Hoe Valley School

Curriculum Design

All of our students have 6 one-hour lessons a day with 20 minutes of tutor time at the start of the day and 10 minutes at the end of the day.  Our extended day allows us to offer students in all year groups a core offer of:

  • Five hours of Maths and English a week
  • Four hours of Science a week
  • PE and Personal, Social and Health Education
  • Religious Education
  • Allocated time for prep (homework)

In years 7 and 8, all students also study French, Drama, Music, History, Geography, Art, Design Technology and Computer Science. A minority of students in year 7 work with the personalisation team instead of studying French to ensure their English and Maths is at the nationally expected level by the end of the year.  By year 8, all of our students select a second language from Spanish or German.

Our extended day and rigorous curriculum ensures that by year 9 our students can confidently begin their GCSE and vocational subjects.  The subject preferences process runs over two terms to ensure every decision sets up our students to succeed and we work closely with families, teachers, tutors and of course our students, looking carefully at attainment data.  Choices between subjects are carefully guided and personalised for each student based on their interests, achievements and skills.  

We offer a range of GCSEs and vocational qualifications in all of the subjects listed above at GCSE but also introduce Business Studies, Functional Skills, Media Studies and Latin.  The majority of our students continue with either History and Geography and with at least one language and our most able Scientists study the triple award.  Our students take between 6 and 10 GCSEs and vocational qualifications.  We encourage students to consider vocational subjects as an important part of developing their employability skills.  

You can learn more about our curriculum by year group by reading our parent guides here:

Year 7 Curriculum Booklet 2020-21
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet 2020-21
Year 9 Curriculum Booklet 2020-21
Year 10 Curriculum Booklet 2020-21
Year 11 Curriculum Booklet 2020-21

 

To view our Year 8 GCSE Preferences Event videos from our GCSE Preferences Event held on 25th January 2021, please click on the following links
GCSE Preferences 2021 – The Process

Subject Information

 

To view the presentation from the Year 11 Revision Evening held on 3rd February 2020, please click on the following links

Year 11 Revision Evening February 2020