Curriculum

Intent - In Maths, we come to school to

At New Horizons Academy, we are committed to fostering a robust, ambitious and enriching Mathematics curriculum. Whilst aligning with the National Curriculum, we also recognise the unique needs and circumstances of our learners and so aim to meet these through an adaptive yet challenging and progressive curriculum. In addition, we aim to efficiently identify and address the needs of our learners when joining us and through regular assessment and targeted intervention, enable our learners to engage successfully with their learning and make positive progress.

Our intent is to:

·         Engage and Empower: Create a learning environment where all students feel valued and excited about Mathematics, encouraging a positive attitude towards the subject and bolstering their confidence.

·         Provide Personalised Learning: Tailor our Mathematics curriculum to meet the diverse needs of our learners, including those with varying abilities and backgrounds, ensuring that every student has equal access to high-quality Mathematics education.

·         Offer Opportunities for Real-World Application: Equip students with practical skills and knowledge that can be applied in real-life situations, fostering an understanding of the relevance of Mathematics in everyday life and future employment opportunities.

·         Promote Growth Mindset: Promote a culture of resilience and a growth mindset, encouraging students to embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and develop a love for problem-solving.

Ultimately, we aim to prepare our pupils with the appropriate skills and understanding to better support their next stage in education whilst engaging our learners and improving their confidence and resilience. 

Intent - In Writing, we come to school to

At New Horizons Academy, we are committed to ensuring that all students are equipped with strong English-writing skills that enable them to express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions effectively. Our intent is to foster a love for writing, develop students' confidence in their ability to communicate through the written word, provide them with a positive outlet to develop their creativity and help our learners to re-engage with writing. We want to provide exciting writing opportunities and experiences that engage learners whilst enabling them to expand their vocabulary and be able to spell new words by effectively applying their phonics skills, spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time at our school. We want all children to develop their understanding of grammar and apply it effectively to their writing. In addition, we aim for our learners to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences, encouraging them to take pride in the presentation of their learning. 

We aim to:

1.    Promote Literacy for Life: We recognise the importance of strong writing skills as essential tools for lifelong learning. Our curriculum is designed to enhance students’ literacy, allowing them to thrive both academically and beyond the classroom in the wider world. 

2.    Cater to Individual Needs: Understanding that students may come from varied educational backgrounds and possess different needs, we aim to provide personalised learning experiences. We will adopt a flexible approach to writing instruction that is responsive to each student's capabilities and potential.

3.    Encourage Critical Thinking and Creativity: We intend to cultivate critical thinking skills through engaging writing tasks that prompt creativity. Our students will explore diverse genres and styles, encouraging them to develop their unique voices while adhering to the conventions of written English.

4.    Build Emotional Resilience: We aim to use writing to allow students to explore their feelings and experiences. By fostering a safe space for expression, we support emotional well-being and resilience.

5.    Explore High-Quality texts: Through the use of the Literacy Tree scheme of work, our learners will have access to a range of high-quality texts across a variety of genres. The carefully selected texts will support our learners to develop their love for literature as well as develop their vocabulary and ability to be effective communicators and writers. 

Intent - In Reading, we come to school to

At New Horizons Academy, we understand that reading is an essential life skill which opens up a world of opportunities, with research showing that children that enjoy reading achieve well across the curriculum. We believe that every child deserves the chance to become a reader and that, especially for our children, reading enables them to access new worlds of understanding and real-life experiences that they may not have otherwise been exposed to.  

We want every learner to have a strong knowledge of phonics to springboard them to become fluent writers and equip our learners with essential literacy skills. Recognising that our cohort often presents with diverse and complex needs, we aim to create a nurturing and stimulating learning environment that prioritises phonics as the foundation for reading success whilst also allowing them to be able to better communicate themselves and develop their ability to express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions effectively. 

Our curriculum is designed to:

·         Promote Engagement: Capture students' interests through a carefully selected range of texts that reflect their backgrounds and experiences while challenging them to expand their horizons.

·         Support Individualised Learning: Tailor phonics instruction to meet the varied levels of ability within our student population, ensuring that all learners, regardless of their prior reading skills, have access to effective teaching.

·         Develop Independence: Equip students with the tools and strategies necessary to become confident, independent readers who are able to engage with and enjoy a wide array of literature.

·         Encourage Lifelong Reading: Instil a belief in the power of reading by exposing students to different genres and contexts to promote a lifelong love of literature and learning.

Intent - In Science, we come to school to

The intent of our Science curriculum, at New Horizons Academy, is to foster a deep understanding and appreciation of scientific principles, concepts and practises among our learners. We want our pupils to be engaged and seek to provide ample opportunities for discussion based and  practical learning, enabling our pupils to investigate, experiment and work scientifically as well as gaining knowledge about the world around them. 

We aim to:

·         Engage and Inspire: Cultivate curiosity and ignite a passion for learning through hands-on experiments, real-world applications, and stimulating discussions, tailored to engage students who have faced challenges in traditional education settings.

·         Promote Inquiry Skills: Equip students with the skills necessary for scientific inquiry, enabling them to investigate phenomena, ask pertinent questions, and develop critical thinking abilities essential for everyday life and future learning pathways.

·         Cater to Diverse Needs: Recognise the varied academic and personal backgrounds of our students by delivering a differentiated curriculum that supports diverse needs, allowing all learners to achieve personal and academic growth.

·         Prepare for Future Success: Ensure that all students acquire essential scientific knowledge and understanding, while also promoting transferable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience that are crucial for their future education and life after school. 

Intent - In Topic, we come to school to

At New Horizons Academy, the intent of our ‘Topic’ curriculum is to equip learners with a broad understanding of their world, integrating essential knowledge with key skills that enable them to thrive. Carefully selected units allow for a variety of cross-curricular learning, where meaningful links can be made with other subjects to help support learner engagement, secure prior learning or develop learning further.

We aim to:

·         Promote Cultural Understanding and Curiosity: Develop learners' appreciation of diverse cultures and histories, fostering respect and empathy for different backgrounds and viewpoints.

·         Encourage Lifelong Learning: Instil a passion for learning by connecting topics to learners’ personal experiences and future aspirations, enabling them to see the relevance of their studies to real-world applications.

·         Re-engage Learners in Their Education: Utilise the careful selection of topics, some of which incorporate learners' input, to reignite their enthusiasm for learning and encourage ownership of their educational journey.

·         Develop Critical Thinking: Encourage analytical skills through open-ended questions and discussions, enabling learners to formulate their own opinions based on evidence.

·         Support Emotional Wellbeing: Acknowledge the social and emotional needs of learners, it is crucial for them to engage with topics that are relevant to their lives and promote resilience and self-expression.

·         Prepare for Future Settings: Equip students with skills and knowledge to support them in their transition to future educational settings which they may transfer to. 

Our ultimate aim is to create an inclusive environment where every learner feels valued and empowered to achieve their full potential and to help our learners engage positively with their learning and develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to be successful in their future endeavours. 

Intent - In PSHE, we come to school to

At our New Horizons Academy, the intent of our Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) curriculum is to foster the holistic development of our students. We aim to equip them with the essential skills, knowledge, and values required to navigate the complexities of life both during their time at school and in their future endeavours. Our PSHE programme is specifically designed to address the unique needs of our diverse cohort, enabling them to develop resilience, emotional intelligence, and positive relationships. 

Through the use of Pol-Ed resources as well as proactive and reactive individualised sessions, we want to ensure that our learners are safe, kind and respectful, who have the skills and knowledge to contribute to and be part of a positive, inclusive and lawful society. 

Our curriculum is structured around the following core principles:

·         Promoting Wellbeing: We prioritise the mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing of our students, ensuring they have the tools to manage stress, make informed choices, and seek help when needed.

·         Developing Life Skills: Our curriculum emphasises essential life skills such as communication, decision-making, and problem-solving, which are vital for successful interactions in society.

·         Encouraging Empathy and Respect: We strive to create an inclusive culture where all students learn to appreciate diversity, understand different perspectives, and recognise the importance of respectful relationships.

·         Preparing for Future Success: Our PSHE programme prepares students for the future and ensures that they have the skills and knowledge to be successful and contribute positively to their communities. 

Intent - In Computing, we come to school to

At New Horizons Academy, the intent of our ambitious Computing curriculum is to equip learners with the essential skills and knowledge required to navigate a rapidly evolving digital landscape, whilst keeping themselves safe. We aim to foster a passion for Computing that promotes creativity, problem-solving, computational thinking and resilience to further understand our world. Our curriculum is designed to cater to the diverse needs of our students, many of whom face barriers to learning due to personal circumstances. 

We strive to:

·         Ensure our Pupils Online Safety: Develop our pupils' knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe online, and equip them with the skills to ensure they can use the internet respectfully, responsibility and safely. 

·         Develop Digital Literacy: Ensure all students become proficient in using technology responsibly and effectively, enabling them to engage with the digital world with confidence.

·         Encourage Creative and Critical Thinking: Provide opportunities for students to explore and create digital content, enhancing their creativity while developing analytical skills.

·         Prepare for Future Opportunities: Equip students with skills relevant to the modern workforce, including proficiency in coding, data analysis, and digital collaboration tools.

·         Promote Inclusivity and Diversity: Create an inclusive curriculum that recognises and respects the individual backgrounds of our students, ensuring that all pupils can access and excel in Computing.

Intent - In PE, we come to school to

At New Horizons Academy, our Physical Education (PE) curriculum is designed and delivered in a manner to foster not only physical skills but the social, emotional and personal development for our learners.

Recognising that many of our pupils face unique challenges, our intent is to create a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment that encourages:

·         Physical Development: To enhance students' physical literacy and overall physical fitness through a diverse range of activities, catering to various abilities and interests.

·         Social Skills: To cultivate teamwork, communication, and respect through collaborative sports, enabling students to build relationships and develop social cohesion.

·         Resilience and Confidence: To promote self-esteem and perseverance through challenge-based activities, encouraging students to step outside their comfort zones and experience achievement.

·         Holistic Well-Being: To instil the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle, preparing students physically and mentally for their future endeavours.

Through our PE programme, we aim to empower students with the skills to lead active lives, ultimately helping them to overcome barriers and thrive academically, socially, and personally.