Curriculum Aims and Ambition:  

The curriculum is every learning experience that our students have during their time at Selston. The Curriculum at Selston High School supports our mission statement: “To provide our students with opportunities and experiences to enhance their life choices, making a positive contribution to the world we share.” and values of  Ambition, Teamwork, Honesty and Respect by giving students the opportunity to learn and develop in a supportive and creative environment in which there is a focus on recognising achievement and supporting progression and in which students feel safe and happy.  The curriculum aims to promote the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of the students as well as their intellectual and physical development.   

The school is committed to providing a broad and balanced curriculum, which matches and exceeds the National Curriculum; which is planned to provide continuity and progression.  It also develops students’ capacity to work independently and collaboratively and to build their ability to become increasingly resourceful, resilient and reflective.   This will enable our students to be equipped to deal with the challenges our rapidly changing world may hold for them in the future.

Our curriculum is knowledge-rich, research-informed and draws upon the works of Rosenshine, techniques from Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion and evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation.

Curriculum Intent

Curriculum Intent:  

In order to achieve our curriculum aims and ambitions, the school will provide a curriculum which: 

  • Meets the individual needs of all students and enables all students to fulfil their potential irrespective of their ability, background, age, gender, disabilities, culture or race 
  • Is broad and balanced and ensures all subjects are valued to ensure rich and deep learning experiences are provided for all learners 
  • Develops students’ knowledge and skills in a coherently planned and sequenced pathway for learning 
  • Provides opportunities for the intellectual, personal, social, emotional, cultural and creative development of all students to equip them to make informed choices in their lives.
  • Ensures students have the opportunity to participate in a range of enrichment activities within and beyond the formal curriculum to support their wider development and build their cultural capital
  • Enables students to develop effective literacy skills
  • Develops students’ resilience, resourcefulness and reflectiveness  
  • Enables students to develop a greater awareness of their local and wider communities and prepares them to make a positive contribution to their communities 
  • Prepares students for life beyond school by providing high-quality Careers Education and Guidance and by ensuring students have the opportunity to learn a range of skills to prepare them for their next steps and for future employability 

The curriculum ensures that any potential equality issues are mitigated against by:

  • Training of staff and sharing information about students who have additional needs so that they benefit from quality-first teaching, tailored interventions when necessary, and use of technology where available.
  • Investment in high-quality subject specialists ensures our students are exposed to the best teachers and support staff.  This approach is fundamental to increasing the outcomes for disadvantaged students.
  • High-quality professional development ensures staff benefit from subject improvement teams.  The curriculum and professional development resource bank, crafted by the central team, supports all staff in implementing the curriculum in their school.
  • We review and evaluate the curriculum annually to ensure it is adjusted and where needed improved, for different cohorts and a changing educational and employment landscape.

Selston RSHE Curriculum

To view Selston High School RSHE curriculum please click here.

Curriculum Allocation

The timetabled curriculum operates on a 2 week timetable with 49 x 1 hour lessons, 1 x 1 hour culture session, 10 x 10 minute a.m. tutor sessions, 10 x 25 minute p.m. tutor sessions each fortnight. 

The school week at Selston High school at 33.5 hours is above the Government expectations of 32.5 hours.

RSHE is a timetable session every week during 2 tutor times, with the year divided into key areas of study including health education; relationships; careers education; citizenship whilst encompassing British Values.

Year 7 

In Year 7 students are taught in Sets for English, Maths and PE. They are taught as mixed-ability tutor groups for all other curriculum areas.

Each fortnight students will be timetabled: 

English (8 hours), Maths (8 Hours), Science (6 hours), Languages (5 hours), History (3 hours), Geography (4 hours), Philosophy & Beliefs (1 hour), PE (4 hours), Computer Science & ICT (2 hours), Art (3 hours), Drama (2 hours), Music (2 hours), Design & Technology (2 hours), Culture (1 hour) 

A small group of students who join our school with specific complex needs experience small timetable changes in Y7 to support additional literacy and numeracy.

Details of the content taught in each subject area can be found on the school website in the Subjects area. 

Year 8 

In Year 8 students are taught in Sets for English, Maths, Science and PE. They are taught as mixed-ability tutor groups for all other curriculum areas.

Each fortnight students will be timetabled:

English (8 hours), Maths (8 Hours), Science (6 hours), Languages (4 hours), History (4 hours), Geography (3 hours), Philosophy & Beliefs (1 hour), PE (4 hours), Computer Science & ICT (2 hours), Art (3 hours), Drama (2 hours), Music (2 hours), Design & Technology (2 hours), Culture (1 hour)

A small group of students who join our school with specific complex needs experience small timetable changes in Y8 to support additional literacy and numeracy.

Details of the content taught in each subject area can be found on the school website in the Subjects area.

Year 9 

In Year 9 students are taught in Sets for English, Maths, Science, and core PE.  They are taught as mixed-ability option groups for all other subjects. 

Students begin to study their option choices in year 9 and embark upon a 3-year key stage 4.  The school feels that this in no way reduces the broad and balanced nature of the curriculum, in fact, it has broadened the curriculum offered to students.  A greater variety of subjects can be offered due to students opting for four subjects; in particular, there has been an increase in the number of vocational subjects available to students; which reflects the local community that our school serves.  All subject areas, including Languages, Humanities, The Arts, Sports, Technology and Vocational are available to all students, who are encouraged to select from a range of faculty areas. Students who have the ability to cope with the demands of studying a Language, alongside a Humanities subject are actively encouraged to do so during the Options process in order the meet the government targets for students achieving the EBacc.  With the change to students now opting for four subjects there has in fact been an increase in the number of students opting to continue to study a Language.  In addition, the school feels that spreading the key stage over three years rather than the traditional two has additional benefits for students.  Students have more opportunities to develop both leadership skills and subject-specific skills that enhances their cultural capital.  The additional time devoted to options subjects, particularly those of a practical or vocational nature allows for a greater opportunity for the development of key employability skills.  In addition it reduces the stress that staff and students feel under to cover the extra content in many of the GCSE subjects; which is beneficial to the mental health of all concerned, especially to students when in Year 11. The options process is reviewed yearly to ensure it remains student-centred and meets the specific needs of each individual cohort.

Through the culture programme the school ensures core national curriculum coverage is maintained throughout Years 9, 10 and 11.  All students in Years 9 and 10 continue to study content linked to Languages, Geography, History, Religious Education and the Arts.  In addition students develop their digital literacy by working towards achieving the iDEA Award. 

Each fortnight students will be timetabled: 

English (8 hours), Maths (8 Hours), Science (8 hours), PE (4 hours), Philosophy & Beliefs (1 hour), Culture (1 hour), Option Choice 1 (5 hours), Option Choice 2 (5 hours), Option Choice 3 (5 hours), Option Choice 4 (5 hours).  At least one of the option choices must be Geography or History. 

The range of option choice subjects is as follows: 

Art, Computer Science, Construction, Drama, Engineering, French, Geography, Health & Social Care, History, Hospitality and Catering, ICT, Music, Photography, Physical Education, Spanish, Sport Science, Travel & Tourism, Triple Science. 

Details of the content taught in each subject area can be found on the school website in the Subjects area. 

Year 10 

In Year 10 students are taught in Sets for English, Maths, Science, and Core PE.  They are taught as mixed-ability option groups for all other subjects. 

Each fortnight students will be timetabled: 

English (9 hours), Maths (8 Hours), Science (8 hours), PE (4 hours), Culture (1 hour), Option Choice 1 (5 hours), Option Choice 2 (5 hours), Option Choice 3 (5 hours), Option Choice 4 (5 hours).  At least one of the option choices must be Geography or History. 

The range of option choice subjects is as follows:

Art, Computer Science, Construction, Drama, Engineering, French, Geography, Health & Social Care, History, Hospitality and Catering, ICT, Photography, Physical Education, Spanish, Sport Science, Travel & Tourism, and Triple Science.

Details of the content taught in each subject area can be found on the school website in the Subjects area. 

Year 11 

In Year 11 students are taught in Sets for English, Maths, Science, and core PE.  They are taught as mixed-ability option groups for all other subjects. 

Each fortnight students will be timetabled: 

English (9 hours), Maths (8 Hours), Science (8 hours), PE (4 hours), Culture (1 hour), Option Choice 1 (5 hours), Option Choice 2 (5 hours), Option Choice 3 (5 hours), Option Choice 4 (5 hours). At least one of the option choices must be Geography or History.

Art, Computer Science, Construction, Drama, Engineering, French, Geography,  History, Hospitality and Catering, ICT, Music, Photography, Physical Education, Spanish, Sport Science, Travel & Tourism, and Triple Science.

Details of the content taught in each subject area can be found on the school website in the Subjects area. 

British Values

Selston High School is committed to serving its community. It recognises the multi-cultural, multi faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them. 

It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. 

We are dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all its students. 

The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy. 

The five British Values are: 

  • Democracy 
  • The rule of law 
  • Individual liberty 
  • Mutual respect 
  • Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs 

Selston High School uses strategies within the National Curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students. 

Commitment to Ebacc

The school recognises the government’s ambition to see 75% of pupils studying the EBacc subject combination by 2022 and 90% by 2025. To increase our number of pupils studying the EBacc combination we have a commitment to increase the uptake of Languages at KS4. To achieve this we have given more hours to Languages at KS3 (5 hours a fortnight) and increased the number of options at KS4. We also promote languages through House competitions and assemblies. 

Religious Education/Collective Worship and SRE

Religious Education and Collective Worship:  

Religious Education themes and topics are covered as a core subject within the Humanities curriculum in Years 7 and 8 as well as through enrichment, assemblies and PSHEE for students in Years 9, 10 and 11.    

Children of any faith and those of no faith are encouraged to value everyone and their beliefs equally.  Shared assembly themes focus on the celebration of different cultures and beliefs of all within the school community and aim:   

  1. To show interest in and concern for members of the school community  
  2. To celebrate special occasions together  
  3. To show concern for the daily happenings in school life, the local community and wider world  
  4. To share appreciation of worthwhile activities undertaken by groups within the school 
  5. To reflect upon dimensions of human life

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from Religious Education and/or Collective Worship.