Values

Key Stage 4 Values Curriculum Intent

‘We aim to create confident individuals, who have a well-established resilience and a passion for continued self-improvement. The students who are moulded from the Humanities department at Holmesdale will be able to make informed decisions and judgements about the past, present and future. Being critical thinkers who have developed a strong set of values and responsibility’.

The Holmesdale School Humanities department is committed to providing a curriculum that is broad, balanced, challenging and fosters a love of learning. We match our curriculum to the abilities, interests, and aspirations of our students, to give every child the opportunity to strive for personal excellence. Our curriculum aims to open doors for every pupil, and we therefore value the contribution that creative, practical and vocational learning brings to a child’s development alongside the traditional subjects. Our hope is that every child who leaves The Holmesdale School has the qualifications, skills, knowledge and character to access aspirational Post-16 opportunities and to lead a life that includes positive relationships, resilience and financial independence.

The Humanities curriculum has been built around a skills and concept based design in order to develop students that have a broad understanding of a variety of topics with the subjects offered, whilst also developing a practised understanding of transferable skills for students that choose to continue Humanities subjects at GCSE. Emphasis on assessment and feedback of skills within units and across the units of years 7, 8 and 9, allow for students to practise and master those skills by the end of the key stage. This encourages students to be at a level by the start of year 10 that promotes progress and successful outcomes, as emphasised in the school’s vision.

All students are exposed to the same topics throughout all key stages. The learning objectives are progressive so that all students are able to access the higher level knowledge and skills required. As well as this, tasks within all lessons are progressive in nature to promote development. There is an emphasis on the consistently strong delivery of lessons so that all students are included and supported within Humanities. The department caters for the provision of key groups including SEND, Pupil Premium and HPA students through firstly ensuring that positive relationships are built and fostered between staff and pupils. This ensures a positive learning environment where students are confident to try, make suggestions and develop buoyancy in their subject area. 

The KS4 curriculum follows a skill and concepts-based curriculum. These key concepts have been selected through the themes that exist in the AQA Religious Studies curriculum. The religious studies curriculum is designed to be a challenging curriculum that is engaging and stimulating for every student. They will experience and develop the 

Breadth and depth of religious knowledge and religious literacy, and the skills of philosophical and ethical debate. Throughout these experiences our students will explore their moral purpose, build their character, and choose tolerance and kindness as their guidance for behaviour, based on experimental activities and the investigation of religious teachings and behaviours. Through the lessons, students are supported in becoming independent thinkers, who are curious, confident, and self-motived. 

Key Stage 4 – Values Overview