Curriculum overview

We are incredibly proud of our all-through curriculum. It has been designed to comprehensively meet the needs of the community of pupils we serve:

• We promote reading and vocabulary and prioritise exposing our students to a wealth of vocabulary in different contexts.
• We promote the identification of our students as global citizens – aspirational, respectful, and values-driven.
• We provide our students with the cultural capital they need to be successful in the next phase of their education and beyond.

We offer the English Baccalaureate, which requires students to take GCSEs in English, Maths, Science, History or Geography and a foreign language. We aim for as many students as possible to complete this so that they have access to the best opportunities after leaving Ark Kings Academy.

We have designed progression maps for each subject that outline the core knowledge and skills our pupils develop throughout their time at Ark Kings in order to develop proficiency.

The core knowledge for a unit is presented to pupils through a knowledge organiser and taught in engaging lessons centred around pupils thinking and behaving like subject specialists.

Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to recall knowledge. This occurs across different units pupils study, as well as within a unit. They also have opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills they are learning through lesson activities, discussion questions and essay writing. 

At Ark Kings Academy, we believe that effective assessment provides information to improve teaching and learning. Every lesson, teachers assess what pupils are able to do and adapt their lessons to ensure children make progress and achieve their true potential. Every term, children are formally assessed in reading, writing and maths.

The leadership team meets with every teacher to discuss the data and the next steps for each individual child based on these assessments as well as the teacher’s own observations and judgements. We carry out moderation meetings to check our assessments with other local schools and schools within the Ark network.

Primary assessment

Alongside assessments we carry out in school, children will also sit statutory national assessments at regular intervals during their primary education:

• Children are assessed in the Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception)
• Year 1 pupils sit a Phonics Screening Check
• Year 2 pupils sit the end-of-Key-Stage 1 SATs
• Year 4 Multiplication Check
• Year 6 pupils sit the end-of-Key-Stage 2 SATs

For more information about the Primary Phase curriculum at Ark Kings Academy, please contact Mr Taylor, Head of Primary on 0121 458 5380 and for the Secondary Phase curriculum, contact Mr Richardson, Vice Principal on 0121 459 4451.