Curriculum Intent

At Moor Park High School, our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and knowledge rich. It is designed to ensure that every student, regardless of background or starting point, develops the knowledge, skills and personal qualities needed to achieve academic success, thrive in further education and employment, and contribute positively to society.

Our curriculum is underpinned by our core values and is built around our commitment to:

An academic curriculum
Excellent teaching
High expectations
That every child is known
Exemplary behaviour
Quality enrichment

Our curriculum extends beyond the National Curriculum. Subject leaders have designed curricula that reflect both national expectations and the needs of our local community, ensuring that students gain the knowledge and cultural understanding required to flourish in modern Britain.

In every subject, students develop both substantive knowledge (what they know) and disciplinary knowledge (how knowledge is created, tested and applied within each subject). This enables students to think critically, solve problems and develop their ability to apply learning confidently to unfamiliar contexts.

We are committed to ensuring that every student can access and succeed within the full curriculum. Over the next three years, a whole-school priority is to further strengthen adaptive teaching so that teachers plan learning which removes barriers, provides appropriate challenge and support, and maintains high expectations for all. Through this approach, students with SEND and those who are disadvantaged are fully included in the life of the classroom and are supported to achieve their full potential.

Alongside academic excellence, our curriculum promotes personal development through an extensive programme of Personal Development and Wellbeing, careers education, leadership opportunities and a wide range of enrichment activities.

Curriculum Implementation

Structure

Our curriculum is delivered through a three-year Key Stage 3 and a two-year Key Stage 4. This structure enables students to study a broad range of subjects for as long as possible before making informed choices for GCSE study. Click here to find out more about options – Year 9 Options – Moor Park High School & Sixth Form in Preston, Lancashire

In Key Stages 3&4, students follow a fortnightly timetable of 50 lessons. Each lesson is 60 minutes long with additional time allocated for form. All students, regardless of prior attainment, are entitled to study Humanities, Sciences and a Language.

At Key Stage 3 students study the following lessons over a two-week period:

Maths – 8 Lessons

English – 8 Lessons (including a reading lesson)

Science – 6 Lessons (8 lesson in Year 9)

Spanish – 3 Lessons

PE & DT – 4 Lessons each

Geography, History and RE – 3 Lessons each

Art, Computing, Music and Drama – 2 Lessons each (music and drama are taught on a rotation in Year 9)

PHSE – 1 Lesson per fortnight

At Key Stage 4 students study the following lessons over a two-week period:

Maths – 8 Lessons

English – 10 Lessons

Science – 10 Lessons (triple science have an additional 5 lessons by selecting the subject a one option subject)

RE – 4 Lesson

PE – 2 Lesson

PHSE – 1 Lesson per fortnight

Options Subjects – 5 lessons each (every student chooses 3 option subjects) – 3D Design, Art, ICT, Geography, History, Business, Sociology, Health and Social Care, GCSE PE, GCSE photography, GCSE Food, Triple Science and Spanish (GCSE Music and GCSE Drama were offered as an option subject but will not run due to student uptake)

As a school we focus on the following areas to ensure the successful implementation of our rich and knowledge led curriculum:

Curriculum planning: Curriculum planning is carefully considered in every subject to ensure that learning is coherently sequenced and builds progressively over time. Subject teams work collaboratively within school and with external subject experts, including White Rose Education and Lancashire County Council, to design curricula that identify the essential knowledge, skills and concepts students need to master from Year 7 onwards. Each stage of learning builds securely on prior knowledge, enabling students to deepen their understanding and prepare successfully for future learning.

Every subject has a carefully designed medium-term curriculum plan for each unit of work. These plans establish high expectations and promote consistency in curriculum delivery while allowing teachers the professional autonomy to respond to the needs of their classes.

Medium-term plans clearly identify the substantive and disciplinary knowledge to be taught, the key vocabulary and concepts to be mastered, common misconceptions and the prior knowledge required for success. They also identify how current learning prepares students for subsequent units, ensuring that the curriculum is coherently sequenced and builds cumulatively over time.

Lesson planning is a collaborative process. Subject teams work together to develop high-quality lesson resources and sequences of learning that reflect the agreed curriculum. Teachers then adapt these plans, where appropriate, to meet the needs of the students in front of them while maintaining the intended curriculum. Planning is reviewed and refined throughout the academic year in order to ensure our curriculum continues addresses the needs of our students.

Teaching Methods: High-quality teaching is central to our curriculum. Teachers use evidence-informed approaches to develop students’ understanding, promote accurate recall and address misconceptions. Whilst each subject adopts pedagogical approaches that best suit its discipline, there is a consistent expectation that lessons provide appropriate challenge, explicit instruction, opportunities for practice and regular retrieval of prior learning.

Professional Development: Professional development is integral to maintaining high standards. Our teachers engage in continuous professional development to stay updated with the latest educational research and pedagogical techniques. This ensures that our teaching methods are effective and consistent. In school we have dedicated a significant amount of directed time to whole school and faculty based professional development. This time focuses pedagogical approach, curriculum development, observations & feedback and coaching, collaborative planning & moderation.

The school has strong external links with Teach First, Preston School Alliance (PSA), NCETM NW Maths Hub, White Rose Eduction, local faculty networks and Ambition Institute; many teaching staff engage with at least one of the networks to support their CPD. The school supports staff who wish to undertake NPQs, Post Graduate qualifications or undertake work for examination boards.

Inclusive Education: Teacher planning and classroom delivery focus on ensuring that all students can access the curriculum and achieve success, regardless of their starting point, background or individual needs. Teachers use adaptive teaching strategies to remove barriers to learning, provide appropriate challenge and support, and enable every student to make progress through the planned curriculum.

Students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive carefully planned support that enables them to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers wherever possible. This is complemented by effective pastoral support and targeted interventions where appropriate.

For a small number of students in Years 7–9 who require additional support in English and/or mathematics, nurture provision provides focused teaching to develop literacy, numeracy and learning confidence. These programmes are carefully designed to ensure that students continue to access the National Curriculum and are well prepared to re-engage fully with the wider curriculum. Some students also receive additional literacy and numeracy tuition, coordinated by our KS2 teacher, to address identified gaps and support their successful access to the curriculum.

Assessment: We regularly assess student progress through formative and summative assessments; Teachers use formative assessment routinely to identify misconceptions, adapt teaching and provide feedback that helps students improve. Summative assessments enable teachers to evaluate how securely knowledge has been learned and inform future curriculum planning. Common assessed pieces of work are in place within units of work so that there is parity across a year group. Teachers will report home on student knowledge and progress each term, using formative and summative data to inform their judgements.

Student in Years 7-9 complete GL assessments in English, Maths and Science upon entry to the school and each Summer Term. This allows the school to monitor student progress compared to a national picture.

Parental Engagement and Home Study: We recognise that parents and carers play a vital role in supporting their child’s education and value the strong partnerships we build with families. Parents are encouraged to contact the school at any point during the year to discuss their child’s progress.

To support learning beyond the classroom, the school provides Curriculum Therapy resources for every subject on the school website. These resources are closely aligned to the curriculum and link directly to the units of work being studied in class, enabling parents and students to reinforce learning at home.

Personalised Learning Checklists (PLCs) are included in students’ exercise books and identify the key knowledge and topics being studied. In many subjects, the PLCs also signpost recommended resources and independent study materials, helping students to revisit learning, consolidate their understanding and prepare effectively for assessments. Information is also available through the Synergy Parent Portal, enabling parents to monitor learning and engagement.

Parents currently receive two reports each academic year, providing information about their child’s attainment, progress and engagement with the curriculum. The table below outlines the information included in each report. From September 2027, parents will receive three reports each academic year, with one report issued each term. This section will be updated once the revised reporting arrangements have been finalised.

	Report 1	Report 2
Years 7-9	RAG rated assessment criteria for all subjects. RAG rated grades for effort and homework Year 7 only – GL Assessment parental report for English/maths/science	RAG rated assessment criteria for all subjects End of year exam percentage and year group average RAG rated grades for effort and homework GL Assessment parental report for English/maths/science
Year 10	RAG rated assessment criteria for all subjects. RAG rated grades for effort and homework	GCSE/BTEC style grade for end of year exams. RAG rated grades for effort and homework
Year 11	GCSE/BTEC for November mock exams. RAG rated grades for effort and homework	GCSE/BTEC grade for February mock exams. RAG rated grades for effort and homework

We are committed to ensuring that all students have access to high-quality resources that support ambitious teaching and learning across the curriculum. Our faculties are well resourced, with curriculum funding used to provide high-quality teaching materials, specialist equipment and resources that enhance learning both in school and at home, ensuring that no student is disadvantaged by their circumstances.

Students learn in dedicated subject classrooms, including specialist science laboratories, technology workshops and ICT suites, providing environments that support practical and subject-specific learning. Each faculty also has access to class sets of Chromebooks to enhance teaching and develop students’ digital literacy.

Reading is a central part of our curriculum. Our well-stocked library provides a welcoming environment that promotes reading for both pleasure and academic study. All students in Years 7 and 8 participate in a weekly library lesson and follow the school’s Bedrock programme, helping them to develop reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and a lifelong love of reading.

All pupils in years 7-11 take part in our Personal Development and Wellbeing Programme (PDWB) which has been developed in consultation with teachers, pupils and parents, and in accordance with DfE recommendations. The course covers Citizenship, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), Health Education, Careers and additional Moor Park elements which are tailored to address the needs of our students and the local community. The curriculum is taught in a 1-hour discrete timetabled lesson each fortnight. The statutory elements of RSE are taught as a programme discrete 60 minutes lessons during calendared curriculum time. These lessons are delivered in single sex groups and by an experienced RSE teaching team. The teaching of RSE and health education helps to prepare pupils for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. It also allows the school to promote the spiritual, moral, social, mental and physical development of pupils as well as promote British values.

At Moor Park all students in Years 7-11 participate in an extensive enrichment programme. Our aim is to nurture and develop each student, and we therefore build into our curriculum an entitlement to enrichment and extension experiences. This is delivered in a variety of ways:

Performing Arts Opportunities: Students are eligible to apply for a Performing Arts Scholarship, which provides quality Music or Speech and Drama lessons free of charge. Students have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and are offered tuition delivered by experienced and qualified teachers. Instruments are provided for this, and all participants are encouraged to take regular examinations in their specialism.
Enrichment Week: The regular timetable is collapsed to enable a range of creative and enriching experiences and opportunities.
Workshops and visits: Trips and visits that are specifically linked to the curriculum.
Extra-curricular opportunities and activities: A comprehensive weekly timetable of lunchtime and after school activities, in a wide range of school areas, in addition to the many sporting opportunities on offer.

Cultural capital is addressed through all areas of the school. We recognise that for students to aspire and be successful academically and in the wider areas of their lives, they need to be given rich and sustained opportunities to develop their cultural capital.  This is addressed through each subject area, as we build in an entitlement to cultural capital that will:

Be formally taught as part of the curriculum.
Be delivered through our enrichment offer; activities which may unlock or extend understanding
Be targeted; where students may be invited to a specific intervention to ensure they are not disadvantaged educationally or experientially

Our comprehensive careers, education, information, advice and guidance programme begins in Year 7 and each year group take part in a range of activities that aim to challenge career stereotypes, develop an understanding of the world of work and enable students to feel fully prepared to take their next steps and for life beyond our school. Students benefit from working with a range of local employers and an independent careers advisor (Year 10 onwards). Our careers programme is delivered through a combination of whole-school, faculty-led activities and PSHE lessons, ensuring that careers education is embedded within the curriculum and adheres to the strengthened Gatsby Benchmarks.

Curriculum Impact

The success of our curriculum is measured by the extent to which students know more, remember more and can apply their learning with increasing confidence and independence.

We evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum through a comprehensive quality assurance programme that includes curriculum reviews, lesson visits, work scrutiny, assessment information and feedback from students, staff and parents. This evidence enables leaders and subject teams to continually refine and strengthen the curriculum.

External agencies work with the school to monitor the impact of our curriculum. These include White Rose Education, Lancashire County Council, Teach First, GL and partner schools.