CCHS Curriculum Mission

“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)