Computer Science – Curriculum Intent

The intent of the Computer Science Curriculum is to create the very best Computer Scientists preparing students for the modern world, as  high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. The curriculum covers core aspects of Digital Literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology.  Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is Computer Science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology – at a level suitable for all other subjects, the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world. 

Through a coherent programme of skills development at KS3, we aim to equip all students with the essential skills required for a safe, informed life in the digital age, never falsely assuming they innately understand how to get the best out of technology merely because they have grown up surrounded by it. Students will discover a myriad of engaging opportunities ranging from classical algorithmic programming tasks in a variety of languages including HTML and Python to front end technology based media design using open software such as inkscape to design vector graphics to animation design and using 3D environments. 

We aim to close the gap for disadvantaged students and those with SEND by offering specialist skill development and experience with professional software.  These skills are reinforced by how they are used in industry, each lesson providing links and resources to career opportunities in each of the topics covered within Computing.  Careers are also explored further within the enrichment offered by discovering the opportunities within topics such as artificial intelligence and professional games design.  STEM opportunities are also explored during this time, enriching students with access to engineering and algorithmic thinking through the use of Lego robotics, the Raspberry Pi and Minecraft Education Edition.

Through exposure to the power of algorithms and data structures, we will expand students’ knowledge of the underlying systems which drive so many aspects of modern life, enabling them to make informed, rational choices about how they interact with technology.   By threading knowledge of the IT and creative industries through the curriculum, we aim to close the gap for disadvantaged students and those with SEND by ensuring they are aware of the rewarding opportunities on offer in these fields. Through imaginative use of practical coding and applications, we will aim to inspire students to become content creators, not mere consumers. 

Through challenging them to think about the key ethical questions which are presented by technological development, we will encourage all students to be responsible, considered digital citizens. By exposing our disadvantaged students and those with SEND to some of the

big questions about technology, we will help them to build up the cultural capital that will demystify the world of IT and build confidence that will open doors for their future.

Design and Technology – Curriculum Intent

Paxman Academy has developed from a rich industrial heritage and we aim to continue this legacy by producing future STEM leaders.We collaborate with STEM departments working to create challenges during enrichment days, clubs and school wide challenges.

The Design and Technology curriculum at Paxman follows the national curriculum framework, building on knowledge through well sequenced lessons across a range of subjects. It is our intent to nurture an innovative and enquiring mind, linking lessons to current trends and future possibilities.  We aim to progress and challenge students’ thinking and practical skills that can be developed according to student needs. 

As a team we consider Design and Technology to incorporate many key life skills, including accurate measuring, spatial awareness, risk taking, teamwork and time management. 

All students at Paxman Academy will be given the opportunity to engage in a DT experience – with Design Technology, Food and Textiles being taught to all KS3 students on a rotation. During their time in food they learn about health and safety, hygiene and knife skills, cooking basic dishes for themselves and others whilst learning about nutritional and healthy eating. Across the rotation of DT students engage in a number of real life design briefs and problem solve through iterative design to produce a range of outcomes, using card, board, wood, metal and plastics, with added electronics and CAD teaching. With textiles design and creativity is key, learning about fibres and fabrics and construction techniques.

Our curriculum offer in Design and technology creates students who can think, talk, read and write like Innovators, Technologists and Designers as demonstrated through their ability to:

• Investigating & evaluating existing products.
• Identifying the needs of a range of users including research and analysing existing products.
• Communicating design ideas through modelling,drawing and verbal communication
• Working independently and collaboratively when researching, developing and producing products
• Developing social and environmental awareness through learning about environmentally friendly design themes, sustainability and being a responsible designer.
• Producing designs that are fit for purpose
• Growth of the iterative design process to enable further development and thinking skills
• Developing a range of practical skills in areas of Product design, engineering, electronics, food and textile.

We do this through a range of projects:

This plan will evolve over time to reflect the students needs, staff skills and the local labour market.

Paxman students will leave having developed technological capability and skills in order for them to function successfully in a technological society that is constantly evolving, building resilience to face many of life’s challenges and gaining confidence with resilience.

Drama – Curriculum Intent

Drama at Paxman Academy is about enabling our students to develop not only their understanding of the world of Drama and its many influential practitioners and playwrights, but also allowing students to develop an understanding of themselves and the world that they exist within. 

Students studying Drama at Paxman have the advantage of working in a purpose built, state of the art performance space. This adds gravitas to the importance that drama plays within the broad and balanced curriculum offered at Paxman Academy.

The sequencing of the curriculum in Drama is designed to ensure that students have a strong foundation in core dramatic skills and knowledge, which they can then build upon in subsequent years. We begin in Year 7 students develop their understanding of the Explorative Strategies and develop their Drama vocabulary. Students will also develop their collaboration skills. The curriculum becomes more challenging in Year 8 as students work with more complex contexts in which to devise their drama responses from. Year 9 sees students developing their understanding of the Drama Medium and Drama Elements in order to deepen their knowledge in preparation for GCSE Drama, should they choose to formally continue with the subject.

At GCSE students’ creativity and imagination are stretched. Students are introduced to a number of published plays as well as given the creative tools to devise their own performances, all the while building on their own cultural capital and understanding of both the wider world and the world of theatre. 

The curriculum offer in Drama creates students who:

• • Aspire: to develop self awareness and confidence.

• Success: Through differentiation every student is able to succeed and enjoy the feeling of success.

• Persevere: keep trying to achieve success and who are resilient learners.
• Integrity: be honest and supportive of their peers in all aspects of the learning phase.
• Respect themselves and their peers. To also have an understanding and respect for those who have worked to advance Drama.
• Empathy: consistently show empathy for others and the topics studied,

In addition to this, we offer a weekly Drama Club for each year in KS3 and a ‘Deepening Knowledge’ session for KS4. Both the Drama and Music departments combine to also produce two productions per year, one being a musical, the other being a drama production.

English – Curriculum Intent

The English curriculum at Paxman Academy is designed to ensure that all learners are given the opportunity to become confident and articulate students of language and literature. As well as exposing students to a range of texts and genres across different time periods, the curriculum also has a strong focus on embedding the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar to ensure that our students can assuredly and accurately present their ideas. Spoken language and oracy skills are also prioritised, in order to support all learners to develop vital communication skills.

The English curriculum is structured so that there is a logical progression of skills across units. In Year 7, students explore the origins of storytelling, an introduction to drama and poetry and a range of non-fiction texts to give them a secure understanding of a variety of written forms. Having been introduced to a range of text types from different time periods, the focus in year 8 shifts to genre and writing for purpose, as students study literature and non-fiction texts in greater depth. These ideas are then developed in Year 9 as students begin to explore texts with more complex social and political messages and writing styles that require a more sophisticated awareness of wider social and historical contexts. This development of skills throughout KS3 is intended to promote a passion for reading and writing as well as providing students with the necessary knowledge and learning tools to be successful at Key Stage 4. 

Our curriculum offer in English creates students who can think, talk, read and write clearly and skilfully as demonstrated through their ability to:

-Create texts for different genres, audiences and purposes

-Use accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar

-Formulate interpretations of texts using the skills of inference and deduction

-Analyse the impact of writers’ methods

-Make effective links and comparisons between texts

-Explore the significance of social and historical contexts in relation to literary texts

-Use a range of spoken language skills to explain, argue and persuade

Humanities Faculty – Curriculum Intent

Geography

At Paxman Academy, we want our students to leave each Geography lesson with an enriched understanding of how the world works.

As our students progress through Key Stage 3, their growing knowledge of the world should deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes across the world, and how different landscapes and environments are formed and used.

Students benefit from studying a broad range of topics taught discretely, with opportunities to make synoptic links as the complex web of global geography is studied. Physical geography topics such as weather and climate, tectonics and ecosystems are interspersed with human geography topics such as development, population and urbanisation. In-depth place studies allow students to apply their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to many processes, as well as regions across the world, including Africa, the Middle East and Russia.

Our curriculum has been designed to cumulatively build upon each topic, so that previously acquired knowledge is reviewed and developed throughout the curriculum, leading to knowledgeable students who understand and recall key features of human and physical geographical processes. Each Geography topic is placed within specific locations, so that students are able to locate the geographical concepts they are learning about in the context of the wider world. This also enables our students to develop a real sense of place knowledge locally and globally as they progress through the curriculum, whether they are studying development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or how glacial processes formed the landscape of the Lake District.

Geographical skills are embedded throughout the curriculum, allowing students to build skills to communicate effectively in a range of mediums, including through graphs, maps, statistics, diagrams, speech and writing. Each unit is carefully planned to ensure that we are building up the powerful knowledge that we believe will enable our students to understand the world around them, while also developing the skills of decision-making, assessing and evaluating different geographical issues, encouraging our students to think like Geographers.

History

The History curriculum at Paxman Academy has been designed to empower our students by making them informed about who we are, why we are here, how Britain has been shaped, and how we can understand the modern world.

Our chronological Key Stage 3 curriculum enables our students to improve at history by building up an increasingly complex knowledge of the past, which relies upon their understanding of prior topics. For example, our students’ understanding of the religious rollercoaster that is 16th century England is enriched by the fact that they have a secure knowledge of the origins of Christianity in England, following Augustine’s conversion of the Anglo-Saxon pagans in the 6th century. Our students develop a knowledge-rich understanding of the past, which allows them to really secure a deep understanding of how Britain’s history has developed and changed, as well as that of the wider world.

Each topic studied is carefully planned to focus on important substantive concepts that are revisited throughout the curriculum, such as empire, trade, tax and rebellion. The frequency of these concepts within the curriculum ensures that pupils are able to make concise and analytical links between events, time periods and regimes, and in doing so become skilled historians. A Year 8 student, for example, studying rebellions from the left and right in post-war Germany, is already familiar with the concept having studied numerous examples across history prior to this point, whether it is the Harrying of the North, or the Pilgrimage of Grace. As each topic is led by a fertile enquiry question, there is a real sense of purpose within each lesson. 

Our students accumulate secure knowledge over time, which really engages with them with the discipline of history. Through these topics, our students are able to use their knowledge and understanding to immerse themselves in current and world affairs, informed by their deep understanding of the past.

PRE

The philosophy, religion and ethics curriculum intends to align itself to the Paxman Academy’s vision of ‘Building Brighter Futures’ by showing all students that the diversity in the world that we live in is something to be admired and understood so that we can succeed collectively. The way that we intend to do this is by following the Essex Agreed Syllabus for 2022, the aims of the syllabus are to create a new opportunity for worldviews to be explored through three key lenses: Philosophy, Theology and Sociology (Human Sciences). Every student will be given the opportunity to use their knowledge to question the ever changing world that we live in, through guided discussions and structured debates in order to strengthen their minds and understand complex worldviews. This ensures that we are linked to Paxman Academy’s  vision to create students who are prepared for the ‘the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain.’ Part of Sigma Trust’s values is to ensure that students are respectful and are held accountable for the voices, thoughts and actions. This is an essential element of PRE at Paxman, due to the mixed cultural and religious background of the students, it is more important than ever to show all students that it is through education, and engaging our minds that students can be successful and have bright futures ahead of them.

As per the Essex Agreed Syllabus for 2022, all of the worldviews are covered throughout KS3 and KS4. As per the demographic of the school and local area, we have chosen to focus on Christianity, Islam and Humanism. All students should feel that they are represented and can reflect on their own beliefs throughout their time in PRE, but also so that they can see the world through the lenses of their peers and the people that they are likely to come across when they leave Paxman. The EAS for 2022 also allows students to investigate key questions, therefore each topic has an enquiry question that students will be delving into, they will need to be independent as well as collaborate to successfully tackle each element of the enquiry. Students are encouraged to use Socratic Questioning when using the lenses as part of their PRE skills. Evaluation is critical to the study of Philosophy, Religion and Ethics and therefore it is the way that we expect students to present their knowledge.

Using the Ofsted Review into Religious Education (May 2021) we have worked to cover any previous gaps in any prior curriculums. Therefore, there are fifteen key enquiries so that ‘content is sufficient for pupils to grasp a bigger picture’. Students are given in lessons and via homework tasks the chance to express ‘their own personal knowledge (for example, their own prior assumptions)’ as mentioned above. Assessment is continuing to be reviewed so that it is inline with the latest research and aligns with Paxman Academy’s Assessment Policy, to this end, a mixture of summative and formative assessment is being used throughout the year to build upon their knowledge. Formative assessments are interleaving with previous knowledge from earlier enquiries, not just those being studied. Whilst summative assessments are written and give students the opportunity to show depth of knowledge, as well as fully express themselves. 

The PRE curriculum plays an important role in preparing pupils for adult life, employment and lifelong learning. It helps children and young people become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens. It gives them the knowledge, skills and understanding to discern and value truth and goodness, strengthening their capacity for making moral judgements and for evaluating different types of commitment to make positive and healthy choices. As a department, we believe that our diverse curriculum means that our students will be able to go out into the world as more morally conscious, informed and well-rounded individuals.

Mathematics – Curriculum Intent

Mathematics at Paxman Academy is about enabling our students to become outstanding mathematicians. We believe that all students, regardless of background, deserve a creative and ambitious mathematics curriculum that ignites curiosity and prepares them for a future outside the world of education, not just further education. We seek to develop our learners as mathematicians through a greater understanding of how and why mathematics works. As a STEM school, we fully understand the importance mathematics has within science, technology, and engineering as well as its necessity in the financial world and most forms of employment. Therefore, we know it is critical that our students leave us with a high level of mathematical literacy. At Paxman Academy we do not see mathematics as a series of independent processes but as a highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. High-quality mathematics education is therefore essential in understanding how the world that we live in has been built as well as gaining an appreciation for the power and beauty of the subject. 

Our curriculum offer in mathematics creates students who can think, talk, read, and write like a mathematician as demonstrated through their ability to:

• work fluently in the fundamentals of mathematics
• solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems
• reason mathematically 
• communicate, justify, and prove using mathematical vocabulary
• develop their character, including resilience, aspiration, confidence, and independence

MFL – Curriculum Intent

At Paxman Academy we understand the value of languages, and how meaningful they are in our social interactions and welfare. Learning a language transcends learning what accents are and how to use the present tense. Every industry and employment sector values graduates who can speak a language. Other benefits to speaking a foreign language include:

• Developing your confidence and communication skills
• It expands your cultural awareness
• It opens additional doors to opportunities for studying or working abroad
• It  is a highly sought-after skill not only by universities but also by employers as it can be a significant competitive advantage that sets you apart from your monolingual peers
• As we age, based on research, being bilingual or multilingual also helps to stave off mental aging and cognitive decline.

Our curriculum offer in Languages creates students who think, talk, read and write like a linguist as demonstrated through their ability to:

• Understand key phonics to communicate effectively when listening and speaking.
• Use and manipulate vocabulary to generate meaningful conversations.
• Increase their awareness of foreign cultures, including European, African and South American.
• Read, analyse and understand texts in a foreign language, spotting patterns and extracting key information.
• Write effectively, using a combination of different vocabulary, tenses, opinions and grammatical structures.

The languages curriculum is sequenced in such a way that each new piece of content builds on what has followed previously. In Year 7 students spend a lot of time on key phonics. This is crucial as a strong understanding of phonics is vital to effective communication in any language. This focus on phonics continues right up until students leave us in Year 11.

We focus on stretch and challenge to ensure that all students achieve their full potential. We also understand that some may find languages difficult, therefore the languages curriculum and department is also dedicated to helping support students fully, as well as stretching their ability. We earnestly believe that the most captivating, engaging and effective way to complement language learning is through full immersion to develop knowledge and cultural capital. Therefore, we are seeking to organise yearly trips abroad and work in collaboration with local resources, such as Essex University in order to grant students the opportunity to improve their use of Spanish while conversing with native Spanish speakers. 

We have also recently given students the opportunity to hear from guest speakers who explain how languages have been used in their industries, most recently students heard from a guest who used to work for Arsenal Football Club, who explained the crucial role that languages played in the football and business industry.

Music – Curriculum Intent

Opening Minds – Curriculum Intent

The Opening Minds curriculum at Paxman Academy equips students to become knowledgeable and informed citizens who can be successful in an ever-changing world. Through Opening Minds our students are encouraged to live healthy, safe, productive, capable, responsible and balanced lives. 

Learners are encouraged to shine by being supported in making effective decisions, positive learning, career choices and in achieving economic well-being. Students are supported to develop a traffic light awareness towards risky situations and behaviours and are equipped with the knowledge and skills to make good and safe choices in these situations. 

Students are provided with opportunities to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore the complex and conflicting range of attitudes that exist in the world. Students develop interpersonal and intrapersonal skills allowing them to develop teamwork and communication skills required to become successful members of society. 

The British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect of those with different faiths and beliefs are taught explicitly and reinforced in the way in which the school operates. We acknowledge the contribution they make towards rounded personal development and the creation of healthy and positive attitudes. 

Critical, popular and controversial current affairs feature within the curriculum and highlight the adaptive nature of the programme. Contextual school issues are incorporated into the curriculum as appropriate in order to provide a timely, effective and efficient way of combating concerns and providing appropriate education. 

Relationships and Sex Education is also delivered through the Opening Minds course. Aspects of RSE have been carefully sequenced to be delivered at age-appropriate times and once a strong relationship exists with the staff delivering the content. 

Opening Minds serves as a conduit through which key safeguarding content and education are communicated. This ranges from radicalisation and FGM to grooming, sexual abuse and sexting. The course provides the education and guidance to support our students to make well-informed choices about their safety and the safety of those around them.  

Through the above intent and relentless inclusion of our ASPIRE school values, we are building brighter futures for our students.

PE – Curriculum Intent

We aim to create the very best experience for all ability levels within Physical Education. We challenge students to think, act and speak like those working in the field would. We do this by building leadership qualities in the students, for example by leading peers in warm-ups and drills and learning to speak confidently in front of others. We facilitate this in a way that is inclusive and fun. For those relishing the challenge of competitive sport, it is achieved through competitions against other schools at local, regional and national level. Our curriculum at Paxman goes far beyond what is taught in lessons, for whilst we want students to achieve the very best examination results possible, we believe our curriculum goes beyond what is examinable. As a department we offer an outstanding and varied extra-curricular programme open to all students. The activities on offer and the range of competition levels we compete in develops our students’ sporting abilities. From traditional to lifestyle activities. This fully complements students’ sporting commitments outside of school and in many cases allows the students to access the scholarship systems and potentially into professional sports. 

Our ethos in Physical Education strongly reflects the behaviours outlined in the Paxman ethos statement, particularly those of collaboration. 

• SMSC is a regular feature of PE lessons; students learn how to operate in teams and the etiquette associated with taking part in physical activities. 
• Students are taught strategies to solve problems in how to outwit an opponent or design/choreograph a gymnastic/dance sequence. 
• Subject specific vocabulary is used regularly and expected to be used accurately by the students (Oracy). 
• As a knowledge-engaged curriculum we believe that knowledge underpins and enables the application of skills; both are entwined. 
• We aim for our students to be able to demonstrate our ASPIRE values in all lessons. These being; Aspiration, Success, Perseverance, Integrity, Respect and Empathy

Science – Curriculum Intent

Science at Paxman Academy is about enabling our students to become outstanding scientists. As a STEM school with a diverse catchment area, we believe in preparing students not only for further education, but also for life in an ever changing society All students will learn to  utilise the transferable skills they learn from Science to be scientifically literate and to make informed scientific decisions in society regardless of career choice.

Our curriculum offer in Science links closely to the school’s ASPIRE values. We aim to teach pupils to be  able to think, talk, read and write like a scientist as demonstrated through their ability to:

Be aspirational regardless of background

Be successful in Science regardless of the route they take with us throughout their time with us of their career choice 

Be able to persevere and problem solve, particularly when working experimentally, developing key practical skills, analysing results and evaluating techniques. 

Be able to act with integrity when learning about the nature, processes and methods linked to different scientific enquiries. 

Be able to respect themselves and show empathy to those who have worked to advance Science to what it is we understand today.

Science is taught as a sequence of knowledge to ensure students’ develop a secure understanding of foundational concepts before moving on preparing them for future science courses or employment. Content is taught in a logical sequence with regular retrieval and interleaving to reduce cognitive load and increase cultural capital, allowing for links to be made to the real world including scientists from all backgrounds. We begin by teaching students the fundamentals from cells, atoms, energy and forces, without which students would be unable to understand many of the chemical reactions, interactions between particles and more complex processes. 

In addition to this, we offer a fortnightly weekly Science and STEM club, STEM enrichment days and leadership roles for our students to ensure that pupils leave Paxman Academy as well rounded individuals with a clear understanding of Science in society, potential career routes within STEM and prepared for the world of work and life in modern Britain.