Curriculum Vision & Intent

At Stone Lodge School, our core values of Respect, Integrity, Determination, Equality, and Self-Management are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that every student can achieve well and build a bright future for themselves no matter their ability or background. We aim to improve the life chances of every student. Our curriculum provides the foundation for this success.

We set high expectations to ensure that every student excels across all aspects of school life to facilitate the students in leading successful lives.

We intend to ensure that students make outstanding progress and their curriculum removes any potential barriers to learning. We believe all students should have access to a world-class curriculum that is tailored to their needs.

Our curriculum gives students the knowledge and skills to provide the very best opportunities, by developing rich knowledge and attributes pertinent to both their local and global communities in the 21st century.

At Stone Lodge School, students will:

-   Experience a broad, deep, and knowledge-rich curriculum that is well planned, sequenced, and rigorous to enable exceptional progress to be made by all students;

-   Develop literacy and numeracy skills to help all students to lead successful lives;

-   Have the highest expectations for their behaviour and achievement in all aspects of school;

-   Build their character to make them Respectful, Determined, Self-managing individuals embodying the value of Equality;

-   Develop their cultural, social, moral, mental, and physical development;

-   Secure foundations for ambitious progression.

Students experience a broad, deep and knowledge rich curriculum

Our School curriculum helps students to achieve high standards and make excellent progress. At KS3, the curriculum is broad, and students learn essential knowledge built around a learning journey to ensure they have a deep understanding across a range of subjects; not just a series of disconnected facts. Many opportunities are built into lessons to secure the need to recall and retrieve previous learning so that knowledge is fully embedded. We have a 3-year KS3 programme that gives students a full range of disciplines.

Scaffolding is provided for students to ensure all students can achieve their potential. We believe in quality first teaching as the most significant factor in creating a world class curriculum for all. We have the highest standards of our students because we know they can achieve them.

At KS4, the courses are carefully planned to ensure that content is thoroughly revisited, and this undoubtedly prepares students for external examinations and further academic or vocational progression.

Students will be literate and numerate

The development of student language and oracy is at the forefront of our curriculum. We understand how vital it is for our students to build confidence in communication skills during their time in school and prepare them for working life. We ensure students have opportunities in all subjects to discuss, challenge and build on other points of view and to develop their ability to communicate in a formal register to ensure they can have the confidence to speak and write to different audiences. Numeracy skills are embedded across the curriculum. Students who arrive with below expected maths skills are quickly caught up through expert teaching and incisive interventions. The school ensures that students are literate and numerate, enabling them to flourish, thrive and access all stages of their education, employment or training.

Students embody high expectations for their behaviour and achievement

The school is inclusive and ambitious for all. We have high expectations of all students and allow students to learn what is expected of them morally. Our behaviour policy focuses on the school’s values of Respect, Integrity, Determination, Equality and Self-Management. Students know that actions have consequences, and they can accept and appreciate differences between people. Stone Lodge has the highest expectations of students regarding these values creating a culture where students experience a calm and purposeful environment to thrive. We aim that all students become learners who are enquiring, enthusiastic, engaged and mannerly.

Students will build their character

With a focus on building character and resilience across our student body. We ensure students have access to a wider curriculum that provides numerous opportunities in sport, creativity, performing, the world of work, volunteering and membership. In addition, an extensive enrichment programme supports the development of students into well-rounded citizens.

Students will develop their cultural, moral, social, mental and physical development

At Stone Lodge, we pride ourselves on delivering a curriculum with SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) at the heart of all experiences. SMSC is championed throughout to develop students as a whole, not just academically, but also  to ensure that they are fully prepared for life in modern society. Students can envision ‘The Bigger Picture’ and show that learning is linked to the real world and experiences. This happens through our ‘Successful Lives’ lessons (PSHE) which students have for a period every week. Various assemblies further support this to enrich our Personal Social Health, and Economic Education programme. During these events, guest speakers visit to deliver sessions and collaborate with students to learn how to keep themselves (and others) healthy and safe. Examples of explored topics are; first aid training, mental health awareness, and puberty. Furthermore, these topics are carefully chosen to encourage students’ awareness and understanding of their protected characteristics within The Equality Act 2010. These topics are thoughtfully planned and sequenced to reflect the local priorities in our area.

In KS3, all students take part in LBC days (Learning Beyond the Curriculum). These happen three times a year and involve day trips to various venues and locations. Some day trips have a specific STEM theme to broaden student’s outlooks and enhance their cultural capital. These trips are inclusive of all students. Some examples of destinations include KidZania and the Science Museum.

Stone Lodge takes ourselves on providing a rich, diverse extra-curricular programme focusing on various sporting, cultural, and charitable activities. Links with local and national business enrich the curriculum offer and help to contextualise learning.

Students will secure foundations for progression

Our intention is to ensure students have secure foundations for progression into further education and apprenticeships. From Year 7, students receive careers information with a clear focus on the Gatsby benchmarks. This is supported through LBC days and the use of UNIFROG providing a well-planned, sequenced programme to enhance students’ knowledge and skills of Careers. Over five years, students receive a rigorous and bespoke aspirations program that exposes every child to a rich and wide range of voices and experiences. 

Our Curriculum Lead - Mr Marc Naylor, Deputy Head Teacher