Curriculum Areas

Steyning Grammar School Curriculum Intent

SGS’s vision is that every student should flourish to be the best that they can be in a culture of Enjoy Respect Achieve.  Unparalleled opportunities will combine with highly effective teaching to develop confident students that positively transform, contribute and influence lives and community to change the game. 

We define flourishing as having Positive emotions, Engagement with life, Resilient relationships, Meaning and Achievements, PERMA.

We define curriculum as ‘the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process’. Student experiences should reinforce and increase understanding and knowledge of what is taught formally within the timetable of lessons. Our curriculum, therefore, is far broader than the timetable, encompassing the character education programme,co-curricular clubs, the outdoor classroom and educational visits together with all other aspects of delivery to students. 

It is through this wider definition of curriculum that we deliver the broad, balanced, rigorous experiences required to develop the knowledge, skills, deep learning, character and aspirations needed to flourish. More specifically, our curriculum aims to: 

• Provide a broad range of subject choices that support students’ learning and progression through well sequenced learning experiences. For each of those subjects we are clear on what knowledge and skills our students must be able to use/demonstrate in a variety of settings by the time they leave us. 
• Ensure we challenge students to take appropriately broad, aspirational and academic pathways (e.g. Ebacc) 
• Develop students’ literacy and language skills throughout their time with us. 
• Develop students’ reasoning skills through evidence based and critical thinking
• Develop students’ numeracy and digital literacy. 
• Build students’ character through developing the Performance Characteristics of Grit, Growth Mindset and Self-Control with Learning; the Social Characteristics of Self-Control with Others, Gratitude and Kindness; and the Well-Being Characteristics of Curiosity and Zest
• Use the foundations of learning character to give all students the attitudes, ethical and spiritual strengths they need to flourish.  To be kind, caring and celebrate diversity.
• Give students a chance to develop character, discover passions and build cultural capital through our extensive co-curricular and outdoor programmes. 
• Proactively plan for how our curriculum will flex for our disadvantaged students so that their current needs are met, without compromising their future success and social mobility. 
• Support students’ physical and emotional development and responsibility for their own health, and enable them to be active. 
• Promote a positive attitude to learning and life