Curriculum overview

At Ark Acton, our curriculum is designed to ensure that every pupil leaves as knowledgeable, confident and kind young people, equipped to lead happy, healthy lives, pursue careers they are passionate about, and make a meaningful contribution to society.

To achieve this, our curriculum aims to:

• Build deep knowledge and understanding across a broad and balanced range of subjects, fostering intellectual curiosity and academic excellence.
• Develop character and confidence, enabling pupils to communicate effectively, think critically, and approach challenges with resilience.
• Promote kindness and respect, embedding values that support positive relationships and active citizenship.
• Prepare pupils for life beyond school, by nurturing ambition, providing guidance for future careers, and equipping them with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Our approach combines high expectations, inclusive practice, and enrichment opportunities, ensuring that every pupil can succeed and flourish.

We have considered carefully how our curriculum in every subject is designed, building on Ark network curriculum programmes and considering the principles below

1. Deliberate curriculum design. Four principles guide our curriculum design for our pupils. Our curriculum is:

•  a. Rich in Powerful Knowledge: We want our pupils to leave with the powerful knowledge that will help them understand, appreciate and critique the world – not just what they know through experience alone. Our departments have identified this key knowledge so there is clarity about what pupils should know and be able to do. At the heart of our curriculum is a deep belief in discipline, not specification – the curriculum aims to develop our students into writers, scientists, artists, active citizens – not just exam takers. The curriculum measures mastery of a subject, not one-off performance. It includes content that is valuable beyond the exam specification. 
• b. Academically ambitious for all: We have limitless belief in the potential of our pupils regardless of their different starting points. We give more time to English and Maths as they underpin our pupils’ intellectual development. All pupils study a three-year Key Stage Three (Years 7-9) that gives them the powerful knowledge and experiences they need before moving onto Key Stage Four and Five.
• c. Logically sequenced: We think deeply about what our pupils need to know at the end of each year, term and lesson, producing curriculum documents that start with an overview five-year plan. Our subject leaders have planned the intellectual journey our pupils will embark on through their secondary school experience by considering how knowledge builds over time and what excites and motivates pupils.
• d. Designed to support memory: The curriculum is designed to help pupils remember what they have learnt. Frequent formative assessment allows for responsive teaching as well as improving recall. Responsive teaching happens in every lesson, as well as in planned written hinge points twice a half term that are marked by teachers with feedback that pupils act on. Yearly cumulative summative assessment allows progress and attainment to be measured over time and allows us to reflect on and adapt our curriculum. Assessments are network aligned in order to benefit from wider standardisation and moderation and planning for re-teach.

2. We teach and practice reading:

• The single biggest barrier to our pupils making the progress they are capable of is their reading age on entry – we know that their outcomes will be limited until they can read at their chronological age. Over 100 pupils in KS3 currently receive an adapted English curriculum with the latest approaches, including phonics and Lexia, alongside their academic curriculum.
• More broadly, all teachers explicitly teach vocabulary and use whole-school techniques to teach reading, and we plan for all pupils to be exposed to a broad range of challenging texts across all subjects.
• Our library is at the heart of our school and we have a range and depth of books in our library that enable all pupils to borrow an appropriate reading book as they wish.

3. An Enriched Curriculum: Our pupils need and deserve a range of experiences to enhance and develop their subject knowledge. We have designed a broad and enriching curriculum to sit alongside and to enhance our academic curriculum:

• a. Personal development curriculum: We explicitly teach our pupils the knowledge and skills they need to support their personal development. During our form time, lessons and through regular workshops we teach our pupils about health, relationships and sex encompassing key character traits. Their curriculum is responsive to contemporary local and national events. Sixth Form pupils have a bespoke Work Readiness programme to prepare them for their next steps. All pupils have an assembly every week to celebrates success, alongside a key message linked to our personal development programme.
• b. Enrichment: We know that many of our pupils do not have access to the range of activities – sporting, arts and wider opportunities – that their more affluent peers do. All pupils will participate in at least one Enrichment that they attend regularly to build their knowledge and skills in a particular area through structured specialist coaching. We also offer enrichments that allow pupils new and fun experiences to develop their breadth of experience.
• c. Trips: We believe that a range of academic, creative, adventurous and challenging school visits are a vital part of our pupils’ education, giving them opportunities to see and experience ideas, institutions and cultures that would otherwise be denied to them. We want our educational trips to align to our curriculum needs, broadening and enriching pupils’ understanding in a way that is not possible in the classroom by building in 3 whole-school trip days across the academic year

Purpose:
Assessment at Ark Acton is designed to diagnose and close learning gaps, supporting high achievement. Relevant data is collected and shared with pupils and families to inform progress and next steps.

When is Feedback Given?

• Pupils in all year groups receive 3–4 pieces of formative feedback per term.
• Pupils in Yr 11 and 13 do two sets of mock exams which are marked and graded. 
• Data collected includes effort grades, attainment against targets, and, where relevant, mock or exam results.

How is Feedback Given?

• Formative Assessment: Heads of Department (HoDs) determine the timing of assessments and use co-planning to standardise expectations and address gaps.
• Whole Class Feedback: After each assessment, re-teach lessons are delivered, celebrating strengths and addressing common misconceptions. Pupils evaluate their own work and practise key skills.
• Live Marking: Teachers circulate during lessons, using agreed marking codes to give immediate feedback and uphold standards. We aim to ensure every pupil’s work is seen at least fortnightly (foundation subjects) or weekly (core subjects)
• Co-Planning Reviews: Regular departmental reviews of pupil work ensure consistency and inform planning.

Feedback Structure Example:

• Whole class feedback highlights “bright spots” (examples of strong work) and sets “action steps” for improvement.
• Growth tasks are set for pupils to practise and apply feedback, often involving redrafting or targeted exercises.

What Data is Entered Each Term?

• Grades are recorded as Above/On/Below/Well Below target.
• Effort is categorised as Excellent, Good, Requires Improvement, or Cause for Concern.

Reporting to Pupils and Families:

Reports include

• effort grades and attainment 
• attendance data 
• Enrichment attendance data
• Merits achieved 
• Homework completion data

Information is shared at Progress Review Days (PRDs) at the start of each term.

Our assessment and feedback system is structured, regular, and focused on actionable improvement. It prioritises formative feedback, immediate response to pupil work, and clear communication with families, all underpinned by standardised processes and high expectations.