At Wren Enfield, we combine our ambition for students to achieve outstanding academic results with an emphasis on developing the skills to help them become accomplished life long learners.
A broad and balanced curriculum helps students to develop as independent thinkers and learners beyond the boundaries of traditional lessons. All of the traditional subjects you would expect to see in a school curriculum are represented at Wren. We also ensure our students all receive a good grounding in sports and in the arts. The importance of core skills and knowledge are recognised with substantial time being devoted to English, Mathematics and Science.
Learning also extends beyond the boundaries of the core curriculum, as incorporated into the timetable each week will be two hours of curriculum enrichment activities, to extend learning and to give an opportunity for students to focus on personal interests and strengths.
Wren provides courses to meet the aptitudes and aspirations of all of our students. Our aim is to provide a rigorous and challenging curriculum to all students which enables them to make excellent progress. Throughout their time at the Academy, we ensure that those who require extra help are given it, be they academically gifted or those who need additional assistance. We have a wide ranging and carefully targeted intervention programme to ensure that all students are able to make the best progress they are capable of. The Wren curriculum supports students in achieving as highly as they can and makes sure they make the right choices for college, university and career opportunities they wish to pursue.
A tracking assessment system is used by teachers to help evaluate and improve each student's progress. However, we also recognise the fundamental importance of effective marking and of giving students verbal and written feedback, which helps them to improve. Parents also receive regular feedback throughout the year and we encourage a continuing dialogue about each student's performance between Wren and home.
Our specialism in Design and the Built Environment enhances teaching and learning across the curriculum and provides all young people with a range of exciting, thought-provoking and innovative opportunities to learn.
Curriculum Developments
We are very aware of the changes which have taken place to the secondary curriculum in recent years. These changes have had an impact on both subject content and the ways in which subjects are taught and assessed, starting in Year 7. Some of the key issues we have addressed are:
- The move to a greater emphasis on the final examination at GCSE, with a related decrease in ongoing assessment exercises. This means that our students are provided with more practice in taking examinations and in memorising all of the learning they have encountered during each academic year.
- More curriculum content. We have amended subject programmes of study and adapted the way we teach to ensure that we cover the range of required curriculum content in depth. We worked with students to ensure they develop the skills necessary to assimilate larger amounts of information.
- Greater subject complexity. It is our job to make sure that teachers are properly trained to deliver the new GCSE programmes of study. Part of our work will be to ensure that all of our teachers are subject experts and able to impart their knowledge to students in an expert, clear and digestible way, from the very start of Year 7.
Making sure that students and their parents understand these changes will be an ongoing part of our daily practice. As well as talking to students in assemblies and in lessons, we will continue to hold information events for parents on curriculum development. Updates will also feature regularly in our Newsletters and here on the website. We are also keen to ensure that parents have access to the Academy to ask any questions on curriculum matters as they arise. Parents can post their questions on the website’s Contact section