At Furrowfield School, our curriculum is ambitious, personalised and designed to improve life chances for all students, ensuring that every young person is supported to achieve their full potential and successfully transition into their future pathways.
Our work is underpinned by the Furrowfield Way, which is central to both our curriculum intent and daily practice. We are committed to developing students who are imaginative, inquisitive, resilient, reflective and able to work collaboratively, alongside promoting the values of kindness, thoughtfulness and empowerment, enabling them to become successful citizens of the future.
Curriculum Intent
At Furrowfield School, our curriculum is ambitious, personalised and designed to improve life chances for all students. It aims to ensure that every young person is supported to achieve their full potential and successfully transition into their future pathways. The curriculum is underpinned by the Furrowfield Way and aims to develop students who are:
- Imaginative
- Inquisitive
- Resilient
- Reflective
- Collaborative
We aim for students to:
- Develop the knowledge and skills needed for their next steps.
- Build confidence, independence and resilience.
- Develop effective self-regulation strategies.
- Overcome barriers to learning.
- Achieve the best possible life chances.
Examples
- A student learns emotional regulation strategies that enable them to remain in lessons and engage positively with learning.
- Students develop confidence through presenting work, participating in team activities and making informed choices about future careers.
- Careers education helps students identify suitable post-16 destinations, apprenticeships or employment opportunities.
Curriculum Design
Curriculum design promotes:
- Imaginative thinking.
- Inquisitive learning.
- Reflection and self-evaluation.
- Resilience when facing challenges.
- Effective collaboration with others.
Examples
- In English, pupils may explore different interpretations of a text and justify their opinions.
- In Science, pupils investigate questions, make predictions and evaluate results.
- Reflection journals or mentoring sessions encourage pupils to evaluate their progress and set personal targets.
- Group projects in Art or PE support teamwork and collaborative problem-solving.
- Personal Development lessons help pupils understand relationships, wellbeing and life in modern Britain.
Curriculum Delivery
Delivery includes:
- High-quality classroom teaching.
- Trauma-informed and nurturing approaches.
- Targeted interventions to remove barriers to learning.
- Academic, vocational, nurturing and therapeutic provision.
Examples
- A pupil may receive therapeutic support alongside their academic timetable to improve readiness to learn.
- Small-group interventions may support literacy, numeracy or emotional regulation.
- Vocational learning opportunities provide practical experiences linked to future employment.
- Teachers adapt learning activities to meet individual SEMH and learning needs.
- Students work towards GCSEs, BTECs, Functional Skills and AQA Unit Awards that match their strengths and aspirations.
Curriculum Structure
The curriculum is organised through a flexible pathway model, enabling each student to access a curriculum tailored to their needs, strengths and future goals. Students may follow a combination of academic, vocational, nurturing and therapeutic pathways.
Curriculum Pathways
- Academic Pathways
- Vocational Pathways
- Nurturing Pathways
- Therapeutic Pathways
Subject Offer
- English Language and Literature
- Mathematics
- Science
- Geography
- History
- Modern Foreign Languages
- Computing
- Physical Education
- Food Technology
- Art
Personal Development Offer
- PSHRE through Futures
- SMSC education
- Drop-down days
- Thematic learning opportunities
Examples
- A student may follow GCSE English, Maths and Science alongside a vocational qualification and therapeutic intervention.
- PSHRE lessons are taught weekly, while SMSC themes are explored through special events and curriculum days.
- Subject knowledge is sequenced so that students build skills progressively from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.
- A pupil interested in catering could study Food Technology while working towards Functional Skills qualifications and developing employability skills.
