Curriculum Overview

Brownhills Ormiston Academy Curriculum Statement 

We define the curriculum as the totality of the experience of the student whilst at the academy. This includes Personal Tutor time, timetabled lessons and the enrichment opportunities available to students. 

Across the curriculum we our aim to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to embody our values of Ready, Respect, Safe both during their time at the academy, and beyond. We aspire for our students to be: 

• Ready  – Ready to learn and thrive in all they do. 

• Respectful – Respectful in all that they say and do. 

• Safe – Safe in their actions and choices. 

The academy values of ‘Ready, Respect, Safe’ are at the heart of teaching and learning at Brownhills Ormiston Academy. They determine what we teach, how we teach it and the opportunities we provide to ensure that broad and balanced education of every student. 

We are truly a community school, a family who teach and learn together in a collaboration that enables student interests to be explored and allows students to learn more and remember more every day. The needs of our community directly link to the curriculum and enrichment design – we know that experiences that promote love of learning and reflect the diversity of our community allow the talents of every student to flourish. 

We provide a broad, challenging and knowledge-rich curriculum which develops mastery of content and skills through careful sequencing. New and increasingly more challenging content is delivered progressively and reflects both the needs of the local and wider community. The high expectations and aspirations for achievement and behaviour have a clear focus on ensuring the future pathway and preparation for success in careers and life. 

Every student can achieve their very best at our academy because the breadth and depth of study at Key Stage 3 goes beyond the National Curriculum and cultural capital is standard in enriching lessons and experiences every day. 

The explicit teaching of literacy means that standards of reading, writing and oracy are at the heart of teaching and learning. New vocabulary is explicitly taught to students so that they can articulate and communicate in a subject specific way. 

Our approach has equality, diversity and inclusion at its centre, ensuring that students at BOA can access the curriculum and overcome barriers to learning. Student voice is critical to evaluating and refining the work of our academy and we know that students who are socially active and have their voices heard make a greater contribution to the wider world. 

We offer a wide range of curriculum and enrichment opportunities which promote creativity, health, wellbeing and social action. External speakers, trips and residentials allow Brownhills students to experience the best of what has been thought and said. 

All OAT schools have a core curriculum purpose which extends across the Trust: 

• Teach – the curriculum will identify the knowledge and skills students are entitled to 

• Develop – the curriculum sets out how students will develop socially and emotionally 

• Change – the curriculum is designed so that any student can excel and so that no one is disadvantaged 

Ormiston Academies Trust has four key values at its heart: 

• Anyone can excel 

• Share what is best 

• Be inclusive 

• Enjoy the challenge 

The OAT core curriculum purpose and key values are fully aligned with the curriculum at the academy.