Curriculum Overview

 At City of Rochester School we offer our pupils a bespoke education package that is matched as closely as possible to the National Curriculum. In addition, there is an experiential learning element which ensures our children are immersed in their learning programmes and the subject matter – this includes links to the outside world where pupils can connect with nature.  

Each student is an individual and will learn at different rates and to different standards. While at City of Rochester School, our aim is for all KS4 students to achieve a pass grade in Maths and English GCSE (or equivalent) as a minimum. Some students will be better suited to other courses which have a more practical element to them – this could include BTECs or OCR awards.

 All 16-18 learning programmes are individually tailored to the student’s abilities and goals. The 16-18 programme provides more focused goals and activities that students will be able to use  in adulthood.

  To complement our Learning means the World “Lindow Man”, geography-based unit lower age classes will be visiting the Guildhall Museum. The children will learn that the Stone Age is separated into three distinct periods.

The workshops will be delivered by a local historian, there will be a heavy focus on prehistoric collections. The children will explore concentrate objects and the workshop lead will take their understanding forward through discussion and sharing. The children will explore the museum during a break in the middle of the workshops. 

To complement our Learning means the World communication theme. Great Leaps provides weekly workshops to inspire, develop and deliver innovative and educational experiences, to support every individual's ambition in reaching their full potential. Great leaps provide educational and mental health experiences using an outdoor setting. Weekly workshops will be: 

· Bushcraft

· Map Reading and Orienteering

· Caving

· Archery

· Rifle Shooting

To complement our Learning means the World theme on conflict. The children will take part war themed workshops. 

Catapults at the ready  

Zulu warriors  

Paws, claws, and Whiskers  

Turrets, Tracks and Tanks 

To complement our PSHE curriculum and life skills sessions the children will become qualified first aiders.  Mini First Aid Teens is for children aged 11-16. This class enables them to deliver first aid if no adults were available. Teens learn to carry out CPR and deal with choking, deal with head injuries, burns, breaks, bleeding, asthma attacks and allergic reactions. This class meets the KS3 National Curriculum Requirements in England & Wales. The class is practical, lots of fun and involves lots of activities for the children to enjoy. 

To complement our maths curriculum, providing hands on opportunities to apply maths skills, as well as opportunities to build on team work and communication skills. 

The Problem-Solving Company will provide maths workshops. The workshops follow the national curriculum, using large resources to enable maximum participation and help encourage communication and team skills. As well as developing thinking skills, maths concepts and dialogue the maths activities will help foster a can-do attitude amongst students.

   To complement our LMTW Land Ahoy pirates unit. The younger children will take part in pirate themed workshops:

 Pirates Ahoy- Pirate role play 

 What’s in the bag?  

 Full Speed Ahead 

 Ready Aim Fire 

To complement our Design and technology curriculum and LMTW conflict units. The older children will take part in the following themed workshops:

 Full Speed Ahead 

 Take cover 

 Gun Deck Challenge 

 Rocket Squad 

To complement our music and drama curriculum. The children will take part in drum/stomp style workshops. 

The children will take part in the following weekly workshops:
 

· stomp style,

· samba drumming,

· boom whackers

· bamboo tamboo and junk percussion.

  To complement our PE curriculum and gross motor skills.  

The children will take part in weekly sessions at the Cyclo park. They will enjoy cycling on the track and build on their cycling skills.
 

To complement our PE curriculum and gross motor skills. 

The children will take part in weekly sessions at the Mote Park. They will:

· SUP

· Kayaking/canoeing

· dragon boating

· Surfing or a repeat of one of the other activities whichever one they prefer. 

Lower Grange Farm will run for a 4-week block where upper primary pupils will take part in a range of different adventurous activities. Pupils will attend an offsite placement located at Lower Grange Farm, Maidstone. The aim for pupils is to engage with a variety of adventurous activities that they may not have experienced before. As well as focusing on Geography, PSHE and PE curriculum objectives, the experiential visits will help to strengthen the pupil’s confidence and resilience when faced with tasks. Lower Grange Farm is an adventurous outdoor and event centre 

Anna Outdoors will run for a 4-week block for pupils from lower primary. Pupils will have the opportunity to attend Ranscombe Farm Reserve in Cuxton. The aim is for pupils to engage with the natural world and to link as many real-life learning experiences as possible in with our new school curriculum – Learning Meets The World. Anna Outdoors inspires and engages children to enjoy outdoor learning through the creation of innovative and inspiring workshops and activities. For Term 1 Anna has created a bespoke programme of Lottery Funded visits for the City of Rochester School.

Students will have a four-week block of sessions at swimming. Swimming lessons will be held on separate days for both Primary and Secondary groups of students. Sessions will focus on building confidence in the pool, alongside the development of swimming skills. An instructor will work alongside support staff to identify current competence levels and tailor a programme to target swimming skills for each specific student. Where students are already confident and competent swimmers, they will have the opportunity to develop techniques in different swimming strokes alongside the correct breathing required to become a proficient swimmer. For students who are beginners the programme will allow for the use of flotation devices and aim to build up their confidence in the water as they progress to being able to swim unaided. Students will also have the opportunity to develop social and teamwork skills as they interact with their peers.  

Bricks 4 Kidz is an enrichment programme designed to help children and young people develop a range of STEM, social, and interpersonal skills through the use of LEGO. Sessions will take place on the school site and have four main aims. These are to: • awaken curiosity and inquiry • stimulate observation and exploration skills • enrich and enhance school curriculum • link the science concepts learned in school to the larger world  The goal of Bricks 4 Kidz is to provide a learning experience for students that encourages critical thinking, creativity, organizational skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. Through the building of different models, students will come to understand various elements of STEM.

 A 4-week programme of workshops at Maidstone Museum will cover a range of science and history topics that link explicitly to the Learning Means the World curriculum. Students will engage in the following workshops during this experiential unit:  Roman Britain – students will learn about the Roman invasion of Britain, contrasting Roman arms and armour and finding out what benefits the Romans brought to Britain. (Links to LMTW ‘You’re not invited’)  Dinosaurs and Fossils - students will have the opportunity to handle real dinosaur bones and use role play to learn about how fossils are formed. (Links to LMTW ‘Jurassic Hunter’)  Animal Encounters - based in the gallery, this workshop will give students the opportunity to become a scientist investigating the varied habitats of Kent and animal food chains. (Links to LMTW ‘Going Wild’ and ‘Under the Canopy’)  Rocks and Minerals - students will explore and identify the different formation of rocks and minerals. (Links to LMTW ‘In your element’) 

Rich from Rich Rhythms will be teaching Djembe drumming.  West African Drumming workshops can do the world of good for body and soul. It is uplifting, fun and at the same time stress relieving. Richard’s African drumming workshops have been highly recommended. We will be focusining on following instructions, listening to rhythm and engaging in a group task.

A series of weaving experiences from bags to willow to help create a snail structure that can be used for growing in the school garden.