The Ark Globe Curriculum Approach

Our curriculum is intended to prepare students for university and to be leaders in their community.

The Ark Globe Curriculum encompasses the total experience of the student, covering a range of activities from what is learnt in the classroom to our expectations of how our students carry themselves, and make decisions, outside of it. For us, education is much more than a qualification; it is a way of being that results in an empowered young person who is able to secure a life of purpose and meaning.

We recognise that attending university is often key to this as, we believe, it provides young people with more choices. As such, the academic, pastoral and cultural curriculum has been designed to prepare students for university and to be leaders in their community. However, we also recognise that there are high quality alternatives to university and we help students to secure these too. Whatever choice is made, we want it to be an informed one, where our students determine their own future.

Preparing students for university and to be leaders in their community means that our academic curriculum, the curriculum taught in subjects, is based upon the following principles:

Depth for breadth

This means more time is given to English and maths and that a mastery approach to learning is adopted.  This involves planning backwards from the point of university readiness and starting with the fundamentals.  Through mastering the fundamentals, students are better able to grasp more complex knowledge and understanding, as well as make connections between subjects. Furthermore, our longer school day allows us to facilitate both depth as well as a broad and balanced curriculum.

• At KS3 this involves the use of a shared curriculum, implemented across a number of schools, in English, maths and science. As a result of this shared curriculum, we are also able to compare the performance of our students with students from other schools, giving us greater assurance in our judgements of where students are and how we can help them improve further.
• At KS4 this involves beginning GCSE option choices in Year 9 so that foundational knowledge needed for academic success can be established and more progress can be made. We also encourage students to choose history or geography and a modern foreign language as this provides them with a traditional curriculum, exposing them to a body of knowledge that would be expected of university applicants.
• At KS5 we encourage students to choose a pathway that opens up the widest range of opportunities for them in adult life. This may be A-Levels, where students study three subjects or a BTEC Pathway which gives students access to some of the best universities. We also make specific curriculum time for those students re-sitting English and maths, providing extra tuition where needed.

Securing destinations

This means ensuring students have the knowledge, skills and motivation to enjoy success once they have left Globe. In some cases, this may mean that some students need a more tailored curriculum, involving more personalised interventions, to better suit their needs at this stage of their life.

• At KS3 this involves dedicating one lesson a week to personal development in PSHEE (personal, social, health, economic education). In PSHEE, students are provided with knowledge related to key issues they may face as they mature, providing a forum for discussion, as well as guidance so that they are better able to make informed decisions.
• At KS4 this involves, in addition to a focus on traditional subjects and a three year KS4, the introduction of subjects that lead directly to KS5 pathways and employment opportunities. These include catering, media and business. All KS4 students are exposed to the world of work and higher education, through a specially designed week, named Futures’ Week, where they visit and engage with different careers and opportunities.
• At KS5 this involves two periods of enrichment focusing on personal development and wellbeing to ensure students continue to see the importance of self-care and development as they mature. Students also have ongoing exposure to careers, professionals and experiences, with many students being part of our bursary programmes in law, finance and medicine.

The pastoral and cultural curriculum focuses on developing key attributes that leaves students more able to make informed decisions that affect their own lives and that of others. There are several ways we do this:

1. The Culture Pyramid sets out our values, belief and purpose. It permeates all aspects of school life and is used to set expectations around behaviour, decision-making and approach to school life, ultimately preparing students to be leaders in their community. In the Primary phase there are ‘Culture Champions’ and a Junior Leadership Team. In the Secondary phase, there is a student council, prefect team and student union. The Culture Pyramid also plays a key role in our approach to pedagogy within the academic curriculum. Inside and outside the classroom, there is a huge focus placed upon growth mindset with students engaging in metacognition, identifying gaps in knowledge and embracing retesting.
2. Globe Growth is a way of focusing students on building good habits that maximise chances of success. This involves building organisation, paying attention to punctuality, attendance and conduct and emphasises the importance of hard work and effort.
3. Learning Family Time starts and ends the school day in the Secondary phase. This provides a space to prepare students for the day ahead, debrief at the end of the day, provide longer-term careers advice and address key issues relevant to contemporary Britain and the world.
4. Enrichment Opportunities are provided to students throughout the school year and tailored Enrichment Days occur three times a year in the Secondary phase, providing all students with exposure to knowledge and experiences not necessarily covered in the academic curriculum. The days focus on cultural exposure, careers and community.

In preparing students for university and to be leaders in the community, when a student leaves Ark Globe, they leave with a knowledge and understanding of the world that allows them to access the best opportunities. However, they also leave with a deep understanding of themselves and the impact their choices have on their own lives and their community.

The Academic Curriculum Model

The number in brackets is the number of lessons for the subject each week. Each lesson is 55 minutes.

For students with more complex needs we implement a more specialised curriculum at KS3. This provides students with the opportunity to have access to:

• Small-group literacy and numeracy teaching.
• Speech and language support.
• Social skills support.
• Subjects that focus on developing life skills, for example, catering.

Year 7 & Year 8

Year 9: Foundation GCSE Year

Year 10 & Year 11

Years 12 & Year 13

Curriculum Queries

If you have any queries about particular subjects, please contact the Faculty Assistant Principal. For wider curriculum questions, please contact our Associate Principal on u.sookun@arkglobe.org.

For queries around PE, please contact PE Subject Leader, Mr J Bonnett on j.bonnett@arkglobe.org. 

Please click here to see curriculum maps and knowledge content by year group. 

Please click here for subject intent statements. 

Please click here to see the home learning page with the homework timetable. 

Please click here to see how to choose your options.