Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Intent

Our aims for the curriculum are articulated through our whole school curriculum intent:

Burntwood school provides a broad, balanced and rich curriculum to give students a school experience which fosters intellectual curiosity and an enjoyment of learning 

Our curriculum is underpinned by the understanding that young people have inalienable rights. 

It supports the development of ambitious, articulate and resilient young people who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and qualifications to take their place in society as the women of tomorrow. 

At Burntwood School, we believe in providing all students with a broad, balanced and rich academic curriculum that both challenges and excites. Our curriculum is tailored to reflect and respond to our school community and we continually strive to develop and refine our offer to ensure all students actively engage in an exceptional educational experience

Key Stage 3 Curriculum

At Burntwood, we believe that an excellent education begins with a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum that gives every student the opportunity to discover what they enjoy, develop their talents and build strong foundations for future study. All students follow the National Curriculum, with a curriculum designed to provide both academic challenge and opportunities to explore subjects beyond the core disciplines. 

At Key Stage 3, all students study English, Mathematics, Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), History, Geography, Religious Studies, French or Spanish, Art, Design & Technology, Music, Dance, Drama, PE, Computing and PSHCE. This breadth ensures that students develop a rich body of knowledge while experiencing the creative, practical, academic and physical aspects of education. 

Students are set in core subjects in Years 8 and 9, enabling teaching to respond appropriately to students’ different starting points and learning needs. We do not operate a system of streaming, ensuring that students are not defined by a single overall ability group and can continue to flourish across the breadth of the curriculum. 

We recognise that success looks different for every student. Our Key Stage 3 curriculum provides the foundations for further study while giving students the time and space to discover new interests, develop passions and uncover talents they may not yet know they have. Where additional support is needed, the curriculum is complemented by targeted literacy and numeracy interventions, helping students build the essential skills they need to access learning and make progress. 

Our aim is for every student to leave Key Stage 3 with a strong academic foundation, greater self-knowledge and a sense of possibility about where their education can take them.

Key Stage 4 Curriculum

At Key Stage 4, we build on the broad foundations established in Years 7–9, giving students the opportunity to pursue subjects in greater depth while maintaining a strong academic core. Our curriculum is designed to provide excellent preparation for A Levels, technical qualifications, apprenticeships and other forms of higher education and employment. 

Almost all students study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) combination of English, Mathematics, Science, a modern language and either History or Geography. This provides students with a strong academic foundation and ensures that they retain a broad range of subjects as they prepare for their next steps. 

Alongside the EBacc subjects, students choose two additional option subjects, allowing them to develop particular interests, talents and strengths. The range of subjects available reflects our belief that a successful education is not one-size-fits-all: students should have the opportunity to combine academic subjects with creative, practical and vocational disciplines. 

GCSE Options 

Through this combination of academic rigour, choice and breadth, students develop the knowledge and skills needed for successful progression, while having the freedom to follow subjects that inspire and motivate them. 

Our Key Stage 4 curriculum is complemented by a strong programme of careers education, personal development and enrichment, helping students understand how their GCSE choices connect to future pathways and supporting them to make informed decisions about their next stage of education. 

Key Stage 5 Curriculum

Our Sixth Form is a highly successful and thriving part of Burntwood, with the large majority of our students choosing to stay on into Year 12. We also warmly welcome students from other schools, creating a mixed-gender Sixth Form with a diverse range of experiences, interests and aspirations. 

Our post-16 curriculum is primarily focused on A Level study, alongside a carefully selected range of BTEC and technical qualifications, including two bespoke T Level pathways. This breadth allows students to choose programmes that suit their strengths, interests and future ambitions, whether they are aiming for university, an apprenticeship, employment or another form of further study. 

Subject availability is dependent on student numbers and timetabling. 

Preparing for What Comes Next 

Academic study is complemented by an exceptional careers and personal development programme, helping students make informed choices about their future and develop the skills, experience and confidence needed to succeed beyond Sixth Form. Students have access to university guidance, employer engagement, work experience, enrichment, the Extended Project Qualification, leadership and apprenticeship opportunities. 

Our students progress to an excellent range of destinations, including leading universities, competitive degree apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships and employment. We are proud of the breadth of pathways our students take and the ambition they demonstrate in choosing their next steps. 

For those who join us in Year 12, Sixth Form is an opportunity to deepen their academic interests, develop greater independence and make the transition from school to the wider world with confidence and purpose.

Scholar’s Programme

At Burntwood, we believe that a love of learning should not be limited by the boundaries of the classroom or the curriculum. Our Scholars’ Programme is a key part of our provision for more able students, designed to encourage students who demonstrate a particular interest, enthusiasm or aptitude for a subject to think more deeply, explore further and develop their expertise beyond the taught curriculum. 

Importantly, becoming a Scholar is not solely about academic attainment. We recognise that passion and curiosity are powerful drivers of learning, and students can be selected because of their academic merit, their genuine enthusiasm for a subject, or a combination of both. We hope to encourage students who are excited by a subject and motivated to find out more, whatever their particular starting point. 

Students can apply to become a Subject Scholar each year, with successful applicants joining a programme of additional opportunities designed to stretch their thinking and nurture their intellectual curiosity. Scholars might take part in regular clubs and discussion groups, specialist workshops, lectures, careers talks, mentoring, competitions, trips and visits, or opportunities to work with universities, professionals and organisations beyond school. 

The programme is deliberately about more than getting ahead academically. It is about developing a genuine love of learning, encouraging students to ask more challenging questions, make connections between ideas and explore areas of a subject that they may not encounter in their curriculum lessons. It also helps students develop the independence, confidence and academic habits that provide a strong foundation for GCSE and A Level study, university and future careers. 

Our Scholars’ Programme sits alongside our wider commitment to providing ambitious and responsive teaching for every student, ensuring that those who are ready to explore their subjects in greater depth have the opportunities and challenge to do so.