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Barclay Academy

Barclay Academy

Overview

We are an inclusive academy which has great ambitions for every child in our care.  We believe that a first class education should be a right, not a privilege and all our staff work every day to make this a reality for our students.  We know that the quality of education a child receives determines the number of choices they have in the future.  Our motto “Libertas per culture”, freedom through education, drives our curriculum.  The more choices our students have, the greater their freedom in the future.

Whilst we are immensely proud of our excellent examination results, we want to offer even more. Our curriculum not only allows for examination success, but develops the whole child.  Character development is a crucial part of our curriculum and we ensure that we prioritise teaching our students about British values, leadership, healthy relationships and how to look after their physical and mental health.  All students access our comprehensive careers curriculum and they leave us with not only the qualifications they need to succeed, but also the knowledge and life long-skills that enable them to be an asset to society.  They also leave us with memories and experiences that will stay with them for the rest of our lives.  Our extensive co-curricular programme ensures they have the opportunities to develop cultural capital and to have rich experiences which will live on in their memories.

Our “Learn like a champion” approach teaches our students how they can do their very best in the classroom.  We aim to foster students who are enthusiastic, curious and have a genuine love of learning.  We have high expectations for conduct and engagement but we believe that how to achieve these expectations should be explicitly taught.

Our curriculum is academically ambitious, but because it is also clear, carefully planned and expertly delivered, every child is able to succeed.  We ensure our students access a broad and balanced curriculum whilst also acquiring deep knowledge.  All our students study Latin at Key Stage 3 and a significant number choose to continue to study Latin from Year 10 upwards.

Our excellent subject experts, both in-house and at our Trust’s Curriculum Centre, ensure that lessons are carefully sequenced, building both substantive and disciplinary knowledge.  We link different areas of the curriculum where possible, for example whilst reading The Odyssey in English, they also study Greek theatre in Drama.

Our subject experts have carefully considered what knowledge students should acquire in each year and our teachers use assessment continuously to check what students remember and understand. Assessment does not necessarily mean a written test.  Our teachers use a wide variety of methods to check for understanding and knowledge retention.  From our “Do Now” activities at the start of every lesson which assess students’ recall of prior learning, to regular questioning, often using mini whiteboards so that every child can answer simultaneously.

Our teachers effectively adapt the way in which this ambitious curriculum is delivered to ensure every student is supported and challenged.  We have a weekly instructional coaching programme that means that every teacher, no matter how experienced or senior, is always striving to become even better at delivering our curriculum.

Our three key words – Knowledge, Aspiration and Respect – are at the heart of everything we do and they encapsulate what our curriculum delivers.  We want every student to receive an excellent education in a warm, safe and caring environment. 


This page presents comprehensive information about each of the wide range of academic subjects we offer in the different Key Stages. Each subject has an overview of how and what is taught in each subject and you can also see the curriculum journey our students embark on.