The main focus of the Foundation Years at Falmer High School is to secure the academic and personal progress of each individual student in preparation for the Examination Years. The successful transition from primary to secondary school is fundamental to making a good start to the next phase of a child’s education.
At Falmer High School great care and attention is paid to continuity in both curriculum advancement and personal welfare of each child.
On entering Year 7 students receive the benefit of an innovative curriculum which seeks to reduce the stressful elements of transition. In Year 8 the opportunity arises to develop skills for independent learning and research through cross-curricular homework projects in readiness for coursework commitments in later years.
In Years 7 and 8 there is a big emphasis on using a variety of teaching and learning styles to engage students’ interest and develop fully their literacy and numeracy skills. This includes a wide variety of extra curricular activities provided through the extended community school programme to boost students’ confidence and broaden their experiences as well as helping them to develop a better knowledge and understanding of how they learn best.
The Examination Years will focus specifically on preparing students for SATs, GCSE and other qualifications. We aim to develop excellent study skills so that all students are able to complete coursework to the highest standard and learn how to revise and prepare effectively for their examination.
It is also hoped that we will be able to develop good independent learners with the skills necessary to succeed after leaving the school. The ability to research, plan, complete high quality work and review and evaluate what they have done is crucial for success in adult life. An essential vehicle for achieving independent learners is the enterprise learning, which is Falmer’s chosen specialism and an integral part of the curriculum.
Underpinning this will be high quality careers support to provide clear advice and guidance on the pathways into further educations, training and employment. It is our ultimate aim that every student will transfer successfully into education, employment or training after leaving the school and make the most of their qualifications and other attributes.
We have included Year 9 in the Examination Years in order to build greater flexibility into the curriculum and make it more relevant to our students by developing clear pathways, links and opportunities into KS4 and beyond.
This increased flexibility will be crucial for developing personalised learning programmes for each student. Such flexibility will allow some students to take accelerated learning programmes with the option to start AS Level courses whilst in Year 11. Others may want to start GCSE courses in Year 9 either to provide more time to complete the course or |