Curriculum Information
We offer our students a rich curriculum that provides them with the opportunity to develop their character, values and academic excellence.
We aspire for our youngsters to become global citizens with a conscience. Our curriculum:
- Introduces them to the best that has been thought and said, so that they develop an appreciation of human creativity and achievement
- Prepares them for later life, by providing them with opportunities and knowledge that they need to be educated citizens
- Promotes their spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development
What we teach & why
In Key Stage 3 (KS3 or years 7, 8 and 9), we offer a range of National Curriculum subjects to fulfil the requirements of our Curriculum Rationale and to give all students a good grounding in all subjects before starting GCSEs in Y10. This is when students choose 4 optional GCSE level subjects (Options) to complement compulsory English, Maths, Science, PSHE and PE in Years 10 and 11. Options in Years 10 & 11
To understand how many hours individual subjects receive, please click here: Curriculum Structure
Please find our curriculum rationales for each subject here: Curriculum rationales
Full details of what is taught in each subject and each year, please click on the individual subject pages listed on the right of this page.
How we assess students
Our students complete regular assessments to ensure our taught curriculum is being learned and remembered for the long term. We recognise that our curriculum is the progression model and therefore, the more students are remembering, the more effectively they are progressing. We know that progress is gradual.
Our teachers use a range of teaching techniques to assess student understanding of current knowledge, including any subject specific vocabulary. These commonly take the shape of:
- 'Do Now' retrieval at the start of lessons
- Targeted questioning
- Quizzing/Multiple Choice Questions
- Live marking
These assessment techniques provide students with the opportunity to be assessed on the granular components of knowledge they are required to know and remember, before they are assessed on applying this knowledge. Teachers share the knowledge that students should know using their knowledge organisers - Knowledge Organisers - The Corsham School)
Additionally, students complete summative assessments for each of their subjects, which combine to assess how far students can recall knowledge and also apply knowledge to disciplinary activities. Students encounter an annual diagnostic assessment in every subject, which is centrally timetabled. These are designed to check understanding of the curriculum over time. Students are provided with specific revision resources to help them prepare for these summative assessments. These can be found here - Revision for Assessments - The Corsham School)
Summative Assessment dates 2024-2025
- Year 9 option subject assessments: Weeks beginning 11th November 2024
- Year 13 PPEs (Pre Public Exams): Weeks beginning 18th November 2024
- Year 11 PPEs (Pre Public Exams): Weeks beginning 2nd December 2024
- Year 12 PPEs (Pre Public Exams): Weeks beginning 22nd April 2025
- Year 9 core subject assessments: Weeks beginning 28th April 2025
- Year 8 summative assessments: Weeks beginning 2nd June 2025
- Year 10 summative assessments: Weeks beginning 9th June 2025
- Year 7 summative assessments: Weeks beginning 23rd June 2025
In the case of Y11-Y13 PPEs, you will receive an individual exam timetable with dates, papers and rooming from the exams team, in the same way as you will before your final GCSE and A level exams. For GCSE specific support, including details of GCSE specifications, please see here: GCSE support - The Corsham School
In the case of Y7-Y10 summative assessments, these are in-class short assessments. The only difference between these assessments and ones that regularly take place throughout the year, is that they are checking how well students have learnt the curriculum taught over time. It is therefore important that students use their knowledge organisers and the revision document that we send home, to revise for these assessments. We will send a timetable of all the summative assessments home, so you know when the assessments are happening within the time periods above.
Year 7 Report Explanation video 2024-25
Do you have a curriculum query?
Please contact the CTL (subject team leader) from the link below