Our Curriculum

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The curriculum is what a school teaches. Ofsted rated our Curriculum as very good. Like all schools, there are certain subjects that we have to teach to students, especially in Years seven to nine. Once students choose their options, which they take in years ten and eleven, there is more choice and flexibility. 

We will always try to match the curriculum to the needs of the students which is why we offer a full range of more ‘academic’ GCSEs and BTEC courses [and Diplomas from 2009] as well as a range of ‘vocational’ alternatives. 

The main subjects are detailed briefly below:

 

ENGLISH [and MEDIA STUDIES]

English is a core subject studied for approximately four hours every week throughout the five years spent at Wyvern. We use a range of resources to engage and motivate students; ensuring that they are developing their reading, writing and speaking and listening skills fully. The English and Media Faculty are made up of a team of newly qualified and experienced teachers; drawing on all the specialisms within the faculty to ensure that the students have a wide and varied experience of English Language, Literature and Media.

 

In Key stage 3 the students are setted according to ability. All students follow a programme of study that builds on their skills as they progress through the school. By building on the 6 key areas we feel that the students are given a thorough and comprehensive education that promotes literacy, independence and creativity. Students are encouraged to develop their own ideas and are given a range of challenging resources to help develop positive attitudes towards themselves, others and the world around them.

 

Students are regularly assessed to monitor progress and are involved in setting and understanding targets to support and encourage progress. We find that the students take more responsibility for their own learning and are keen to move forward when they have been included in the target setting process.

 

In Key Stage 4 the students follow AQA GCSE English and English Literature courses. The English GCSE comprises of four pieces of written coursework (worth 20%), 3 Speaking and Listening assessments (also worth 20%) and two exams taken at the end of the course; each exam is worth 30%. The English Literature GCSE contains three pieces of written coursework (worth 30%) and one exam, worth 70%.  

 

The English Faculty has a range of enrichment activities on offer to the students throughout their time at Wyvern. In the course of a year, we celebrate: World Book Day, National Poetry Day and Shakespeare’s Birthday. The aim is to take the learning out of the classroom and inspire a passion for learning in our students. We also invite local storytellers, poets, authors and theatre companies into school and take students to poetry events and theatre trips to help deepen their understanding of the subject, themselves and to promote cultural awareness.

 

We actively include Media texts into our programme of study in Key stage 3 and currently students can take Media Studies as a GCSE option in Key Stage 4.

 

MATHS

Maths is a core subject studied for three or four hours every week throughout the five years spent at Wyvern. A range of resources are used to stimulate and motivate students including interactive white boards, graphic calculators, computers, interactive handheld electronic devices, as well as the traditional text books and basic equipment. The team of eight well qualified Maths teachers are committed to developing the understanding and skills which students need in their daily lives and in their future careers.

 

On arrival at Wyvern, students are setted according to their ability. Students are monitored continuously and set moves take place in order for students to achieve their potential. Intervention for students who require extra help is easily available during lesson time and after school. Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 follow a topic based scheme of work in line with the Key Stage 3 National Numeracy Strategy. Assessments take place each term based on the topics studied and students are encouraged to set targets to help them improve and reach the next level.

 

The AQA GCSE Maths course is based on three modules of work all resulting in written examinations. There is no coursework involved. The first Module on Statistics and Probability counts for 18% of the GCSE and is examined in the November of Year 10. This is followed by the Number and Algebra module (27%) with the exam at the end of Year 10. The final module on Shape, Space and Algebra is studied during Year 11. Students can follow the Higher tier or the Foundation tier depending on their ability. They are also allowed to re-take the first two modules if they wish to improve their grades.    

 

Some students have the opportunity to enter the UK Maths Challenge each year when they can aim for gold, silver and bronze awards.

 

SCIENCE

Science is a core subject and is therefore studied by all students.  We believe that a scientific education is vital for everyone as Science impacts on so many aspects of our lives. Throughout our teaching we try to link the science learnt to its application in the world. By considering how scientists work, students will be able to appreciate current scientific developments have sufficient knowledge and understanding to follow science and scientific debates. We also believe that students find it easier to understand when they are practically involved so the emphasis of our teaching is on practical work where ever possible. In order to respond to the needs of individual students we provide a number of different courses and interventions.

In Key Stage 3 students build on their work in primary school to develop the skills of a scientist. Students study topics which cover Biology, Chemistry and Physics but link related areas together to emphasize their relevance to the students. Students are setted according to their ability and they are monitored to ensure that the class best allows them to reach their potential. They are regularly assessed throughout the 3 year programme and students are encouraged and helped to reach their personal targets in order to progress to the next level.

A small group of Y7 students will also follow the Bush Science course which develops scientific skills and understanding through practical activities in the natural environment.

In Year 10 students are guided into studying either GCSE Core Science, OCR national certificate or triple Science.

GCSE Science is a modular one year course leading to a GCSE qualification. Examinations take place 3 times during the year.

The OCR national certificate is a 2 year course solely assessed by completing a portfolio of work. It is a level 2 course and is equivalent to 4GCSE’s at grade A*-C.

Triple science is a 2 year course with students being obliged to attend an additional class from 3.00 to 4.30 one day a week. It enables students to gain 3 GCSEs; Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

In Year 11 those students who have studied Core Science can continue to study Science and choose either Additional Science or Human Physiology to gain a second Science GCSE.

 

PE 

We believe in Physical Education (PE) being an active and engaging subject that caters for all students’ needs.  We want young people to be successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve, whilst creating confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives and be responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

Every student at Wyvern school will participate in PE for their five years at the school.  The PE curriculum enables all students to enjoy and succeed in many kinds of physical activity. They develop a wide range of skills and the ability to use tactics, strategies and compositional ideas to perform successfully.  When they are performing, they think about what they are doing, analyse the situation and make decisions. They also reflect on their own and others’ performances and find ways to improve them. As a result, they develop the confidence to take part in different physical activities and learn about the value of healthy, active lifestyles. Discovering what they like to do, what their aptitudes are at school, and how and where to get involved in physical activity helps them make informed choices about lifelong physical activity. 

PE helps students develop personally and socially. They work as individuals, in groups and in teams, developing concepts of fairness and of personal and social responsibility. They take on different roles and responsibilities, including leadership, coaching and officiating. Through the range of experiences that PE offers, they learn how to be effective in competitive, creative and challenging situations.

 

In Year Seven and Eight students follow a flexible curriculum. Twice in the year students also have the opportunity to opt for different activities, the idea being that students can cater the curriculum to suite them.  In Year Nine students have the opportunity to follow two different Pathways throughout the year.  They can follow Strategy and Tactics pathway which covers team games as well as individual sports such as Tennis and Badminton and the Young Leaders Award or they can opt for a Creative Movement Pathway, where students can take part in activities like Yoga, Exercise to Music, Dance and Trampolining.  All students will have to opt for activities that incorporate Health, Fitness and Well Being.  These pathways not only give students of what they might expect in Years 10 and 11 but also if can give the chance to experience activities that they want to pursue later in life.

 

In Years 10 and 11 students can opt for BTEC sport, GCSE PE Full Course, GCSE PE Short Course or look to obtain at least two Leadership Qualifications. The Leadership Courses are open to all students and consist of the Level 1 Sports Coach, Young Netball Organisers, Junior Football Organisers, Level 1 Basketball Referees Award, Hockey Leaders Award, Tennis Leaders Award and the Cricket Umpires Award. 

 

At Wyvern we believe a structured and varied extra curricular programme is essential for students’ personal and social development.  We offer Clubs in Football, Rugby, Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Rounders, Trampolining, Table Tennis, Badminton, Trampolining, Cheerleading, Climbing Club and Girls Football.

 

EXPRESSIVE ARTS [ART, MUSIC, DANCE, DRAMA] [more information to follow]

Music at Wyvern is about learning through practical and creative experience. Students have a wealth of opportunities to develop not only musical skills but wider life and social skills through experiences both in and outside of lessons. The music department works closely with Expressive Arts Faculty subjects, as well as other disciplines across the school to provide an in-depth experience of the arts.

 

At Key Stage 3 students explore and develop the skills of composing, performing and appraising through studying genres such as Reggae, the Blues, Film Music and African Music. Topics such as 'Slavery' and 'The Culture of Hip Hop and Graffiti' are studied across all subjects in the arts faculty to provide greater depth and broader understanding of how social and historical circumstances have influenced the arts. Through such topics, students develop their ability to work creatively with others in pair, group and whole class tasks.

 

Music is an option at GCSE, where students develop their individual musical interests and styles. They take part in regular performances, culminating in a final concert in Year 11 where many perform their own original compositions.

 

Our music department is well equipped, with two large classrooms, three practice rooms and an Apple Mac suite. These rooms are always full of students at lunchtimes and after school, rehearsing together or developing coursework.

 

Students at Wyvern can enjoy the social aspects of music through a range of extra-curricular opportunities. The singing group 'Youth In Harmony' regularly performs both in and outside of school, at venues such as the Blakehay, the Winter Gardens and the Playhouse Theatre and our singers enjoy close links with Worle School Youth Choir, with whom we tour abroad every two years. We also have various instrumental groups and have recently formed a Samba Band. Finally, the Expressive Arts Faculty has staged two hugely successful productions over the last two years, and will be putting on our third, 'The Wiz' in December. These large scale productions bring together each of the faculty disciplines really represent everything the Expressive Arts Faculty is about.

 

Drama at Wyvern is a lively and creative experience. Drama is an integral part of the Expressive Arts Faculty working alongside Music, Dance and Art.

 

In Key Stage 3 students explore a variety of topics including the plays ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ and ’The Container’.  They also study ‘Slavery’ with other subjects to form a large cross-curricular and cross faculty project.  The students work in pairs and small groups.  They are encouraged to contribute their ideas to the group practical.  They perform their pieces to the other members of the group and are encouraged to evaluate the work of themselves and others in a positive and encouraging way.

 

In Key Stage 4 if they choose Drama as a GCSE, coursework becomes an important part of the course as well as the practical.  The students study a variety of themes and plays in year 10 in preparation for the final exams in year 11.  The students are encouraged to respond to stimulus in a varied and imaginative way.  They are then encouraged to develop pieces based on their ideas.  Finally they are to evaluate the work of themselves and their peers commenting on effectiveness and also offering ides for improvement.  They will then write a number of pieces of coursework based on their ideas and practical experiences.

 

During their time at Wyvern the students have many opportunities to participate in extra-curricular Drama and they have plenty of opportunities to perform including assemblies, The Summer and Christmas shows and Awards evening in the Winter Gardens.  Every two years the Expressive Arts Faculty put on a whole school musical, previous shows include ‘Bugsy Malone’ and ‘Peter Pan the British Musical’.

 

The Dance course at Wyvern is a BTEC and based on six units of coursework.  There are two core units to complete ‘The Performing Arts Business’ and ‘Performing Arts Production Process’.  These are based on the Performing Arts Industry and are research based and solely written units.  The other four units are practical and written.  The Jazz unit explores the style of Jazz Dance and students are also expected to know about its relationship with music.  The Musical Theatre unit gives students the opportunity to experience drama and group singing as well as dancing.  Understanding Dance looks at the different styles of dance and the students are able to choreograph their own routines.  The final unit ‘Performing Dance’ is assessed on the night of the student’s final show, where they will perform a variety of routines and styles to showcase their progression since the start of the course.

 

During the course the students have many opportunities to perform in public including The Summer and Christmas Shows, The Dance Festival in the Playhouse, Awards evening in The Winter Gardens and their own annual Dance shows.

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGES

The languages taught at Wyvern are French and German; (the latter is now taught outside of the normal school day). Languages are taught in three bright, colourful rooms, each of which is equipped with an interactive whiteboard and visualiser and a range of other interactive resources.

Classes are taught by language specialists and students are encouraged to examine how they are learning the language, by making links with their own language and any other language that they know. Students develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing and regularly work with the French language assistant. A highlight for students in Key Stage 3 is the annual Paris trip, a four day trip which takes in all of the main tourist attractions of Paris.

In Key Stage 4 there are two possible avenues for students to take. These are the traditional GCSE route and the vocational NVQ course to level 2, which enables students to build up a portfolio of their achievements. Results in the department are excellent, with 100% of students achieving at least a grade C or its equivalent in recent years.

 

 

ICT and BUSINESS STUDIES

Year 7 and 8:

You will be developing your ICT skills further using and applying software such as Spreadsheets, Databases, and Control packages. You will also have the opportunity to develop and produce your own web design.  All of these play a central role in the use of Information Technology, as a tool to serve the other curriculum areas.  

 

Year 9

In Year 9 ICT has moved towards students being entered for ‘functional skills’ an exam which is an online test that has been promoted by the DFES. The test enables students to demonstrate and apply ICT skills and capability to solve a number of different problems in a real life situation. The units of classwork that year 9 produce are based on Microsoft applications and control software.

 

GCSE Business and Communication Systems:

Students will gain knowledge and broad understanding of aspects of workplace organisation and the business environment. During Key stage 4 they use a range applications to complete practical aspects of the course these include word processing,  spreadsheets, databases, desk top publishing, and presentation software.

 

Communication is an integral part of the course. Verbal and written skills are improved through composing appropriate and coherent responses to business problems. Awareness of the importance of layout and design in the workplace and the implications for health and safety are also studied.

 

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

• Resistant Materials - designing and making a prototype product using metal, wood or plastic.
• Graphic Products – designing and making packaging and promotional material, mainly using computer graphics.
• Textile Technology - designing and making a prototype textiles product.
• Food and Nutrition – making food and researching and learning nutrition and hygiene.

In Design and Technology students combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products and systems that meet human needs. They learn to think creatively, solving problems as individuals and members of a team.

 

In KS3 students are taught in mixed ability groups, they will learn to design and make in a range of materials, wood, metal, plastics and textiles. Students will learn to use a range of machinery and hand tools. There is a focus on developing Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture, with the use of CNC milling machine, Laser cutter, plotter cutter and embroidery machines.

Students attend a food/nutrition lesson once a fortnight. Students learn to cook basic healthy meals, with other lessons focusing on nutrition and hygiene.

 

All GCSEs are made up of 60% coursework and 40% final exam.

 

HISTORY

History at Wyvern is exciting! In Year 7, students study units through chronological themes. To start the year, we look at Power and Democracy (including the events of 1066 and William’s battles for the throne). We go onto to look study Conflict and Reconciliation (The Crusades) and finally Everyday Lives and Beliefs (what life was really like in the Middle Ages).

 

Currently, in Year 8 students build on their skills, knowledge and understanding from Year 7. We start the year by examining the Civil War and Oliver Cromwell, then study the Industrial Revolution from 1750-1900.

By the time students reach Year 9, they have a strong grounding in source skills and knowledge, which is cemented by studying World War I and World War II.

 

From September, we will be teaching a new GCSE at Wyvern – Crime and Punishment through Time (from the Romans to the present day) and Life in Nazi Germany. These topics allow us to study in depth, and also to examine change and continuity chronologically.

 

GEOGRAPHY [information to follow]

 

RE

We believe that an understanding of other people’s beliefs, values and cultures is important in developing students who can adapt well to situations they may face both inside and outside of school.  As a subject RE creates an environment in which this understanding can be gained.

 

At KS3 students in Yr 7 are taught in mixed ability groups and Yr 8 are set are according to ability level though these aren’t rigid and movement between sets happens regularly based upon assessments results.  In these two years they study the basics of why and what people believe, look at their own beliefs and study some of the major world religions and their beliefs about issues facing the world today (eg environmental destruction).

In Yr 9 all students begin their 2 year short course GCSE in RE (Edexcel board) which is completely exam based and focused around social and moral issues.  This course encourages them to use their own opinion on topics such as euthanasia, abortion and marriage and compare it with those of people with a religious belief.  This course continues into Yr10. 

 

In Yr 11 students are given the opportunity, if they want, to turn this half GCSE into a full GCSE by completing another topic section.

 

CITIZENSHIP

The aim of Citizenship at Wyvern is to allow students to come into contact with issues and experiences which allow them to understand what being a ‘good Citizen’ really means. These experiences allow them to get to grips with their own rights and responsibilities on varying levels from the community they live in to the planet they live on.

 

Citizenship is taught in tutor groups on an alternating schedule with PSHE.  These lessons take place once a fortnight.  Within these lessons students are given the opportunity to voice their opinion about issues local, national and international and encouraged to think about how they would solve the issues they have been introduced to.  They are also given the opportunity to take part inactive citizenship which involves them in activities which have an impact on different communities and peoples. 

 

At KS3 students are given a Citizenship focused assessment each year and we are looking to offer a Citizenship short course GCSE for those students in Yr11 who don’t pick up the RE full course opportunity.

 

WORK RELATED LEARNING & ENTERPRISE

We have a whole school approach to Work related Learning & Enterprise, making sure that all students are able to understand the link between what happens in the classroom, and their future working lives.  We work closely with our partner organisations – employers, training providers, colleges, business and enterprise consultants – to ensure that our students are equipped with the skills, behaviours and attitudes necessary for a successful transition to the worlds of Further Education, Training or Employment.

We offer a wide range of vocational, learner centred, activity based programmes and qualifications, tailored to meet the needs of all students.  They include NVQ’s run in conjunction with Weston College, Young Apprenticeships, Army personal development courses and Work Experience.  These programmes are designed to promote personal and social development, enhance self esteem and develop employability skills.

 

All students experience opportunities to learn about business, industry, personal finance and are encouraged to develop their entrepreneurial skills through the Team Enterprise option or by taking part in the successful Enterprise 4 U challenge.

 

OfSTED tell us that Work related Learning is a strength and that the quality of education and training seen both in school and off site is very good.  They say the in- school sessions are exciting, imaginative and challenging, that students thrive on the practical ways of learning and are inspired to aim higher and think positively.  They are impressed with the number of opportunities for Work experience.

 

PERSONAL SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION [PSHE]

The PSHE programme is delivered in a fortnightly one hour session by the class Tutors.

 

The focus is on:

Economic Wellbeing and Financial Capability

Personal Wellbeing

Careers Education

 

It is also incorporates many of the strands from the Every Child Matters framework.

 

Key Stage 3

We aim to develop students to be confident and understanding members of society. They are taught the importance of being responsible citizens, both in terms of personal safety and health issues, and in being members of a wider community. Students start to look ahead at the choices they will have to make when they leave school, and the career opportunities that may be available to them.

 

Year 7 topics covered include: Bullying, Alcohol and Smoking Awareness, Healthy and Puberty and Personal Safety

 

Year 8 topics include: Crime and the Law, Drugs, Relationships and Finance

 

Year 9 topics include: Gambling, Spending and Saving, Options, Relationships, and Careers

 

Key Stage 4

We aim to prepare students for a more adult role both within the school and the wider community. They are given more opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning. Students continue to look at issues which will be part of their adult lives, and the importance of being able to express their opinion whilst accepting differences others may have.

 

Year 10 topics include: Managing Risks, Work Experience, Making Healthy Choices and Prejudice

 

Year 11 topics include: Production of a Record of Achievement, how to compose letters of application, a CV, filling in application forms, skills for life, post-16 choices, sexuality and revision skills.