Curriculum

As a Dixons academy, our curriculum is aligned to a common set of Trust-wide principles which are underpinned by our mission to challenge educational and social disadvantage in the North. We believe all students are entitled to an ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum which will open doors and maximise life chances.

We ensure the curriculum is broad and ambitious and addresses social disadvantage by equipping students, particularly disadvantaged students and pupils with SEND, with the powerful knowledge, skills and cultural capital that they need to succeed in life.

At Trinity, we build a partnership between parents, students, and teachers that puts learning first. We help our students to value learning by activating them as owners of their own learning.

The curriculum is planned and intelligently sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards its clearly defined end points. Curriculum mapping ensures sufficient coverage across the subject over time and that it has sufficient depth and coverage of knowledge. The curriculum reflects the school’s local context by addressing typical gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. We ensure that interventions are appropriately delivered to enhance pupils’ capacity to access the full curriculum.

Reading and mathematical fluency are prioritised to allow pupils to access the full curriculum offer with a greater allocation of curriculum time in English and mathematics, as well as, with our literacy strategies and maths Academic Morning Meetings. Our curriculum is designed to facilitate Reading stretch and Reading rescue to ensure that students can climb their mountain.

Our curriculum in Years 9, 10 and 11 is broad and balanced with a strong core in the EBacc (English, mathematics, science, one language and history / geography) and a range of high value subject options such as art, 3D design, textiles, photography, music and PE.

Assessment is designed to shape future learning and is not excessive or onerous. Assessments check pupils’ understanding in order to inform teaching, and to help pupils embed and use knowledge fluently and develop their understanding, and not simply memorise disconnected facts. We firmly believe that assessment is the bridge between teaching and learning. Therefore, every lesson at Dixons Trinity will show evidence of the following core features:

1. Intelligent sequencing
   
2. Highly tailored learning activities
   
3. Effective formative assessment

These are compulsory features of all our lessons that shape how students learn and how teachers teach.

Co-Curricular is a distinctive feature of Dixons Trinity to ensure a breadth to our curriculum throughout a student's five year journey with us, equally offering students the opportunity to explore mediums they would not otherwise study either in or outside of the Academy. Students will understand how the skills and qualities attained through taking part in a variety of different electives can aid them in becoming happy, healthy, upskilled and successful in their careers and everyday lives.

Our Curriculum is designed around the most disadvantaged learner in our community. We are careful not to assume any prior general knowledge or access to the co-curricular electives we offer. We have the same high expectations of all students and we do not narrow the curriculum for any student. In order to achieve a true understanding of Co-Curricular, electives have been intelligently sequenced based on the following rationale:

- In Y7/8 Students have the opportunity to compete in competitive games alongside six additional electives. Examples of what we offer are STEM, French, debate, music, drama and sign language. Students rotate every half-cycle to ensure they study a full and rich curriculum.

- In year 9 students will rotate around studies which may include gaming, civic responsibility, performing arts, web design and social change. Alongside the full range of electives, all students complete six weeks of Duke of Edinburgh training as they work towards their Bronze award. This co-curricular sees students engage in team-building activities, first aid and essential camping skills all focused around our Academy values and drivers.

Students can elect to pursue an examined curriculum in two of DT / Art / Textiles or Music or PE; however, they will study the content for whichever elements they are not examined in throughout Year 9 through our Co-Curricular Elective offer. We do not believe that the only purpose of studying a broad curriculum is to gain qualifications! From within the co-curricular choices, two are re-designed to ensure students cover the curricular breadth of the subjects they have elected not to be examined in. The remaining choices provide absolute additionality and are structured around students’ health, wellbeing and the continuing development of facilitating true cultural capital.

We fully believe Co-Curricular can contribute to the development of students: the social development of our students is nurtured through the challenges that each individual elective presents. All electives will require students to communicate effectively with each other and at times work in teams or small groups to overcome barriers. Electives have been designed to support students in being confident communicators, taking the lead where necessary and to be comfortable with making mistakes, losing or having to form an opinion whilst being sensitive to others.

A student’s mental health is also at the very forefront of the design behind the Co-curricular electives. Many of our electives have the ability to boost student self-esteem, discipline, reduce levels of anxiety and appreciate the importance of leading a balanced, happy and varied life.

Throughout their time at Trinity, students will be breaking down cultural barriers that exist within society. Students will work together in co-ed, mixed ability groups to understand and appreciate different backgrounds such as gender, religion and disability. Students will acquire the powerful knowledge, skills and cultural capital to get to and through university, so that they thrive in a top job and have a great life.

Please see the links to key documentation given below for further information about the curriculum.