Personal Development Curriculum Statement
Personal Development aims to motivate and enable young people to become thoughtful, active citizens. Students gain a deeper knowledge of democracy, government, religion, PSHE and law and their surrounding world.
The Personal Development curriculum is designed to promote the schools values, it starts in year 7 with clear lessons about racism and diversity. Our curriculum then follows a broad model which has PSHE and RE issues integrated throughout.
The Personal Development curriculum has a significant impact on students in the school; our school is a much more inclusive and has had a huge reduction in racist and homophobic incidents since our Personal Development curriculum was changed several years ago.
Our Personal Development provision at ks3 also gives students a place to develop their critical skills about their world which will help them when they start our Sociology and Law courses at kS5.
Psychology Curriculum Statement
It is our intention that students will acquire a deeper understanding of the core areas of Psychology – cognitive, social, biological, developmental, individual differences. Students will use this knowledge to be able to critically evaluate human behaviour.
The curriculum is taught via discrete modules; in Year 12 students study social influence, memory, attachment and develop an understanding of psychopathology. In Year 13 they develop the skills and knowledge of forensic and biopsychology.
Students will leave HSGC with a deep understanding of Human behaviour and how it is influenced. Many of the skills gained in Psychology help students identify the basic principles and explanations for common psychological illness and disorders.
Law Curriculum Statement
It our intention that through the study of law students will gain a deeper understanding of the procedural, substantive, public and private laws that exist within the UK legal system. We expect students to use this knowledge to know their rights and responsibilities as citizens. By learning about legal rules and how and why they apply to real life, students also develop their analytical ability, decision making, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. All these skills are highly sought after by higher education and employers
We deliver law through a spiral curriculum whereby the basic knowledge is built upon as they progress through the course. Year 12 gives students the chance to learn the foundations of both tort and criminal law, in year 13 they explore these modules further by learning about human rights law. Their knowledge is assessed through case studies and scenarios which link to real-life examples.
Students will leave knowing more about the English legal system and be able to apply legal theories to current cases and legislation. They have the potential to become both legally and politically literate as well as developing their critical thinking skills.
Sociology Curriculum Statement
It is our intention that students have a wider awareness of their surrounding world and the institutions within it. Students develop a deep understanding of the family, education, causes of crime and the role of religion in modern day life.
The curriculum is taught via discrete modules; in Year 12 students study family, education alongside developing the skills of a sociological researcher. In Year 13 they study crime and deviance, beliefs alongside learning about classical sociological theory.
Students will leave knowing more about their surrounding world and be able to apply sociological theories to current events and societal trends. They have the potential to pursue a range of careers that would involve working with and understanding people, as well as developing their critical thinking skills.
Health & Social Care Curriculum Statement
Studying Health & Social Care allows students to experience a range of subjects including Health Care settings, care services, disability, care values, health and wellbeing, the importance of nutrition for wellbeing and human development.
Within the Health and Social Care department, our intention is to fully support and prepare students who want to work with people, or care for and help others in their future career. Our courses give students the background knowledge and practical skills needed by someone considering working with people in a Health and Social care provision capacity. In the Tech award qualification this is achieved through the completion of three units of assessment, one being externally assessed, whereas at level 3 this is achieved by the completion of two internal and two external units for the Extended Certificate and five internal and three external for the Diploma.
These include the learning of care values, the understanding of development and growth throughout life stages, along with factors that affect this and also the assessment of health and wellbeing through reading of data on physiological indicators. This is further in level three study by looking in greater depth at health and social care research and specific skills and organisations within health and social care that are required for further study at university or in the workplace.
We have a successful history of giving our students the qualifications they need to become successful in jobs and further education in the Health and Social Care sector such as teaching, social work, nursing, midwifery, paramedic science and many more.