Biddenham Curriculum

Review 2009-10

Contribute to the Biddenham Curriculum Review wiki. You can access this using the following details:http://sites.google.com/site/sites/system/app/pages/meta/dashboardUser name: bidcure09@googlemail.comPassword: improvement

This week’s live issue:

How can we improve

achievement on AS courses?

Do we spoonfeed KS4 students?

• Does this undermine development of the skills needed for AS courses?

• If we made all students study an applied course in KS4 would this:– Teach them skills they need for AS?– Increase spoonfeeding?

• Should we teach PeLTS in year 11?

Dumbed down?

• Have GCSEs have become so easy that intelligent students pass without doing much work & then assume that they can do the same at AS level?

Are we allowing too many weak

students onto AS courses: "setting them up to fail".

• Should we increase the entrance requirements?

• How do we decide what they should be?

• For all subjects or some subjects?

Should we have a trial period for AS

students?• How long should it last?• Should they be allowed to

switch to another subject if they “failed” at the first subject?

• Should they be required top study the Access course instead.

• Would this lead to a super-motivated start to AS?

Should we teach

PeLTS?• In year 11 or at AS?

• Will PeLTS lead to Deep Learning?

• Should we teach PeLTS instead of Critical Thinking or the EPQ?

Should we increase the number of BTEC level 3 courses?

• Are we creating a sheep and goats curriculum?

• Will we spread the number of learners over too many courses pushing some subjects over the cliff of viability?

Why aren’t the goats

doing this?

Should we encourage more students to take the Access

course?

• Would a three year Sixth form be acceptable to many?

• Do we need to change what the Access course offers to achieve this?

• Is this more sheep and goats?

AS at present: Personalisation

– We offer a wider range of subjects at AS then anyone locally but Sharnbrook.

– We have six option blocks to reduce clashes and maximise choice*.

– We expect all students (except ex Access students) to study 4 AS subjects

*However, this means that period 6 becomes inevitable for some sixth form students.

AS at present: Inclusion – We have the lowest

entrance requirements for AS courses locally.

– We offer a limited number of level 3 non-AS courses

– We make it very difficult for students to drop an AS subject or to change to another one

AS at present: Achievement

– We only offer 4⅜ hours teaching per week for each subject as opposed to the national benchmark of 5 hours per week.

– We expect all AS students to study Critical Thinking

– We have a 78% pass rate (A-E) at AS.

Contribute, comment, advise, inform:

• Contribute to the Biddenham Curriculum Review wiki. You can access this using the following details:– http://sites.google.com/site/sites/system/app/pages/

meta/dashboard– User name: bidcure09@googlemail.com– Password: improvement

• Email bidcure09@googlemail.com• Respond on the Sharepoint debate• Put a note in DA’s pigeonhole