Curriculum Intent
Our goal at Chantry Middle School is to be a vibrant and inspirational community empowering all with the confidence and ability to excel in their learning journey.
Our ambition is to develop accomplished students who expand their skills and knowledge to enable them to contribute to the wider community of Morpeth and beyond. Students are enabled to fulfil their academic potential and are well prepared for life beyond Chantry.
Our curriculum has been designed specifically to develop accomplished students following these core principles:
- Our curriculum is broad, balanced, inclusive and personalised for our students which enables them to develop their knowledge and skills.
- Our curriculum enables students to develop their ability to read and have a shared passion and love of reading across the curriculum.
- Our curriculum enables students to expand their cultural capital through their learning both inside and outside of the classroom.
- Our curriculum develops the aspiration of students to aim high and challenge themselves on a daily basis with a long term goal in sight.
- Our curriculum is underpinned by our core values of: reflection, resilience, creativity, responsibility, respect, aspiration, co-operation, care and achievement.
We are confident that, through careful planning in all subjects, we not only deliver the requirements of the National Curriculum but also widen the scope of pupils’ learning even further through ambitious and comprehensive learning opportunities beyond those requirements.
We ensure there is continuity and opportunities to build upon prior knowledge through curriculum collaboration with First School and High School colleagues. This enables progression within subjects over the split key stages of a Middle school.
Curriculum Implementation
We deliver a broad and balanced curriculum from the start of Year 5 – English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, RE, Computing, Art, Music, French, Technology, PE and Citizenship. All pupils are taught by a range of subject specialists and are able to access the specialist resources that a middle school building offers us including specialist facilities in PE, Science and Technology. A second language of Spanish is studied by all from Year 7. Pupils move on to High School with a good understanding of all subjects, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their choices at GCSE.
We build on the characteristics of effective learning from our First Schools and ensure that our curriculum allows our pupils become increasingly independent and self-motivated learners, and build on the essential knowledge and skills in numeracy, literacy and the foundation subjects in Years 5 & 6
We also work closely in partnership with our sister Middle Schools, Newminster Middle and Dr Thomlinson’s Middle School, and our feeder high school, The King Edward VI High School to ensure there is a fully integrated and dynamic curriculum which builds on the foundations of the Key Stage 2 curriculum in Years 7 & 8. The aim is to continue to stimulate both interest and intrigue and to provide excellent foundations for further study beyond Key Stage 3 at GCSE and A-level.
These principles help to support pupils develop our school’s core values and skills of reflection, resilience, creativity, responsibility, respect, aspiration, co-operation, care and achievement.
If you require any further information with regard to the curriculum in a year group or subject, please do not hesitate to contact the respective Director of Learning and Teaching and/or the Curriculum Leader for a subject.
