CA LONDON: CURRICULUM
CAL Curriculum Overview 2024 25
Curriculum Intent Centre Academy London will provide a curriculum with social equality and opportunity at its heart, fluency as its aim, and our values at the forefront.
Staff will endeavour to craft intellectually appropriate and challenging sequences of lessons that meet students with opportunities to make connections to prior knowledge, better enable long-term retention, and analyse the relevancy to the ‘real’ world.
Students will develop a deep working knowledge of various subjects by experiencing it within the classroom and through educational visits or trips that take place.
You can review the curriculum overviews for each subject on this website. While teachers may use flexibility on occasions in delivering the curriculum in the way that best suits their students, we hope that you find this overview useful. If you have specific questions regarding our curriculum please contact the subject teacher or lead.
A Note about homework
The school day is long enough. Parents do not want homework so CAL is a no homework school. There are two exceptions: 1, if a parent wants homework set then it can be agreed with teachers. 2, Pupils working at foundation or GCSE level will need to do some work at home. This becomes a matter between the teacher, the student and the parent. MJ
Curriculum Offer
CAL provides a bespoke curriculum tailored to each student’s unique background, academic history, recent test reports, and individual talents and interests. At Key Stage 3, the curriculum remains broad and balanced, ensuring students engage in a wide range of subjects that promote both academic and personal growth. As students progress to Key Stage 4, the curriculum gradually narrows to align with their strengths, needs, and future goals, with students placed in one of several specialized study pathways.
In addition to academic subjects, time within the curriculum is allocated to specialist therapy sessions. These include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and emotional wellbeing support, ensuring a holistic approach to each student’s development. This individualized support enables students to overcome barriers to learning and thrive both in school and beyond.
In addition to timetabled lessons, we also teach and inspire students through assemblies, mentor activities, awareness days, and PSHE. Teachers differentiate work to stretch the ablest and break learning down for those who may be finding it harder to access certain topics or subjects.
Key Stage 3:
Most students study English, Maths and Science (which covers Chemistry, Biology and Physics), Humanities (Geography, History, Citizenship), Religious Studies, Art, Physical Education, ICT, Drama, ELSA, Occupational therapy, Speech and Language therapy, PSHE and RSE.
Key Stage 4:
At Key Stage 4, our curriculum is designed to meet the diverse needs of our students by offering three distinct study pathways: a full GCSE route, a Functional Skills route, and a hybrid route. As an SEN school, we recognize that many of our students have faced significant disruptions to their education and may require tailored support to succeed. The fully GCSE route is available for students who are ready to pursue formal qualifications, while the Functional Skills route focuses on building essential literacy, numeracy, and life skills. For those needing a blend of both, the hybrid route allows students to engage with a combination of GCSE , BTEC and Functional Skills courses, providing a balanced and flexible approach to learning. Our bespoke curriculum ensures that each student is placed on a pathway that aligns with their individual needs, abilities, and future aspirations, ensuring they receive the most appropriate and supportive education possible. At CAL, we encourage our students to achieve as many qualifications as possible so that they may gain admission to the higher education institution of their choice.
GCSE Route: Students in this pathway are encouraged and expected to achieve five GCSEs 9-4, including English, Science, and Maths.
Core examination subjects include – English (Literature and Language), Maths, and Science (Double Award).
Non-examination subjects include- PSHE/RSE, and Physical Education.
Optional subjects include– History, Drama, Citizenship, Film studies, ICT, BTEC Sport, Creative Media, and Art.
Other timetabled lessons– Careers development sessions, Speech and Language Therapist sessions, and Occupational Therapist sessions.
Functional Skills Route:
The Functional Skills route is designed for students who require additional academic support and focuses on developing essential skills in numeracy, literacy, communication, and life skills. This pathway ensures that students build a strong foundation in these core areas, enabling them to navigate real-world situations with confidence. Alongside key subjects of English and Mathematics, students also have the opportunity to study a range of option subjects tailored to their interests and strengths, ensuring they continue to experience a broad and engaging curriculum. By prioritizing functional skills, this route equips students with the practical knowledge and abilities they need for everyday life, further education, and future employment opportunities.
Core examination subjects include–English and Maths.
Non-examination subjects include- PSHE/RSE, and Physical Education.
Optional subjects include– ICT, Art, Creative Media, BTEC Sport, and Science
Other timetabled lessons– Careers development sessions, Speech and Language Therapist sessions, Occupational Therapist sessions, and ELSA sessions.
Hybrid Route:
Some students will follow a blended curriculum, which combines both GCSE courses and Functional Skills courses to provide a balanced and flexible approach to their education. This pathway allows students to take GCSE subjects in areas where they demonstrate strength and interest, while also focusing on Functional Skills in other areas to further support their academic development. The goal of the blended curriculum is to help students achieve the maximum number of qualifications suited to their abilities, ensuring they are well-prepared for future educational opportunities or employment. This tailored approach enables each student to reach their full potential, combining academic challenge with practical skill development.
Key Stage 5 (16+)
At Key Stage 5, students are given the opportunity to retake any core subjects they did not pass at KS4, ensuring they have the essential qualifications needed for future success. In addition to this, students can further develop their abilities through either an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which allows them to engage in independent research, or by pursuing subjects through A/AS level, BTEC, or other routes. This flexible approach is designed to maximize the number of qualifications students can achieve, equipping them for a variety of post-school pathways, including higher education, careers, or apprenticeships. Our goal is to provide students with the best possible foundation for their future, offering them the support and opportunities they need to succeed.
Literacy and Numeracy:
At CAL, literacy and numeracy are recognised as life skills required to participate in everyday life and enable them to be successful, independent adults.
Literacy is a proficiency that is developed not just in English, but across the whole curriculum. It involves students having the confidence to read, write, listen and speak competently and clearly. Within the first term of starting at the school students are given the New Group Reading Test (NGRT) in order to ascertain students’ reading ages based on their reading and comprehension skills. Teachers use the information from the test to inform their planning. Students who are identified as reading significantly below their reading age are targeted with further interventions from the SENDCO.
As part of the school’s literacy programme, reading for pleasure is encouraged. This takes the form of DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read) on Friday afternoons in which students contribute to guided reading sessions with their mentors. The school’s drive for improving literacy also recognises the importance of students using correct grammatical terms and that these terms are integrated in learning across all subjects. Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) is a key focus in the school’s marking policy and all teachers are expected to help students with their SPaG through their feedback.
Similarly, numeracy is developed not just in mathematics, but also across the whole curriculum. Teachers across all subjects are encouraged to seek opportunities to integrate numeracy related activities, so that basic mathematical skills are embedded through constant repetition. Our school has a Mathematics Prefect who encourages participation in a termly whole school competition that involves mathematics puzzles, complex questions and problems to solve.
In order to promote a cohesive learning experience, staff are encouraged to embed numeracy strategies across all subject areas, utilising a consistent and common mathematical vocabulary. This ensures that students can readily identify and understand the cross-curricular links that exist between subjects. For example, students will be guided to compare and contrast concepts using mathematical language and visuals such as Venn diagrams, enabling them to categorize and analyze information across disciplines. In the arts, students will work with concepts of scale and proportion, applying mathematical thinking to creative tasks. Similarly, in PE and other subjects, arithmetic skills will be incorporated, allowing students to measure, calculate, and interpret data as part of their learning. By consistently applying these numeracy strategies, staff foster an integrated approach to learning that enhances students’ overall numeracy skills.
Christopher Likoray. Head of Curriculum.
