Curriculum Intent and Information

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 basic 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.

Please see our Equality and Diversity and SEN Policies for further information about how we ensure all pupils are able to fully access the curriculum and are supported in their learning to reach their full potential. 

Further Questions  

For any further questions regarding the curriculum at Calder High please use the parent enquiry section in 'contact us'.

English

“The English curriculum aims is to develop independent, resilient and confident students who have a love of the subject and a love of learning more generally. We will instil powerful knowledge; enable the development of skills and understanding to critically analyse a broad range of texts, to construct accurate writing across genres and communicate confidently and securely in a range of contexts; provide exposure to a breadth of high level and challenging texts; we will provide exposure to a wide range of vocabulary to close the vocabulary gap whilst embedding the foundations of retrieval practice, memory recall and grammar.

There is a strong focus on promoting resilience and confidence in considering their own interpretations and personal responses when exploring the wide range of high level and challenging texts they are exposed to across the English curriculum. As students mature, they can analyse, infer, and evaluate at the highest levels.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Introduction to Literature through the story of English

 

Middle English

Mystery Plays

Shakespeare and the Renaissance

Evolution of poetry

Descriptive/narrative writing

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

Summer Term  - Year 8

The Gothic

Victorian – A Christmas Carol

Macbeth

Viewpoints and Perspectives: linking the themes
and ideas from across the curriculum to 20th Century

Blood Brothers

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Dystopia Reading

Non-Fiction Writing

Narrative and Descriptive Writing

Speaking and Listening

Black Roses Poetry

Green Writing Competition

Of Mice and Men

An Introduction to Unseen Poetry

Language Paper 1 Section A

An Inspector Calls

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Power and Conflict Poetry

Narrative & Descriptive Writing

 

Language Paper 1 Section A

Power and Conflict Poetry

Speaking and Listening

Romeo and Juliet

 

Power and Conflict Poetry

Non-fiction Writing

Speaking and Listening NEA

Power and Conflict

An Inspector Calls

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Language Paper 2 & Revision

The MASTER CLASS sessions

GCSE Revision

GCSE Revision

Maths

Science

Art

Computing and ICT

Design Technology

“Children’s creativity is used alongside their developing technical and practical expertise in the Design Technology curriculum so that they design, make and evaluate a range of products.
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.” 

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Taught as part of a 9/10 week rotation

 

Resistant Materials- Woodworking Skills

Graphic Design – ‘Pop Up Design’

 

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

 

Taught as part of a 9/10 week rotation

 

Motion and Levers

CAD/CAM manufacturing

 

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Taught as part of a 12/13 week rotation

 

Working on a Design Brief

Sustainability

Exploring Materials – Timbers, Polymers and Metals

Product Manufacture

 

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Metals

Polymers

Timbers

Textiles

Impact of new and emerging technology

 

Mechanical Devices

Electronic Systems

Designers

Lifecycle analysis

Controlled assessment tasks

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Controlled Assessment –

Research

Design Specification and Brief

Design Ideas

Development of Design

 

Final Design

Manufacturing

Exam Practice

GCSE Revision of core content

Drama

Engineering

“Children’s creativity is used alongside their developing technical and practical expertise in the Design Technology curriculum so that they design, make and evaluate a range of products.
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Not taught in Year 7

 

 

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

 

Not taught in Year 8

 

 

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Taught as part of a 12/13 week rotation

 

Health and Safety

Metal Working Skills

CAD/CAM manufacturing

Toolbox Project

 

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Engineering Sectors

 

Exploring Engineering Skills

 

 

Exploring Engineering Skills

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Investigate an Engineered Product

Exam Revision

 

Investigate an Engineered Product

External exam

 

 

Resit of exam as necessary

 

Enterprise

French

“We aim to develop language learners who are passionate, resilient, independent learners, confident speakers of French who have a strong awareness of the culture of French-speaking countries and have a sound understanding of grammar. They should be inquisitive, proud linguists; able to progress readily to the next stage of their language learning.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Not taught in Year 7 or 8

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

Summer Term  - Year 8

Not taught in Year 7 or 8

 

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Media/Technology

All about me.

Direct object pronouns

Verb +infinitive structures

Adjective agreement

Present tense verb conjugation

Use pronouns me, te and se

Use modal verbs

Imperative (tu form)

Imperfect tense

Health

Customs and Festivals

Travel and Tourism

The pronoun en

Future tense

Conditional +infinitive

Perfect tense with être

Negatives ne…jamais…ni…ni

Present tense ir verbs

Simple future with si and quand

Perfect and imperfect tenses

Use a range of tenses

Home

Jobs

Y / present tense with depuis

Regular –re verbs in the present tense

Si clauses and imperfect tense/conditional

Masculine and feminine

Revision of the imperfect and forming the conditional

Si clauses and tense revision

Quand with different tenses

Use a range of tenses

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Me, my family  and friends

Technology in everyday life

Using avoir and être

Present tense of regular verbs

Adjectival agreement and position

Using possessive adjectives

Using the immediate future tense.

Present tense irregular verbs

Using the perfect tense of regular verbs

It and that

Pronouns moi/toi/lui

Free time activities

Customs and festivals

Using aimer and “ce que”

Revising the regular present tense

Adverbs of frequency

Forming regular adverbs

Using faire and jouer in the present tense

Perfect tense with être

Reflexive verbs

Recognising the imperfect tense

 

Home, town and region

Social issues

Plurals of nouns

Adjective agreement

Using c’est and il y a

Using demonstrative adjectives and prepositions

Learning about verbs that are followed by the infinitive

Using je voudrais/j’aimerais

Expressions with il faut

Imperfect tense of être, avoir and faire

Recognising pluperfect

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Global issues

Travel and Tourism

Using si + present/future

Revise devoir/pouvoir +infinitive

The imperative

Verbs of possiblility

Using negatives

Using depuis / y

Revision of the perfect tense

 

 

Life at school and college

Jobs, career choices, ambitions

Revising comparatives and superlatives

Using adverbs

Revision of the perfect tense

Revising il faut

Revising si clauses

Using intensifiers and pronouns ce qui/ce que

Using verbs of like/dislike and the conditional

 

Using a variety of tenses

Revision of comparatives and superlatives

REVISION and Past paper practice

 

Geography

Health and Social Care

“Through the study of Health and Social Care our mission is to give students the ability to develop and learn more about individuals in society. Students study particular units such as Human Lifespan Development, Health and Social Care Services and Values and finally, Health and Wellbeing. This enables students to develop an understanding of it through the eyes of health practitioners (doctors, nurses and social workers etc) and it provides students with a greater awareness of health. Students learn and understand the roles and functions of a health practitioner and are able to apply this knowledge throughout the 2 year course.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Not taught until Key Stage 4

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

Summer Term  - Year 8

Not taught until Key Stage 4

 

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Not taught until Key Stage 4

 

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Component 1:Human
lifespan development – Task 1

Component 1:Human
lifespan development – Task 2

Component 3: Health
and Wellbeing

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Component 2: Health and Social
Care Services and Values – Task 1

 

Component 3: Health
and Well being.

Component 3 Examination

 

Component 2: HSC Services
and Values – Task 2

Revision for resit if required.

History

Hospitality and Catering

“Children’s creativity is used alongside their developing technical and practical expertise in the Design Technology curriculum so that they design, make and evaluate a range of products.
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Taught as part of a 9/10 week rotation

Health and Safety
Accident Prevention
Personal Hygiene
Preparing food safely and hygienically
The 4 C’s
Storage  of food ingredients
Making and evaluating a range of different dishes

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

 

Taught as part of a 9/10 week rotation

Health and Safety
Accident Prevention
Personal Hygiene
Preparing food safely and hygienically
Seasonal food
Food Miles and Fair Trade, GM foods
Healthy Eating  and Special Diets
Careers (Introduction)
Making and evaluating a range of different dishes

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Taught as part of a 12/13 week rotation

Health and Safety
Accident Prevention
Personal Hygiene
Preparing food safely and hygienically
Healthy Eating and Nutrition
Success and failure factors of H+C businesses
Careers – Job roles
Making and evaluating a range of different dishes

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Unit 1 – The hospitality and Catering Industry

The environment in

Which hospitality and

catering providers operate

 

How hospitality and catering

Provision meets health

and safety requirements

 

How food can

cause ill health

 

 

Propose a

hospitality and catering

provision to meet specific

requirements

 

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Importance of nutrition when

planning menus

 

Use techniques in preparation of Commodities

 

Assure quality of commodities to be used in food preparation

Exam Revision

Music

PE

Personal Development

The Personal Development programme across TCLT aims to provide students in all years from
Reception to Year 11 a comprehensive, well-sequenced and age-appropriate curriculum that
gives them the knowledge, understanding and skills that successfully prepares them for the
challenges of life both as a young person and adult.
Our schemes of work meet all statutory requirements covering Relationships, Sex and Health
Education (RSHE), Personal Social and Health and Economic education (PSHE), Spiritual, Moral,
Social and Cultural education (SMSC), British Values, Protected Characteristics and Careers
Education Information and Guidance (CEIAG).
Alongside this, we aim to offer a wide range of experiences and opportunities both within and
outside school to develop students’ character and cultural capital throughout their Calder
journey.
Through the delivery of this programme, alongside the school values of ‘Care, Commitment
and Courage’, we hope that all our students will become well-rounded, confident and
responsible young people, capable of making informed decisions and able to make a positive
impact on their local, national and international community.

Photography

RS

“RS aims to teach students about religion, community, British society and the wider world whilst exploring personal beliefs; considering the similarities and differences that exist between religions and individuals. Learning considers the beliefs and practices of religious people and links are made to religious teachings and scriptures. Students will be challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose and truth, enabling them to develop their own attitudes towards religious issues. Students will also gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture. They will develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership and research skills. Within the study of RS, students will have a greater awareness of the 6 key world religious: Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, as well as other religious and non-religious beliefs such as atheism and humanism. Philosophical concepts are explored and linked to current issues our community and wider world.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Philosophy

Judaism

Equality

 

Christianity

Faith

 

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

Summer Term  - Year 8

Life after death

Islam

 

Hindusim

Other religions

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Buddhism

Good and Evil

Sikhism

 

Philosophy

Jesus

 

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Christianity – Beliefs and Teachings

Christianity - Practices

Islam – Beliefs and Teachings

Islam – Practices

 

Religion, relationships and families

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Religion and Life

 

Religion, Peace and Conflict

 

Religion, Crime and Punishment

 

Revision

 

Revision

Sociology

“Through the study of Sociology our mission is to give students the ability to develop and learn more about British Society and to develop an understanding of it through the eyes of key thinkers and their theories. Within the study of sociology, students will have a greater awareness of class, gender, age and ethnic diversity and will be able to appreciate and understand the roles and functions of key institutions within our society.
GCSE Sociology helps students to gain knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes and issues through the study of families, education, crime and deviance and social stratification.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Not taught until Key Stage 4

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

Summer Term  - Year 8

Not taught until Key Stage 4

 

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Not taught until Key Stage 4

 

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

 

Introduction to sociology/
research methods

 

Research methods

 

Families and households

 

 

Education

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

 

Social Stratification

 

 

Crime and Deviance

 

Revision and Exams

Spanish

“We aim to develop language learners who are passionate, resilient, independent learners, confident speakers of Spanish who have a strong awareness of the culture of Spanish-speaking countries and have a sound understanding of grammar. They should be inquisitive, proud linguists; able to progress readily to the next stage of their language learning.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Spanish speaking world

All about me.

Understanding word order and verb endings

Introducing the verb tener

Agreement of colours.

Understanding masculine, feminine and plural nouns.

 

Family

Free time

Adjective endings.

Tener in the present tense

Ser in the present tense.

Important adverbs of frequency.

Jugar and Hacer

Regular Present tense

Social media and entertainment

Home and area

IF and WHEN constructions.

Using QUE to make longer sentences.

The comparative más and menos.

Vivir in the present tense.

The definite article.

Prepositions of place with estar.

Basic conditional expressions.

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

Summer Term  - Year 8

My Town

Rural and urban environments

Hay with singular and plural nouns

IR in the present tense.

The comparatives tan and tan…como.

key expressions in the imperfect tense.

School

Future plans

The verb estudiar.

Exclamations with ¡qué!

Se puede and se debe.

Antes de and después de

Future expressions.

Food and eating out

Health and healthy eating

Comer and beber

Forming negative expressions

Using tú and usted.

Doler in the present tense

Using the imperative.

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Holidays

Ir with prepositions

the verb Soler

Preterite tense of regular and irregular verbs

Revisit the near future

Internet and Social Media

Future Jobs

Negative expressions

Forming acabar de

Using mejor and peor

Making comparisons with preferir…a…

Using ser and estar

Future tense of regular verbs

Fashion and Shopping

 

Demonstrative adjectives

The present continuous

Indefinite adjectives

Cardinal and ordinal numbers

Direct object pronouns

Forming the conditional

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Me, my family  and friends

Technology in everyday life

Using tener and ser

Present tense of regular verbs

Adjectival agreement and position

Possessive adjectives

The immediate future tense.

Comparisons with más que and menos que

The perfect tense of regular verbs

Using por and para

Estar and the present continuous tense

Free time activities

Customs and festivals

Using gustar and encantar

Revising the regular present tense

Learning about radical changing verbs

Forming regular adverbs

Hacer and jugar in the present tense

Learning the regular preterite tense

Using ser and ir in the preterite

Recognising the imperfect tense

Recognising verbs in the imperfect

Home, town and region

Social issues

Using hay, ser and estar

Using prepositions to say where things are

Using puedo and se puede

Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

Learning about verbs that are followed by the infinitive

Using me gustaria

Expressions with tener

 

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Global issues

Travel and Tourism

Using me preocupa(n) and similar expressions

Using if sentences

Using the words algo and alguien

Using reflexive constructions such as se debe, se puede + infinitive

Expressions of sequence

Using estar and the past participle

 

Life at school and college

Jobs, career choices, ambitions

Revising comparatives and superlatives

Using the imperative

Using quantifiers and intensifiers, mucho,poco, bastante, demasiado

Revising se debe, hay que, tener que

Revising si clauses

Using lo +que and lo + adjective

Using quisiera

Using a variety of tenses

REVISION and Past paper practice

Grammar recap

 

Textiles

“Children’s creativity is used alongside their developing technical and practical expertise in the Design Technology curriculum so that they design, make and evaluate a range of products.
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.”

Autumn Term -  Year 7

Spring term -  Year 7

Summer Term  - Year 7

Taught as part of a 9/10 week rotation

 

Health and Safety

Analysing Textile Work

Textile Skills

 

Autumn Term -  Year 8

Spring term -  Year 8

Summer Term – Year 8

Taught as part of a 9/10 week rotation

 

Animal Design

Mark Making

Comparing and Contrasting Textile designers

Textile Skills

 

 

Autumn Term -  Year 9

Spring term -  Year 9

Summer Term  - Year 9

Taught as part of a 12/13 week rotation

 

Developing Techniques

Free Machine Embroidery

Felt Making

Bondaweb printing

Wax Trappings

 

Autumn Term -  Year 10

Spring term -  Year 10

Summer Term  - Year 10

Natural Form drawings

Using Sequins

Machine embroidery

Heat Transfer techniques

Collage

Photo composition

 

Claire Coles

Free machine embroidery

Photo manipulation techniques

Analysis of artists work

Individual Projects

Autumn Term -  Year 11

Spring term -  Year 11

Summer Term  - Year 11

Completion of design ideas for final piece

 

External exam preparation

Completion of final design piece.