We strive to develop confident, interesting and balanced young people, and we feel that this is best achieved by offering a broad curriculum for as long as possible.
In Years 10 and 11, all of our students study English language and literature, mathematics, science, one of the humanities and a language, in conjunction with other option subjects.
Research tells us that following an academic curriculum, which includes a humanities subject and a language, can improve a young person’s performance in English and mathematics, as well as enhance their prospects for entering further education or employment.
Alongside an academic curriculum, we offer a wide range of enriching and challenging extra-curricular opportunities, such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Mastery Learning
Mastery Learning forms the basis of our teaching programme at Bridgnorth Endowed School. This is a specific approach to teaching in which learning is broken down into discrete units and presented in a logical order.
Students are required to demonstrate mastery of the learning from each unit before being allowed to move on to the next, with the assumption that all students will achieve this level of mastery if they are appropriately supported. Some may take longer and need more help, but all will get there in the end.
Following teaching, students undertake formative assessment that shows what they have learned well and what they still need to work on.
Our teachers then work with students to identify appropriate corrective activities that are designed to close any gaps in knowledge or understanding. These activities may be extra homework, working with a group of friends or attending an after-school workshop led by a teacher.
Knowledge-Based Curriculum
We view learning as a process of developing sufficient surface knowledge to then move on to deep conceptual understanding.
We realise that in order to think about something deeply, students must have something to think about, so our teaching places emphasis on students developing knowledge of the topics they are studying.
We check students’ knowledge through regular fact tests and quizzes. Once they have developed sufficient surface knowledge, our teaching encourages them to engage in higher-order thinking, through hypothesis, evaluation and judgement.
Research-Informed Approach
We take a research-informed approach, which means we look carefully at information about what works in schools and we invest our time in the strategies that have been shown to have the largest impact on students’ learning and achievement.
For example, homework at secondary school has been shown to advance learning by an additional six months, and self-regulation strategies and metacognitive skills by an additional eight months. We ensure that all of our students are set relevant and challenging homework and that our teaching encourages students to set their own challenging goals.
For further information on the curriculum, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
