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Curriculum Overview
The Pingle Academy curriculum for 2025-26 has been developed in line with an agreed Affinity Learning Partnership curriculum and our shared values. It has been designed to help provide the best platform for achievement for the young people in our care, as outlined in our mission statement:
“To ensure that all the children and young people in our care have the opportunity to fulfil their potential through achieving highly, regardless of their ability or background.” - The Affinity Learning Partnership, 2019
At The Pingle Academy we understand ‘curriculum’ to be the mechanism by which we provide a comprehensive education for our students based on their need, ability, aptitude and aspiration. This includes all planned activities in and outside the classroom which contribute to the development of all students regardless of gender or background and which prepare them for continuing participation in education, employment or training so that they become active citizens.
Curriculum Intent
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To provide a broad and balanced curriculum which is rich in knowledge and skills and meets the needs of all students.
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To ensure that students aim to “aspire and achieve” and in so doing, to help all students to raise their aspirations and exceed expectations.
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To ensure that students are resilient and respectful citizens who go on to make a positive contribution, both locally and in wider society.
Curriculum Aims
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To plan for a clear progression route in each subject area, through their 2-, 3-, 5- or 7-year curriculum. Each lesson will have a purpose and fit into a sequence of lessons over time.
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To address social disadvantage through the curriculum, ensuring it is truly equitable and challenging for all students, regardless of background.
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To address gaps in literacy and numeracy at the earliest opportunity, to ensure all students can access all areas of the curriculum as they progress through the academy.
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To encourage and inspire students who read for pleasure to do so for life
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To ensure students in Years 7, 8 and 9 experience a full curriculum, before specialising in Key Stage 4. This is important for the long term achievement and well-being of our students.
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To ensure students in Key Stage 4 have full access to the entitled areas of the curriculum which include the arts, Humanities, languages and a range of Design and Technology subjects.
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To ensure that the Key Stage 3 curriculum content for each year is not seen as a stepping stone to GCSE, but rather an opportunity to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to be successful in further education, employment or training and life.
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To provide students in Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11), with access to a curriculum appropriate to their individual needs. In addition to the English Baccalaureate and a range of external qualifications, the Key Stage 4 curriculum aims to provide wide ranging opportunities for creativity, employability and life skills.
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To ensure students in Key Stage 4 have the opportunity to access a range of activities within Physical Education that helps to promote an adoption and understanding of a healthy lifestyle.
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To ensure that students in the Sixth Form have access to a wide range of subjects, qualifications and opportunities to provide wider ranging opportunities to facilitate further study, apprenticeships or employment opportunities.
Curriculum: Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9)
Implementation of KS3 curriculum
All students in Year 7 and 8 study the following subjects (hours per week shown in brackets):
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Core subjects |
English (4), Mathematics (3) and Science (3) |
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EBacc |
MFL (2), Geography (1) and History (1) |
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Creative Arts |
Art, Drama and Music (3) |
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Values |
Religion (1)and PHSE (1) |
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Others |
PE (2), Technology (2) and IT (2). |
All students in Year 9 study the following subjects (hours per week shown in brackets):
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Core subjects |
English (3), Mathematics (3) and Science (3) |
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EBacc |
MFL (2), Geography (2) and History (2) |
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Creative Arts |
Art (1), Drama (1) and Music (1) |
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Values |
Religion (1)and PHSE/Citizenship (1) |
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Others |
PE (2), Technology (2) and IT (1) |
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An intensive transition process is undertaken at each feeder primary school, which is visited by both the Year 7 Progress Leader and SENDCo, ensuring that the individual needs of each student are taken into account and that students are appropriately challenged immediately through the curriculum.
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In Year 7, students are grouped within each mixed ability band, based on SAT results. The CAT 4 test, which is taken early into the new academic year, identifies students’ potential which may have been missed through the teacher assessments. This, coupled with summative assessments, enable us to check that students are correctly placed.
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To address gaps in social skills and to enable students to have the opportunity to succeed from the outset of Year 7, The Pingle Academy operates a “nurture” group which involves a group of students (identified by primary colleagues) who have fewer teachers and a more flexible core curriculum that aims to meet the individual needs of all these students. This has been developed in conjunction with the Educational Psychologist. The aim is for a successful transition into mainstream classes before the end of the first year.
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The Pingle Academy continues to use Accelerated Reader and Sparx Reader for all students in Year 7 and 8, which complements English lessons and ensures students of all abilities are able to access all parts of the curriculum throughout their school career.
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In Year 7, 8 and 9, all students will be provided with the opportunity to learn a modern foreign language (French or Spanish) as part of their full curriculum.
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Students are given the maximum range of subjects to study throughout Key Stage 3, which includes continuing to study both History and Geography. This will enable students to have the option of choosing both subjects at GCSE level if they so wish.
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All students will be given 2 hours per week for Physical Education throughout Key Stage 3. This is supported with a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities with both competitive and non-competitive physical activities to develop a healthy lifestyle.
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All students will be given 2 hours per week for Technology subjects throughout Key Stage 3, which includes woodwork, metalwork, cooking, textiles and product design projects with a large emphasis on the practical skills required in these subjects.
Curriculum: Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11)
Implementation of KS4 curriculum
All students study the following subjects (hours per week shown in brackets):
Year 10
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Core subjects |
English (4), Maths (4) and Science (5) |
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EBacc |
Geography, History or French/Spanish (3) |
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PE |
Core PE (1) |
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Values |
Personal Development (1), RE and PHSE/Citizenship (1) |
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2 x Options |
(All options are 3 hours per week) Options are chosen from an extensive list: GCSEs: Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Drama, Food and Nutrition, IT, Music, Philosophy and Ethics, Psychology, Sociology BTEC/CACHE: Sport, Engineering, Construction and Child Development |
Year 11
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Core subjects |
English (4), Maths (4) and Science (5) |
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EBacc |
Geography, History or French/Spanish (3) |
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PE |
Core PE (1) |
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IT |
iMedia (Cambridge National) (1) |
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Values |
RE and PSHE/Citizenship (1) |
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2 x Options |
(All options are 3 hours per week) Options are chosen from an extensive list: GCSEs: Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Drama, Food and Nutrition, Music, Philosophy and Ethics, Psychology, Sociology BTEC/CACHE: Sport, Engineering, Construction and Child Development |
Where a subject cannot be offered within the option blocks due to low student numbers, capacity is built through twilight GCSEs to maintain breadth for a smaller group of students who wish to pursue examination courses in these areas.
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Students make their GCSE option choices during February of Year 9. Every student is supported through this process, which includes the options evening, taster sessions and information assemblies on new subject areas. Form Tutors play a crucial role within the process by supporting each student and ensuring, along with parent/carer support, that students choose a Key Stage 4 curriculum which is appropriate for them in terms of both their progress and future career or study choices.
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All students in Years 10 and 11 are targeted to achieve a minimum of 8 qualifications.
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Entries for Triple Science are decided at the start of Year 10.
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The academy has taken the decision at this stage not to make Modern Foreign Language a compulsory option for any student but it is strongly encouraged wherever possible, but not at the expense of those who wish to choose a broader suite of courses to match their future ambitions and lifelong interests.
Curriculum: Key Stage 5 (Years 12 & 13)
Implementation of KS5 curriculum
All students study the following subjects in at least 3 blocks (hours per week shown in brackets):
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Option Block A (5) |
Biology, Engineering (BTEC), English Literature, History, Sociology and Vocational Sport |
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Option Block B (5) |
Biology, Business Studies, Health and Social Care (BTEC), Mathematics, Psychology, Spanish, and Religious Studies |
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Option Block C (5) |
Art and Design, Computer Science, Applied Science, Chemistry, History, Law, Politics and Psychology |
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Option Block D (5) |
Applied Science (BTEC), Business Studies, English Language, Geography, Physics, Psychology and Sociology |
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Option Block E (2) |
Resit English (GCSE), Resit Mathematics (GCSE), EPQ and AS Theatre Studies |
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Students wishing to attend The Pingle Sixth Form must apply in December, are interviewed in January and then attend an induction day in July. Once examination results are available, students must meet the entry requirement for the Sixth Form as a whole (average APS 4), as well as individual subject entry requirements.
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Students are given the maximum flexibility of choice possible, whilst being mindful of their attainment on entry, option group viability, average class size, university course entry patterns and the academy budget.
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Additional learning opportunities include the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), extended study skills, volunteering, work experience and enrichment activities, including regular visiting speakers.
Careers
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The careers’ programme is delivered during PSHE lessons in addition to assemblies. This is coordinated by the Careers Leader, along with members of the Senior Leadership Team and the Social Sciences Faculty.
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Guidance on Further/Higher Education, apprenticeships and career choices, forms an integral part of this programme, along with students understanding the importance of having a career.
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Representatives from outside agencies, universities, local providers and companies are involved in both the planning and the delivery of careers guidance.
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Assemblies and CEIAG opportunities are well planned to adapt to the students of different ages, with external agencies coming in to target specific age groups.
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Students have access to a wide range of literature both in school and through UNIFROG, along with university visits, workshops and talks from other providers including apprenticeships and employers.
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The academy works closely with an independent careers adviser who offers 1:1 interviews, advice, guidance and action planning interviews at key transition times. Our independent careers adviser is also available for meetings with parents/carers at all Parents’/Carers’ Evenings throughout the academic year, as well as our Year 9 Options Evening.
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Students in Year 10 have the opportunity to do work experience and all have an intensive day of interview experience and other aspiration raising activities through a “World of Work” event.
Please visit our Sixth Form tab for further details.
Documents
| Page Downloads |
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| Academy Curriculum Rationale |
| KS4 Curriculum Guide (2026-27) |
