• At the heart of our curriculum lies an unwavering commitment to securing the gift of choice for every pupil, especially those who are disadvantaged. We believe that education should empower all learners with the knowledge, skills, and character to shape their own futures confidently and ambitiously. Our curriculum is deliberately designed to ensure exceptional rates of progress for disadvantaged pupils, recognising that equity in opportunity is the foundation for true academic and personal success.​
  • We place our academy values—kindness, curiosity, tenacity, and innovation—at the core of our approach. These values are not only the cornerstones of our school culture, but they are also the key characteristics of successful scholars who thrive in education and beyond:​
  • Kindness ensures a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment where every child feels valued and supported to take intellectual risks and grow.​
  • Curiosity fuels a deep love of learning, encouraging pupils to ask questions, explore ideas, and engage meaningfully with a rich and challenging curriculum.​
  • Tenacity drives resilience, perseverance, and a refusal to settle for less than excellence, especially when facing barriers to learning.​
  • Innovation inspires creative thinking and problem-solving, empowering pupils to adapt, lead, and shape the world around them.​
  • Our curriculum is coherently sequenced and knowledge-rich, providing a rigorous academic foundation while responding sensitively to the individual needs and starting points of our learners. Through carefully planned support, enrichment opportunities, and high expectations, we aim to close attainment gaps and build the cultural capital necessary for all pupils—particularly the disadvantaged—to access and thrive within a world of expanding choices.​
  • Ultimately, our intent is for every pupil to leave our academy not only with outstanding outcomes but with the confidence and competence to make meaningful choices about their future. In doing so, we fulfil our vision of securing the gift of choice—for all, and especially for those who need it most.

Gorse Code

As they spend their time with us our children and young adults will establish a coastal shelf of knowledge, vocabulary, understanding, phraseology and experience that forms a basis for success in difficult examinations and the challenges of adult life beyond their time with us. Forensic Reading will expose students to challenging, complex and academic texts which will not only develop students’ vocabulary but also their ability to appreciate what makes a great writer.

Students will be routinely exposed to challenging or difficult concepts which requires them to think and apply their prior knowledge to unfamiliar contexts. Purple Zone is designed so that students struggle with difficult concepts from which they will learn more.

The use and extension of Purple Zone activities is deep-rooted in our work. Purple Zone work is formally linked to the process of assessment, linked in its own right to Iterative Assessment.

Students experience a well organised and coherent curriculum which has been planned meticulously by expert professionals so that learning develops lesson by lesson, year by year.

The curriculum maps detail for each subject the knowledge to be taught, when it will be taught and how it might best be taught. Curriculum maps also directly link to homework and Iterative Assessments.

Iterative Assessment is the process of assessing the accumulation of knowledge over time. We do not focus solely on what has been taught most recently, instead, we assess students in terms of current and prior learning.

Students will be regularly tested against the knowledge that has been delivered through the curriculum. The curriculum is driven through a detailed professional understanding of the curriculum and examination rubric.

Positive Discipline is the foundation stone upon which all success is built. Positive Discipline is an established aspect of student life at John Smeaton Academy and allows professionals, students and parents to drive a culture of high aspiration and achievement as behaviour around the academy and in lessons is exemplary.

Positive Discipline creates a culture of autonomy where students can become responsible for their own learning.

Curriculum Structure

We have 5 periods of 60 minutes every day making 25 periods in the week. There is a form period of 30 minutes at the beginning of every morning and a floating Positive Discipline lesson that takes place during a different period every week where students spend the lesson with their form teachers.

On five days for KS3 and three days for KS4 each year, the academy has days completely dedicated to cover the parts of PHSCEE/RSHE that cannot be delivered through other lessons, weekly assemblies or tutor time sessions. These are known as Be Smart days and often involve specialist outside agencies and inspirational guest speakers. These lessons cover curriculum content covering relationships, sex education, health education, bullying, citizenship, economic wellbeing and careers. For more information please see the PSHCEE Curriculum Overview at the bottom of this web page: https://www.johnsmeatonacademy.org.uk/academy-information/personal-development/

Art and Design

Business Studies

Design and Technology

Citizenship

Computing

Drama

English

French

Religious Education

Geography

Health & Social

Hospitality & Catering

History

Mandarin

Mathematics

Music

Physical Education

Science

Spanish

Year 7, 8 and 9

The Key Stage 3 curriculum model is based upon a 25-period timetable, split into two bands, A and B. Students study a wide range of subjects including the CORE subjects (English, Mathematics, and Science), humanities, languages and the arts. In Year 7, all students study either French or Spanish and from Year 8 onwards students have the option to study Mandarin as their chosen language.

Year 7
Subject Number of Hours
English 3
Forensic Reading 1
Mathematics 4
Science 3
History 2
Geography 2
Spanish or
French		 2
PE 2
RE 1
ICT 1
Drama 1
Music 1
Art 1
Technology Rotation 1
Year 8
Subject Number of Hours
English 3
Forensic Reading 1
Mathematics 4
Science 3
History 2
Geography 2
Spanish, French,
Mandarin		 2
PE 2
RE 1
ICT 1
Drama 1
Music 1
Art 1
Technology Rotation 1
Year 9
Subject Number of Hours
English 3
Forensic Reading 1
Mathematics 4
Science 4
History 2
Geography 2
MFL (Spanish or
Mandarin)		 3
PE 2
RE 1
ICT 1
Drama 1
Music 1
Art 1
Technology Rotation 1

Year 10 and 11

The Key Stage 4 curriculum model is based upon a 25-period timetable split into two bands, A and B. Students study the CORE subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, Language and CORE PE), one humanities subject (History or Geography) and two further option subjects. Both humanities subjects can be studied if the student wishes to choose them.

Core Subject
Subject Number of Hours
English 4
Mathematics 4
Science 4
Core PE 1
Spanish or French 3
Core Option
Subject Number of Hours
History 3
Geography 3
Option Subjects
Subject Number of Hours
Drama 3
RE 3
Computer Science 3
Photography 3
Art 3
Textiles 3
Food Technology 3
Geography 3
Music 3
Sport 3
Health & Social Care 3
ICT 3
Citizenship 3

As parents and carers you can see the topics and skills your child is currently working on and also what they will be going onto explore next. If you require any further clarification on how to support your child with these topics please contact Curriculum Leaders by sending an email to [email protected] or by telephoning the academy on 0113 8313900