With our curriculum at The Calder Learning Trust, we aim to equip our students with the skills, resilience and confidence to achieve excellence in academic, creative and sporting activities and to develop their cultural appreciation and acceptance, so they are ready to succeed in an ever-changing world.

From EYFS to Key Stage 3, students learn and develop the skills, knowledge, concepts and values that will support them as they move through and beyond the primary phase and into secondary. Students follow the national curriculum and staff provide topical, high quality experiences that allow children to investigate, challenge, consolidate and apply their learning. Opportunities are given across academic subjects, the arts, technology and PE for pupils to practice and build upon prior learning so that key concepts become embedded into long term memory. Links are made across the curriculum to ensure transferable, real-life skills are taught with reading at the heart of this so that students can independently access the whole curriculum at an age-appropriate level.

Alongside our drive for quality first teaching and engaging lessons is a comprehensive personal development programme. This supports our students in building the confidence and courage needed as they move through the Key Stages and grow as individuals, ready for the next stage of their education. Our extensive enrichment and extra-curricular programme augments the taught curriculum providing a richness of experience and engagement with our local community.

In Key Stage 4, students continue to follow national curriculum expectations and have access to the entitlement areas of the arts, technology, humanities and modern foreign languages. Maintaining our commitment for students to develop their character and support the government’s EBacc ambitions, students select a ‘Core +’ option (history, geography or MFL) and have free choice of 3 further options. Our CIAG supports students in selecting options that facilitate good progress and prepares them for later life. To ensure that all students have access to sustained education, employment or training, we aim to personalise the curriculum and enrichment offer as well as providing links with local employers.

Across The Calder Learning Trust, we strive for everybody, everyday to be and do their very best and provide a curriculum that will help them to realise their dreams and aspirations.