Curriculum
The whole curriculum is designed to promote each student’s spiritual,moral, cultural and social development.
Downend School aims to provide each student with their own personal pathway to success.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9)
The ‘Learning to Learn’ programme underpins the curriculum at Key Stage 3. It fosters the collaborative skills students bring from their primary years, and further develops their ability to ‘learn’ in a variety of ways, giving them the skills needed for problem solving, thinking, as well as working independently and in teams.
During Key Stage 3, students experience a core curriculum of English, Mathematics, Science, Design Technology, ICT, Humanities (Geography, History and Religious Studies), Arts (Art, Drama and Music), a Modern Foreign Language, PE and Personal Development Curriculum.
Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11)
All students follow a core curriculum consisting of English, Mathematics, Science, Design Technology, PE and Personal Development Curriculum (including Citizenship and Religious Studies).
In addition, students choose from a number of optional courses: Administration, Art, Business Studies, BTEC Engineering, BTEC Performing Arts, BTEC Sport, Child Development, Drama, French, Geography, German, Health and Social Care, History, Humanities, ICT, iMedia, Music, PE, Philosophy and Ethics with Religion, Separate Sciences.
As part of the Kingswood Partnership, Downend School is pioneering the teaching of the new Diploma qualification; from September 2008, students are able to follow a Diploma course in Construction and the Built Environment, Creative and Media, Engineering, IT or Society, Health and Development. A further five courses will be available from September 2009.
Post 16 (Years 12 and 13)
Our Post-16 curriculum offers choice and diversity, and was deemed by Ofsted to be ‘outstanding.’
A wide range of level 2 and level 3 courses is available – some of these at other centres in the Kingswood Partnership. Full details are available in the Post-16 Prospectus.
All Post-16 students follow a core curriculum. This includes the Extended Project Qualification which can lead to an AQA Baccalaureate. There are also opportunities for students to take the European Computer Driving Licence and Open University modules.
