Quality of Education

Curriculum 

North Durham Academy is committed to ensuring high quality teaching and learning, and the ongoing development of teaching and learning, to ensure that all of our students are able to achieve their full potential.

Our approach is intended to ensure the following student aims are realised:

• Teachers are supported to be strong reflective classroom practitioners
• Teachers focus on their own professional development in terms of their practice as a teacher.
• Consistency in teaching and learning across all subjects.
• Students’ prior attainment used to plan challenging lessons this includes: KS2, standardised assessments, use of assessment in lessons, and high quality teaching from Year 7 so that students can meet their target by Year 11.
• Build student resilience by allowing them to work things out for themselves.
• Consistent application of the marking and feedback expectations so that students know their strengths and how to improve.
• Well sequenced curriculum design that builds on the Key Stage 2 curriculum, meets the aims of the National Curriculum and the Key Stage 4 aims and objectives.
• Curriculum that is consistently implemented meeting the needs of all students.
• Religious education is taught within LIFE.

Curriculum Implementation

In Years 7, 8 and 9 all students currently study Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, Spanish, Technology (graphics, resistant materials and food), Art, Music, Drama, Life, ICT, Computing, Physical Education.

Our priority will always be to maximise students’ chances at achieving standard and strong passes in English and Maths to secure future life chances. Selection of subjects in Year 9 will be guided choices.

We ensure that teaching and learning is always central to the way in which we operate as an Academy. As a Trust our teaching and learning is underpinned by three core principles.

Teaching & Learning

 

Through these strategies we recognise the importance of both written and oral literacy in supporting students to fulfil their potential. By teaching metacognition explicitly throughout all lesson we create self-regulated learners who can reflect on their own learning journey.
Please follow this link to our Learning to Learn page.

Development of Staff

Our bespoke CPD programme has a clear focus on the development of both teacher practice and support staff practice to ensure these key strategies are taught effectively and inclusive to all learners.
All staff have a bespoke CPD programme dependent on role, career level and their own interest.

  

Impact
Quality assurance (QA) is vital to respond to the needs to both our staff and our students. There are several layers of QA collecting a range of evidence from lesson drop ins, work scrutiny and student voice. Senior Leadership conducts at least two learning walks per year with bespoke guidance and feedback, this then builds the specific CPD each teaching staff member receives that year. SLT also conducts half termly work scrutiny and works closely with Heads of Department and their 3 weekly QA cycles each half term. We work closely with the central Trust team and report three times per year to ensure we work collaboratively to continue to drive school improvement.