Literature
• Mathematics
• Combined Science 

Option Subject (3 subjects from the following):

• French
• Spanish
• Geography
• History
• Media Studies
• BTEC Music
• Art & Design
• Business Studies
• Computer Science
• BTEC Performing Arts
• Food, Preparation & Nutrition
• Sociology
• BTEC Health & Social Care
• Cambridge National Sport Studies
• Triple Science

We also continue to provide the following non-qualification subjects as part of our core curriculum offer for students in Key Stage 4:

• Physical Education
• PSHE
• Core Religious Education (with the option to take this as a full GCSE in Year 11)

Post-16 Courses

As a Sixth Form, we offer a range of level 3 courses. Our level 3 courses feature both A-Level subjects and Applied General / Tech level subjects. These subjects allow young people to deepen their understanding and skills, to a more advanced level. All our level 3 subjects will enable students to continue into higher education at university; pursue an apprenticeship and gain employment, something our consistently above national average destinations figures at Key Stage 5 demonstrate.

We currently offer the following subjects at A-Level:

• Art and Design – Fine Art
• Biology
• Business Studies
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• English Language and Literature
• French
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Mathematical Studies (Equivalent to AS)
• French
• Spanish
• Physics
• Psychology
• Religious Studies (Philosophy, Ethics and Islam)
• Sociology

Our Applied General and Tech level subjects available include BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate, BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma, Level 3 Cambridge Technicals and CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma. We currently offer the following subjects:

• Criminology
• Applied Law
• Applied Science
• Business
• Health and Social Care
• ICT
• Sport

We also provide our students at Key Stage 5 with the opportunity to undertake the AQA Extended Project, a qualification that is highly regarded by university providers. 

For more information about the curriculum please contact the Principal, Mr D Knox, via the Contact Us web form.