Vocational Curriculum Statement 

Intent 

A student of Vocational subjects has excellent communication and listening skills, the ability to problem solve, a genuine interest in others and possesses resilience, patience and commitment. They experience the reality of the specific pathway they are studying, appreciate the vast diversity of beliefs, morals and culture and respond to the world around them through a variety of real life tasks and experiences. They understand the future career opportunities linked to their pathway and how the practical skills and the underpinning knowledge will help them to understand how to use these skills. As such, the intent of the Vocational curriculum is to develop the understanding, cultured, confident individual with the fundamental life skills to shape and influence their community and become citizens of the world. 

The Vocational curriculum will: 

• provide a wide range of learning experiences which are accessible to students of all abilities within the academy

• provide students with the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to everyday and work contexts • Provide students with real life scenarios through case studies to apply knowledge and understanding

• enable students to build skills to show aptitude and improve understanding of progression options

• gives students the opportunity to develop sector-specific knowledge and skills in a practical learning environment

• encourage the development of the Academy’s values: wisdom, curiosity, generosity, courage and passion.

• ensure that pupils are challenged, engaged and motivated to be able:

• at a personal level, to develop increasing levels of self-worth and cultural capital

• at an economic level, to contribute to the increasingly complex world of work

• at a societal level, to play a meaningful role in their local, national and international communities, especially with the incorporation of work experience in the local area.

• provide a coherent knowledge base that is appropriately powerful, transferable and intelligently sequenced, thereby enabling pupils to retain and recall knowledge, develop understanding and apply skills.

• provide a meaningful experience that can be used to build wider cultural capital and cognitive ability. •Provide students with a fluid and dynamic knowledge rich curriculum which will give learners access and progress to KS5 and beyond

•Enable students to use cross-curricular literacy skills to access texts and develop a good understanding of written English

Implementation 

To implement the intended curriculum, a number of conceptual and organisational frameworks are used: 

• Curriculum data identifies key knowledge and skills throughout KS4-5 

• Departmental SOWs balance knowledge and skills, carefully building components to create composite learning  

• Departmental curriculum review frameworks which supports the review of the curriculum offer and assessment practice. 

• Maximising Learning provides a supportive framework for the wider development of effective pedagogical approaches. 

• Language for Learning provides a framework to create and refine successful approaches to teaching 

• Maximising Effectiveness provides a suite of CPD opportunities for staff within the academy to further generate an enthusiasm for and enjoyment of their professional practice. 

Impact 

The Department’s continued focus on the curriculum improves: 

• the quality of education for all learners and groups of learners 

• the personal development and well-being of learners 

• the chances for pupils to move successfully onto the next stage of their lives. 

• the cultural, economic and societal capital to become citizens of the world