Overview of the Curriculum 2022-23

If you require any further information please contact Dr Alan Stokes, Assistant Principal (Curriculum) by emailing alan.stokes@whgs-academy.org.

Year 7

Students are grouped into seven teaching groups based which reflect their achievements in KS2 tests.  These teaching groups stay the same for all subjects.  There is an opportunity to move teaching groups based on performance in tests which are scheduled for the week commencing 16 January 2023.  Further details and revision resources will be shared via Teams.

Year 8 

Students are grouped into seven teaching groups.  These groups reflect student performance in end of year examinations taken in Year 7.  Students remain in their teaching group for all of their subjects.  There is an opportunity to move teaching group based on performance in  tests which are scheduled for the week commencing 16 January 2023.  Further details and revision resources will be shared via Teams.

Year 9

Students are grouped into seven teaching groups.  The groups reflect performance in end of year exams taken in Year 8.  The teaching groups remain the same for all subjects apart from mathematics.  Maths groups place students with those of similar ability.  There is the opportunity to move between teaching groups based on performance in tests taken in the week commencing 16 January.  Further details and revision lists will be posted on Teams in due course.

Students identified as having a reading age below their chronological reading age will be offered English support and catch up sessions instead of a Modern Foreign language. These will take place during the school day.

Reading Support

Encouraging a love of reading is a culture that we really foster, both throughout the English department and the school as a whole. Students are encouraged to read widely forenjoyment and understanding. Every student has access to the latest library system and once a fortnight, they have a timetabled library lesson.

Research Findings: Reading Means Achieving

Recent research into the reading skills of 15 year olds across the world found that children who are more interested in reading do better at school than those who don’t read for pleasure.

The study also found that parents who talk to their children about books, TV programmes and films help to keep their children interested in reading.

Having books, newspapers and magazines around at home also made a difference to how interested children were in reading.

Top tips to help support reading: 

You can help support your child’s reading by making them the ‘expert’ and getting them to tell about all the things they already know and can do.

• Help your child to find books they will enjoy by joining the public library, if you are not already members. It is free to join and many libraries have CDs and DVDs that can be borrowed very cheaply, as well as many different types of books that can be borrowed for free.
• Read together. Try picking reading material about interests or hobbies you share, like your football team or a place you have visited together. 10 minutes a few times a week will make a difference.
• Talk to your child about the types of reading they think they will be asked to do in secondary school; get them to explain to you what they already know about types of non-fiction (factual writing), and try to match them to the subjects your child does at school.
• Chat about which books or magazines your child might read, to learn more about the subjects they are studying.
• Buy a book, book token or magazine as a present/reward.
• Go online to have a look at sites that might be useful for different subjects. All libraries have free internet access which can be booked. For information about safe websites for children, visit the Parents Information Network at www.pin.org.uk or Parents Online at www.parentsonline.gov.uk.