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Approach to Learning

This page introduces the nature of our curriculum, including its intent and design.

The curriculum is the single best opportunity that a school has to improve the life chances of its students. According to Christine Counsell and Michael Fordham, “the curriculum is the progression model” and means that we can assess that students are moving forward in their learning, year on year. The curriculum is split into three connected parts.

The macro-curriculum – the model of timetabling that a school chooses to use. This includes subjects selected to teach, the hours allocated for a subject to be taught, and the configuration of this allocation of time. This is the outer framework that a school chooses to use.

The formal-curriculum – the set-out learning and knowledge that makes up the subjects, and the actual material that has been chosen to be taught in a specific sequence. This encompasses the knowledge and skills that we wish for students to demonstrate. This is the content that fills a school’s outer framework.

The extended-curriculum – this encompasses the learning and experiences that takes place outside of lesson time. This involves exposure to cultural and sporting activities, opportunities for personal enrichment, and engagement with the wider world and their own citizenship. This is the content that helps to add character and personality to a school’s framework.

 

Curriculum intent

At Harris Academy Battersea, our vision is ‘to develop aspirational young people to thrive in a changing world.’ In order to enable this, we have high aims for our curriculum. We aim for our curriculum to be one where all pupils:

  • develop deep, long-lasting knowledge that they use to process new information and form strong links within and between subject areas
  • develop into accomplished readers, writers, and orators, so that they can critically and confidently engage with the world around them
  • are exposed to experiences within and beyond the classroom that enrich their learning and ensure they can make informed choices about their future
  • are equipped with the knowledge to feel empowered to challenge injustice in all its forms to affect change
  • understand how they learn, are supported to build success, and develop passions that will last for life
  • deeply reflect on their choices and the values that underpin them in order to improve themselves and their community.  

 

Curriculum design

We teach a curriculum that offers both breadth and depth. Students are enriched by learning powerful, foundational knowledge across Key Stage 3 that builds into Key Stages 4 and 5. Expert teachers educate their students with the aim of developing mastery incrementally over time through retrieval, interleaving, direct instruction, modelling desired outcomes, and deliberate practice.

Subject lessons are 100 minutes so that students have extended learning time. Personal development lessons are 50 minutes per day, comprising two PSHE lessons, two reading sessions and an assembly each week. 

 

Curriculum delivery

All lessons have four fundamental aspects to them:

  • Retrieval practice – students learning to recall important content easily
  • Teacher input – students being exposed to excellent teacher exposition instructing them
  • Assessment for learning – teachers checking that students have understood taught content
  • Student application – independent, deliberate practice to reinforce and master learning

 

Remote Learning

Remote Education: Information for Families 

We pride ourself on the quality of our curriculum which includes the teaching and learning strategies employed to implement the curriculum successfully. We don’t want our students to miss a day of school as they will be missing out on the direct support of their expert subject teachers. Circumstances where it might not be possible for pupils to receive in person education fit into two broad categories: 

  • school closures or restrictions on attendance, where school access for pupils is restricted; 

  • individual cases where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able to learn; 

HABS is clear that remote education should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school. For this reason we are expected to consider remote education only as a last resort when the alternative would be no education, and only after it has been established that the student is, or will be, absent from school. 

In such cases, remote education can have the benefit of allowing absent pupils to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers. Our approach to remote education is based on the Department for Education ‘Providing remote education: guidance for schools’ guidance from August 2024.   

 

The remote curriculum: Overview

Our curriculum for all students is purposefully designed to be broad, balanced and rigorous. The ambitious and challenging skills, knowledge and understanding we choose to deliver to our students is carefully selected sequenced. It is also deeply contextual to the local things that influence our students the most. Therefore, to alter this finely prepared curriculum for remote learning we feel would be disadvantaging our students even further. 

In all cases, if access to technology is an issue, then please let us know immediately on: info@harrisacademybattersea.org.uk 

If you are worried for your child’s safety during any remote learning, please contact your Head of Year or the Designated Safeguarding Lead at the academy.  

What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home? 

A student’s first day or two of being educated remotely might look different from our standard approach, while we take all necessary actions to prepare for a longer period of remote teaching. It may also be that we provide some personalised support, for example, for a student who may have special educational needs, in helping them to access and structure their school day. 

Work for all classes is set on MS Teams. It will include lesson resources which may include video links and other online learning platforms to support the students with their learning. 

Accessing remote education 

How will my child access any online remote education you are providing? 

All our remote learning is set through Microsoft Teams. All students should know how to access this online platform. 

Some subjects will also use additional online learning platforms: 

All work is submitted to the teacher either vis MS Teams or through these other platforms. When the work is set it will be clearly explained how it should be submitted. 

If you have any questions about accessing these online platforms please contact the class teacher directly using MS Teams. If you are unable to access MS Teams please contact: info@harrisacademybattersea.org.uk 

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