Curriculum Overview

At Park School, Bolton Impact Trust we believe everyone can achieve, we inspire a love of learning and we transform potential into long-lasting success.

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that we can bring these core beliefs to life in the way that we structure, sequence and plan learning; the knowledge and skills that we deliver, our high-quality teaching and learning and our personalised approach in addressing the unique academic and pastoral needs of each child. Our aim is to inspire every young person to acquire the knowledge, skills and experience necessary, both inside and outside the traditional classroom environment, to fulfil their true potential.

Throughout all of the schools in our Trust the curriculum is designed to:

Park School Curriculum

As a Trust, we understand the significant power that words can have, and how a curriculum which develops pupils’ ability to understand and engage in ideas and emotions, and to communicate their own; fluently and with confidence, empowers our pupils to succeed in the modern world. English staff at Park School embrace fully the Trust’s vision: to BELIEVE, INSPIRE and TRANSFORM through our curriculum content and its delivery. English staff are passionate about their subject and seek to enthuse students and equip them with vital communication skills for a competitive 21^st century world.

Students often arrive at Park with barriers and gaps in knowledge. They may have had negative experiences of the subject at mainstream and lack confidence in their abilities in the subject, as well as in themselves generally. Students may present with high levels of anxiety or complex mental health which means they struggle to communicate verbally. In addition, some of our cohort are autistic and also find verbal communication challenging. The majority of our cohort also present with a reading age below their chronological age; however some equally present with a reading age exceeding it. As a result, English staff need to support pupils to read, write, speak, listen and communicate and to apply these skills effectively to a range of purposes in the workplace and in other real life situations. Our English curriculum ensures that pupils develop these functional skills whilst also developing pupils’ ability to understand and engage in ideas and emotions, and to communicate their own; fluently and with confidence. Through their study of literature pupils will understand what it is to be human and will develop key characteristics like empathy, tolerance and respect for other people, their cultures and beliefs.

Park School Curriculum English

We believe that a high quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world. For thousands of years Maths has been the key to finding solutions to the world’s problems and is essential in continuing to solve problems in our world today. At Park School our pupils need a sound grasp of mathematical knowledge and skills in order to apply mathematical thinking effectively to solve problems successfully. Our Maths curriculum ensures that pupils develop these functional skills to help our pupils in everyday life and to access other subjects like science, art and technology. These skills will also play a significant part in securing their future career and in ensuring their financial literacy. We strive to equip pupils with the skills to become resilient, fluent and curious mathematicians, and we hope to share our own appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics.

Park School Curriculum Maths

As a Trust, we believe that a high quality Science education provides a foundation for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Pupils will gain an understanding and appreciation of the ways in which science has shaped our world and the importance that science has on the world’s future prosperity. Pupils will learn to think as a scientist and will develop a curiosity and interest in how science can be used to understand, analyse and predict the world we live in.

Park School Curriculum Science

At Park School our Humanities curriculum for key stage 3 aims to ensure that the most important core knowledge and skills that are delivered in the National Geography, History, Citizenship and RE curriculums is captured and delivered via this curriculum, so that pupils have a sufficient breadth of foundational knowledge in these important subjects, and are able to access them when or if they return to mainstream school. We ensure that throughout the Humanities curriculum pupils acquire key knowledge about: · Britain’s past and that of the wider world · The complexity of people’s lives, the process of change and the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups · The world’s diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments · The formation of landscapes and environments and the Earth’s key physical and human processes · How to play a full and active part in society · The religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society

Park School Curriculum Humanities

As a Trust we believe that a high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art whilst developing an understanding and appreciation of great artists and great works of art and how they have shaped our history and culture. At Park School we believe that delivering Art has overwhelmingly positive benefits for young people. Learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying while at Park School as well as preparing students for life now and in the future.

Park School’s art lessons encourage self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity. By developing the pupil’s creativity, this can also help with their wellbeing and improving health and happiness. Pupil voice has shown that for many Park School pupils art lessons are an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life. While studying art, pupils also help to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to interpret the world around us.

In Art, pupils have the opportunity to form bonds with classmates because of shared interests and ideas. We encourage building relationships through discussion, whilst also acquiring new skills and knowledge of the different art forms, media and techniques.

Park School Curriculum Art

As a Trust, we believe that high quality Physical Education should provide pupils with the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of physical activities, whilst developing their understanding, competency and confidence in the core skills that are required to produce effective performances. We want our pupils to enjoy participating in physical activity, to be exposed to a wide range of different activities and experiences that they may not have otherwise experienced, to build their resilience and their ability to work with others as part of a team, to lead, to be competitive whilst gracious in both defeat and triumph and to develop a healthy and active lifestyle, which is sustained in their adult life. At Park School our rationale for teaching Physical Education is to provide our students a platform for participating, engaging and developing physically, socially and mentally. This is to provide them with the tools that will compliment them into a career within the sporting industry or give them the necessary transferable tools that they can use in other walks of life. We understand that some children in our cohort have had negative experiences of sport throughout their educational lifetime and our aim is to improve their experiences and re-engage them into the sporting curriculum. With regards to the children that enjoy sport, we want to challenge them further in a wide range of different activities that with further enhance their sporting experiences.

Park School Curriculum PE

We know that music can be a powerful and transformational tool for children and young people; it can both engage and inspire, assist emotional regulation and facilitate therapeutic self-expression in a profound way. We want to provide our pupils at Park School the opportunity to express themselves through music and to develop their skills and confidence in self-expression. We want our pupils to develop key musical skills and knowledge and to broaden their cultural understanding as they will listen and reflect upon a variety of music and media forms that have evolved from a wealth of cultural, geographical and historical backgrounds.

Park School Curriculum Music

As a Trust, we believe that a Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is incredibly important because it helps pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. We want all of our pupils to be equipped to navigate their way through the stresses, pressures and influences on their lives and to know how to stay healthy and safe. We will help them to develop their emotional literacy and positive mental health, to find their own voice and to have autonomy in their life and in their choices. Our pupils will be shown how to transform their potential into long-lasting success both in their personal and working lives.

Park School Curriculum PSHE

As a Trust, we believe high quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) is an essential component of the whole school curriculum and is critical work for the future of our pupils. Our careers curriculum supports pupils to acquire the skills, knowledge and independence they require to successfully transition into positive destinations and their future careers, improving their life opportunities and preparing them to contribute to the economy and wider world. We want all of our pupils to feel prepared for the ever-evolving world of work, we will give them the knowledge they need to make informed choices about their future careers and to develop the self-management skills they need to ensure that they secure positive destinations. We will expose pupils to a range of career opportunities that will inspire them, raise their aspirations and broaden their understanding of the world of work acquiring transferable skills for their futures. Pupils will be shown how to transform their potential into long-lasting success both in their personal and working lives.

A considerable proportion of students at Park School suffer from or have suffered from a degree of acute anxiety regarding their future. This can make it difficult for pupils to imagine themselves in certain careers or struggle to see what careers are available to them. This also impedes their ambition at times as they struggle to picture their future beyond school. It is incredibly important for our pupils that they are well informed of all the possible career choices available to them, how certain roles can be adapted to meet their needs and that they are able to see a future beyond Park School.

Park School Curriculum Careers

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free” – Frederick Douglas

As a Trust we believe that reading is the cornerstone of education. It is the gateway to accessing information across subjects, enabling students to comprehend instructions, absorb new concepts, and engage with the curriculum effectively. By teaching reading to pupils, we provide them with a fundamental skill set necessary for academic success and lifelong learning.

Park School Curriculum Reading

At Park School our Citizenship curriculum in key stage 4 provides our pupils with a deeper knowledge of how they, as citizens, are enabled by society to play a full and active part in their own and the wider global community, including the opportunity to effect change and to make a positive contribution. Pupils will also learn how a society operates and functions by gaining a deeper understanding of democracy, government and law.

Park School Curriculum Citizenship