“It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.” Rene Descartes
The vital concept which animates our curriculum is ambition…
Ambition for our students:
- to ignite a passion for learning
- to learn a progressively challenging body of knowledge in every subject each year
- to understand a range of increasingly sophisticated key concepts in every subject each year
- to appreciate content and conceptual links between subjects
- to be inspired to pursue their curiosity through extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities
Ambition for our staff:
- to be active participants in the design and review of schemes of work
- to be reflective practitioners as they teach the curriculum
- to be critical analysts as they monitor assessments and scrutinise outcomes
- to both support and be supported in their ambitious curriculum practice
Ambition for our school:
- to honour the legacy of those who founded our school in 1907, providing a home for girls’ academic education
- to inspire our current community to achieve their individual and collective best
- to progress our educational inheritance through curriculum innovation
- to create a new chapter of curriculum excellence for future generations
Our curriculum is distinguished by…
Breadth…
- appropriate coverage for our able students across the family of subjects
- STEM (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science)
- literature and languages (English, modern and classical languages)
- Humanities (geography, history, RS)
- the Arts (art, drama, music)
- Social Sciences (economics, government & politics, psychology)
- Health (PE, PSHE)
Balance…
- appropriate apportioning of curriculum time
- access to all subjects for each student
- progression through KS3 with Philosophy for Children (P4C) in Yr7, then Latin in Yr8, and sciences in Yr7, Biology, Chemistry and Physics in Yrs 8-9
Challenge…
- CCHS Challenge Model
- Scheduled: habitual challenge
- Extension: amplified challenge
- Enrichment: deep challenge
- Overarching: cohesive challenge
- Excellence: examination challenge
- Ancillary: complementary challenge
- Innovation: novel challenge
- number and range of subjects at KS3 (x14 Yr7; x16 Yrs8-9;)
- CCHS KS3 Curriculum (Content, Concepts, Connections and Competencies)
- GCSE options structure to realise the EBacc (core, humanities, languages, additional and open choices)
- A level options structure to realise access to competitive courses at selective universities
Professional curriculum engagement
- Membership of Subject Associations and participation in subject-related social media for
- Engaged locally with:
- Mid Essex Secondary Heads (MESH)
- Association Secondary Headteachers in Essex (ASHE)
- Billericay Teaching School Alliance (BTSA)
- Engaged nationally with:
- Grammar School Headteachers Association (GSHA)
- Successful Selective Girls’ Schools (SSGS)
- Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI)
- National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE)
- Engaged internationally with:
- Advancing Girls’ projects
- International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS)
