Student Engagement

Our curriculum is ambitious and rooted in our local context and culture. We take every opportunity to find local case studies and examples to make the lessons relevant to our students while also promoting a global view to develop students’ tolerance, acceptance and curiosity. Our specialisms and guided pathways are also informed by Sheffield as a centre of excellence for precision engineering, the arts and sports. The labour market in our city has a high and growing demand for advanced manufacturing, services, hospitality, health and social care. Sheffield has always exported the best across the world, and in the same way our students will follow in this tradition. With our hallmarks of industry, innovation and integrity they will have the knowledge, skills and values to be successful anywhere in the World.

Opportunities for students to experience achievement and choice are maximised and promoted across our five year secondary curriculum. Effort and success are recognised and encouraged. Students become motivated and engaged by their improving subject fluency and achievement and their right to choose how to deepen their studies.

Advice and guidance underpin our curriculum modelling. We ensure our students have regular points of personal discussion with senior leaders and independent careers specialists. We involve and inform parents/carers about students’ current and future study choices, changing interests and developing aspirations. 

We provide various points of flexibility and personalisation within our broad and balanced offer to enhance student engagement and success. At Level 1 and Level 2, including GCSE, every subject or qualification is open to every student. There are no pathways that prevent students from studying  any subject combination. We build our timetables around our students’ choices removing the restriction of option blocks to create greater freedom for students to deepen their selected study. Level 2 courses are all studied across 2 years. There is flexibility for students to develop a specialism in Y9 and then to extend or consolidate their choices through guided pathways.