Our approach to the curriculum is clear. Our students at Chatham Grammar follow a core academic curriculum, which includes a comprehensive and balanced range of GCSEs leading to the EBacc and A level programmes. The curriculum offer is robust and ensures students gain places at prestigious universities across the UK and enter into a variety of high-profile careers and professions in key areas such as Science, Business, Arts, Law and Finances.
Our curriculum is accessible and inclusive, complying with our duties in the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.
In their delivery, teachers set high expectations for all students. They plan challenging work for all groups, including:
- More able students
- Students with low prior attainment
- Students from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Students with SEN
- Students with English as an additional language (EAL)
Every teacher is a teacher of SEN. Teachers plan lessons so that pupils with SEN and/or disabilities can study every National Curriculum subject, wherever possible, and ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.
Students at Chatham Grammar are expected to make outstanding progress and meet challenging academic targets. Students are formally assessed under exam conditions in all subjects, in all year groups three times a year. Exam outcomes are sent to parents/carers. In addition, teachers mark and assess ongoing class work and homework and provide diagnostic feedback for future development.
In summary the curriculum is intended to provide a high-quality experience for all, promoting breadth, balance and depth. Above all it should present stretch, challenge and stimulus in order to promote the highest possible levels of educational achievement.
Literacy
At Chatham Grammar we firmly believe that literacy is the key to academic success across the curriculum. Our literacy policy has been informed by research led by The Education Endowment Foundation’s ‘Improving Literacy in Secondary School’. Our approach has an emphasis on disciplinary literacy with an expectation that every teacher communicates their subject through academic language. At the heart of knowing and doing every subject are the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Year 9 Options
Students in Year 9 preference their subject choices for Years 10 and 11. This process begins with our Year 9 Options Event, held on site on Thursday 22nd January. This is an opportunity to speak to staff about the courses and look at student work. This event is designed to keep our students’ learning broad and balanced, whilst also preparing them for their next steps.
In Years 10 and 11, all students will study English Language, English Literature, Maths, Double Science, Ethics and PE core. Students then have the opportunity to choose four further subjects. One must be a Humanities subject (History or Geography) and one a modern foreign language (French, German or Spanish). It is expected that the language chosen is the language currently studied in Year 9. Students are also able to choose both Humanities subjects, however these would be seen as one or two of their option choices. Students are also able to choose Triple Science, again this would be seen as one of their two option choices.
As students go through the process of making their subject choices, we recommend that they spend time exploring and discussing these options to help make their decisions. If you would like any support from your child’s subject teacher or personal tutor, please contact them via email at the Academy to discuss. Year 9 Parents’ Evening held on the 10th and 12th February is a good opportunity to ask subject specific questions. There will also be a series of assemblies during the week beginning 24th February that will be an opportunity for students to find out more from the teachers who lead subjects not currently taught in Year 9.
These are important choices to make, and they should be built upon strengths, interests as well as future career choices. If students are motivated and enjoy what they are studying, they are far more likely to achieve well over the next two years.
Once your child has made their choice, the ‘options form’ will need to be completed. This is to ensure option preferences have been carefully considered before finalising preferences. It is important to note that subjects will only run if there is enough interest shown and while we will always endeavour to ensure that students are able to study their preferences this is not always possible and, in those circumstances, we will ensure that students have the subject with the highest preference possible.
Key Dates
Thursday 22nd January – Year 9 Options Evening
Wednesday 4th February – Year 9 Parent/Carer Evening
Thursday 12th February – Year 9 Parent/Carer Evening
Monday 23rd – Friday 27th February – Year 9 Options Assembly Week
Friday 27th February – Option Form Release Date
Friday 6th March – Options Form Close Date
Year 9 Options – Subject Information
Please click on the subject names below to find out more information about each of them:
