STAR


STAR Curriculum

Pupils spend 50% of their timetable in Star.

The Star curriculum aims to deliver subjects in a connected way to promote the development of:

  • Literacy across all subject areas.
  • High attainment and sustained progression.
  • The transfer of skills across all subjects.
  • Application of learning for real purpose and audience.

Main topics students study:

  • The curriculum is organised into half-termly concepts, used to drive the content and skills developed and also tied into a final Rich Challenge.

  • Explorers
      Literacy, ICT, History and MFL lead subjects
    • Pupils become explorers and investigate how we communicate with each other. Pupils focus on which periods of history have influenced society the most and communicate their learning using ICT software.

  • Identity
      Geography, Literacy, Values lead subjects
    • Pupils look at national, international and global communities focusing on difference and diversity.

  • Enterprise
      Numeracy, ICT and Literacy lead subjects
    • Pupils consider what makes a successful business, focusing on budgeting, marketing and team work. Pupils create their own business.

  • Culture and Arts
      Literacy, History and Arts lead subjects
    • Pupils explore their heritage in terms of the arts looking at monarchy and influential figures such as Shakespeare. Pupils will develop their ability to critically analyse texts.

  • My world
      Discrete subjects
    • Pupils return to discrete subjects where they explore the world in which we live.
    • Science and us.
    • Pupils explore the world of Science and ethics and its impact on the modern world.


Main skills students develop:

  • Writing basics - Paragraphs, punctuation, vocabulary, spelling, writing for audience and purpose.
  • Reading basics - Skimming, scanning, selecting, summarising, synthesising, PEE paragraphs, strategies for developing as a successful reader.
  • Oracy - Presentation skills, group discussion, speaking for audience and purpose, developing ideas.
  • Numeracy - Number, scales, calculation, graphs, time, measurings.
  • Analysis - Identify, describe, explain evidence and justify views.
  • Evaluation - Making judgements and supporting with evidence. Exploring strengths and weaknesses.
  • Research and enquiry - Asking questions to drive research, navigating texts, fact and opinion, searching for information in fiction and non-fiction texts.
  • Leadership - Take on leadership roles in a range of contexts.
  • Production - Plan, draft and edit a finished piece to a high standard for a range of audiences and purposes.