Our curriculum approach

At Mercia School, we believe all pupils, whatever their background or prior attainment, have a right to access the best that has been said and thought.

This includes a variety of writers, from all parts of the world, and thinkers from all the ages

We proudly offer a full curriculum to all pupils, underlining the ambition and high expectations we have for each and every one of them.

Crucially, pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEND) enjoy the full curriculum and are supported to access it where required. Pupils are not withdrawn from the fascinating curriculum offered, they are supported to consume and enjoy it. The curriculum can be adapted in all key stages in order to meet the needs of individual pupils.

We are very proud of the high standards we have for pupils with SEND and delight in how well the SEND cohort access the curriculum on offer.

As driven by the Equality Act 2010, Mercia School is committed to making reasonable adjustments where required to ensure full access to the curriculum for all pupils.

Strategic intent

To develop and refine a whole school curriculum which:

  • Supports pupils to develop their understanding of the world we live in. The curriculum is designed to allow pupils to accumulate huge amounts of knowledge that allows them to thrive in modern Britain.
  • Enables pupils to encounter a broad and balanced curriculum in each and every subject. Every subject seeks to cover a wide range of content in Key Stage 3, before we specialise for a 2-year Key Stage 4 and 5.
  • Provides all pupils with access to the academic EBacc suite of subjects – these subjects make up a significant part of the school’s curriculum and it is our intention that 100% of pupils are able to study EBacc GCSEs. This will ensure all doors are open for them as they move in to higher education and in to valuable careers of their choosing. We also recognise the need to make careful curriculum choices for a very small number of SEND pupils.
  • Enables pupils to make well-considered links across subjects. For example, during the study of the Norman Conquest in history, pupils consider the exploits of Guillaume le Conquerant in French. This intention helps pupils to solidify and remember key knowledge in both subject areas.
  • Provides opportunities for pupils to commit knowledge to their long term memory through carefully planned opportunities to practice.
  • Develops a love of learning within each subject. We are ambitious for our pupils and work tirelessly to develop the next great historians, geographers, writers, mathematicians, linguists, scientists, musicians and artists.
  • Is designed to be remembered, not merely encountered. Pupils have not learnt anything unless they can remember it. Our intention is to ensure all pupils can remember a lot and then apply it to the disciplines on offer.

Impact and assessment

At Mercia School, we believe that effective assessment is central to excellent teaching and learning. The most important assessment information we gather comes from formative assessment, which is woven into our daily practice.

Every day, teachers use specific, repetitive, minute-by-minute formative assessment strategies and other leading indicators to understand exactly where pupils are in their learning, where they are heading, and what steps they need to take to get there. This ongoing process enables us to adapt teaching swiftly and purposefully.

While formative assessment drives learning in real time, summative assessment also plays an important role in our approach. Summative assessments take place three times during the academic year and are designed to capture what pupils have learned over a defined period, such as a term or the full year.

Crucially, our assessment system is not just about pupil accountability, but about ensuring that we have accurate, meaningful information that supports strong decision-making and high-quality teaching.

By combining frequent formative assessment with thoughtful analysis of summative outcomes, we ensure that our pupils’ learning journeys are clearly understood and effectively supported.

The aims and objectives of assessment at Mercia School:

  • Enable pupils to demonstrate what they know, understand, and can do in their learning.
  • Help pupils understand their next steps and how to improve.
  • Allow teachers to plan learning that accurately reflects the needs of pupils.
  • Provide regular, clear information for parents and carers to support their child’s progress.
  • Give school leaders and governors the insight they need to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and the curriculum.

Curriculum implementation

We are relentless in our ambition that all pupils can learn and enjoy every single subject.

The curriculum seeks to embed a significant amount of knowledge, whilst ensuring pupils are highly proficient in a skillset that is specific to the learning of each subject discipline on offer.

Subject departments will often overlap content to help pupils remember and consolidate their learning.

Pupils receive numerous opportunities to apply knowledge to larger, subject specific concepts on a regular basis. This includes with holiday homework tasks. Homework is not set routinely.

The implementation of the school’s curriculum is aided by the following rationale.

Reading every single day

Pupils begin the day with 30 minutes of reading – a time when they encounter the very best novels and texts of our time.

Excellent behaviour

Pupils are able to work in a calm, motivating environment and pupils are explicitly taught character traits that help them develop as valuable citizens and good, honest people.

High-quality pastoral care

All pupils are supported in their learning by a mastery tutor, head of house and head of year. Every child has the capacity to learn and grow, we support all to do just that every single day.

Superb enrichment

All pupils participate in high-quality electives that help to develop pupil creativity, expression and athleticism. We run educational visits, university trips and a wide variety of careers days to help break down any barrier to pupil achievement.

An inclusive environment

Whilst we expect the very highest standards in terms of behaviour and academic performance, all pupils are supported to thrive in the school. We support our SEND pupils through exceptional teaching and tailored, timely teacher-led intervention. Extra support is always on hand for our most vulnerable pupils.

Mastery time

This is a time in the day where pupils learn about a wide range of subjects such as; religious education, British Values, PSHE, careers education, classical music, LGBT education and much more. This time – 30 minutes every day – helps us to ensure we meet our statutory obligations.

Assessment cycle

The school runs three assessment cycles per year. These are 13-week cycles that include teaching of content, assessment weeks, feedback and consolidation. If you wish to find out more about how we conduct assessment, please email enquiries@mercia.school

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about the curriculum, you can ask Dara Harvey by emailing enquiries@mercia.school