Learning

Thurstable School Curriculum Overview

Building a Strong Foundation

At Thurstable School, our curriculum is designed to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. We focus on:

• Powerful Knowledge: Offering ambitious and comprehensive learning experiences.

• Reading and Vocabulary: Ensuring all students develop strong literacy skills.

• Scholarship: Promoting a love for learning and intellectual curiosity.

These elements help students access a wide range of subjects and reduce educational inequality. We believe in the importance of understanding not just the facts, but also the deeper meaning and context of each subject.

Our Educational Philosophy

Inspired by the words of educational writer Ruth Ashbee, our curriculum strives to:

• Provide Meaningful Experiences: Enrich students’ lives with valuable knowledge and skills.

• Achieve the Best Outcomes: Ensure success in exams and personal growth.

• Empower and Liberate: Show students that knowledge is powerful and transformative.

At Thurstable School, students join us as children and leave as knowledgeable, responsible young adults ready to make a positive impact on the world.

Fostering a Love for Reading

We are committed to making every child a confident reader. To achieve this students experience the following with us:

• Daily Reading: Students in Years 7-10 read with their form tutor each day

• Diverse Texts: Students will read, explore and discuss fiction and non-fiction texts to promote reading for both purpose and pleasure.

• High Level Intervention: For our weakest readers, we offer a highly strategic intervention programme to diagnose and treat their areas of reading weakness

A Coherent Learning Experience

Our curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced to ensure students are always prepared for new learning. We focus on long-term understanding and development of a rich knowledge schema.

Developing the Whole Child

We aim to nurture well-rounded individuals through a broader curriculum that includes:

• Employability and Future Choices: Preparing students for their careers and future studies.

• Community Involvement: Encouraging participation in leadership opportunities in school and wider community activities.

• Cultural and Sporting Life: Promoting engagement in sports, the arts and wider interests through our elective programme.

Our goal is to develop educated, tolerant, and kind citizens ready to participate in a global society.