Curiculum Policy
This policy sets out the main features of the School’s curriculum for the academic year 2019-2020 and is supported by the School’s various plans and schemes of work. The policy is available to parents, prospective parents and others through the School website and is available in hard copy upon request to the School Office.
In addition, the policy may be inspected at any point in the School day in the School Office.
Almond College aims to provide excellence in education and to support all of its students in the passage from childhood towards adulthood. At the same time, it seeks to develop in every student self- discipline, responsibility, spiritual and moral values, leading to the highest possible standards of behavior, consideration for others, pride in oneself and in one’s achievements.
The academic curriculum provided by the college plays a key role in helping us to meet these aims, and we seek to offer a broad, flexible and forward-looking curriculum that encourages among students intellectual curiosity, sound learning and a spirit of inquiry in the pursuit of academic excellence.
The overall aim of the curriculum is to:
- give students experience in linguistic; mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical, and aesthetic and creative education;
- i. ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn and make progress;
- ii. provide subject matter appropriate for the ages and aptitudes of pupils, including those students with a statement;
- iii. enable students to acquire skills in speaking and listening, literacy and numeracy;
- iv. provide any students who may attend the school who have a statement of educational need or learning difficulty which meets their requirements;
- v. offer a program of personal, social and health education which reflects the school’s aims and ethos and which includes adequate preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of adult life;
- vi. provide appropriate guidance and information for students on subject choices, higher education and careers information and guidance;
- vii. for students above compulsory school age, provide a program of activities that offer a wide range and which is appropriate to student’s needs
- viii. in the course of the achievement of these aims, we ensure that each student is able to attain and enjoy the provisions of being healthy, staying safe, enjoy and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being.
21ST CENTURY LEARNING
All students at Almond College will be provided with a Laptop device using this as part of their everyday work and learning guide. Also, we implement the four Critical Career skills that will help our students build a critical foundation right from their Primary to University level. The four critical career skills are: Collaboration, Creativity, Critical thinking and Communication, and Citizenship
Collaboration: This skill is very important as it teaches the students to be team players. We at Almond College teach and encourage our students on how to contribute to a group as a member of the group while maintaining their own identity, intentions, and integrity.
Creativity: At almond, we teach our students not just how to create ideas but how to see them through the development stage.
Critical thinking: We at Almond make sure that our students practice how to apply various methods of reasoning (logical-mathematical, visual, interpersonal, etc.) to solve problems for a future which we cannot predict and for challenges for which there may be no previous precedents. We also teach our students how to be focused and good listeners. They learn how to identify causal factors, make connections, arguments, and draw conclusions that will produce a solution.
Communication: this is an important skill for every modern student to master. At Almond College, we enhance students speaking and writing abilities, no matter their age. We build better speakers and writers of tomorrow by challenging our students to think critically, listen actively and work together.
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY
The total curriculum approach adopted by Almond College means that the students’ curriculum includes academic and broader elements. We at Almond College want our student’s experiences outside the classroom to be varied, rewarding and about discovering and developing new and lifelong interests and talents.
Our diverse curriculum encourages life-skills and offers an enormous range of Sport, Music, Art, Drama, and Outward bound activity as well as activities, clubs, and societies to choose from including the Young Enterprise, chess, debating, public speaking and so many more listed below
With this pool of activities, it provides unforgettable experiences and allows the students to work together as a team and to develop leadership skills. Our college trips take students within Nigeria. Recently students have traveled to, Abeokuta- Olumo Rock, Badagry and its likes. For this summer holiday, we are looking at taking the students to South Africa or Kenya
Our program educates our students for the wider world and also complements and strengthens academic studies and we continuously encourage and help each student to identify new interests.
Provision for Students with Special Educational Needs/ Disabilities.
The college is committed to allowing equality of access and opportunity to all students, regardless of their background, ability and any particular individual difficulties or disabilities which they may experience. The Learning Support department and in collaboration with Yela Educational Services; an organization that looks out for children with special needs and other Special needs agents, plays a key role in this work, seeking to identify, through screening and ongoing monitoring, the particular needs of individual students and putting in place strategies and, where necessary additional assistance, designed to help them fulfill their potential.
Students who have these difficulties may have their curriculum modified to take account of their particular needs, as appropriate. Such decisions are made by the Academic Deputy Head in consultation with the student and his/her parents/ guardian on the advice of the Head of Learning Support. Where a student has a disability, the requirements of the statements are closely followed in order to ensure that the School provides an effective and accessible educational experience. For students with a learning difficulty and/ or disability, an individual student profile is drawn and published to all teaching staff, to assist with provision inside and outside the classroom. The progress of all students on the School’s Learning Support Register is regularly reviewed and support is amended as appropriate.
Physical, Social and Health Education
The college runs a Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) program which is designed to complement the academic curriculum and to help ensure that all students achieve their aimed goals.
The PSHE program includes careers and personal development, citizenship, healthy living, religious education, sex and relationships and study skills. Students rotate through all of the units over the course of the year.
The modular program runs through the key stage 3- 4 that is year 7-11.
Careers Guidance
Through the tutor system, presentations and information evenings, pupils are helped to make the best possible choices of International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A-Level courses. They are similarly helped to make the best and most appropriate higher education choices by visits to universities and colleges as well as by presentations, workshops and information evenings. Careers Education is also included within the School’s Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) program.
The college has an active Careers Department which provides information and advice on possible future career paths. It is based in the Chinua Achebe Library, where a wide range of careers- related information and guidance is available.
Organization of the Curriculum
The academic curriculum at Almond College is divided into three stages: Key stage 3, key stage 4 and Sixth Form. Details of these are set out on the following pages.
Key Stage 3: Junior Secondary School Curriculum
Students entering the School for key stage 3 come from a variety of educational backgrounds, although the majority comes from preparatory schools. The key stage 3 curriculum has three principal aims, stated as follows:
· to consolidate what has been learned in the previous two years, to ensure that all students are at or above a common minimum standard across all of their subjects;
· secondly, to enable students to experience as wide a range of subjects as possible during this stage so that they are able to make informed choices for their International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) option subjects;
· the third is to maintain pace and progression as students prepare for the start of the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) courses.
The structure of the Key Stage 3 curriculum is as follows:
| Core subjects through to IGCSE | English, Maths, Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics, taught together) and French, Civics Education and Home Economics |
| Other subjects taken by all students | Arts, Religious Education, Music, PSHE- Physical, Social and Health Education, History |
| Extra curricula activities | Physical Education; Football, Basketball etc, Games; Chess, Ludo, Ayo, etc School Club; Maths club, Drama club etc |
The period allocation for each subject is set out in the Key stage 3 curriculum guide.
PSHE program is modular and includes careers and personal development, citizenship, developing relationships and respecting differences, healthy living and study skills.
In addition to the academic curriculum, all key stage 3 students participate in the School’s Games and Activities program. The minimum expectation for each Key stage 3 students is set out in the Activities Handbook, which is published annually.
The Structure of Key Stage 4: Senior Secondary Curriculum
The curriculum at key stage 4 ensures that all pupils follow a common core whilst allowing them to make choices about a number of non- core subjects they study, to reflect their individual interests and aptitudes. When choosing their International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) options, students are encouraged to select a combination of subjects that maintain a sensible breadth of study that is appropriate for them. This advice is balanced with each student’s relative strength in his/her subjects. It will be easier for a student who is strong across a wide range of subjects to achieve breadth and balance in their subject choices than a pupil whose abilities are focused on fewer subjects.
Ultimately, it is more important for each pupil to take option subjects which they enjoy and in which they are likely to do well, than for them simply to choose a broad spread of subjects.
The structure of Key Stage 4 curriculum is as follows:
| Core examined subjects | English, Maths, Science (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, taught together ) and French |
| Other no-examined core courses | PSHE-Physical, Social and Health Education and Religious Education |
| Option subjects, from which students select three IGCSE courses | Art and Design, Music, Religious studies |
| Games | All pupils have a session of games each week, in addition to PE. |
Each student’s choice of International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSCE) option subjects is agreed in the light of suitability indicators provided by each department, in discussion with their tutor and with their parents.