Journey
Academic Enrichment Curriculum
At Southend High School for Girls we teach a curriculum that is ambitious and takes students on a learning journey beyond GCSEs. The SHSG Academic Enrichment curriculum is what we believe will expose and challenge students to foster independent study and inquiry skills. For some students, this will lead to an accredited qualification the HPQ whilst others will complete the SHSG extended essay option.
The Academic Enrichment curriculum is planned and delivered using the intellectual framework of the classical education model, the Trivium:
- Grammar (Knowledge and skills) knowledge, learning by heart, subject terminology, cultural capital
- Dialectic (Enquiry and exploration) debate, question, challenge, analyse, evaluate
- Rhetoric (Communication) essay, speeches, presentations
Pre-requisite or helpful knowledge from Key Stage 3 ready to study at GCSE
- N/A
Adjustments from the Pandemic – if applicable?
- N/A
The topics below have been chosen as they reflect the ambitions the SHSG Essay/HPQ. They have been carefully sequenced in this order to build a student’s learning journey to achieve the aims of our intent. Students who are not completing the HPQ will complete the SHSG essay.
Year 10
Term 1
Topic 1
- Introduction to the HPQ and skills needed
- What makes a good question?
- Research methodologies and ethics
- Reading skills and critical thinking
- Selecting and evaluating resources
- Breaking down a question to develop a research plan
Assessment
- 121 feedback on the planning sheet.
- Work will be completed in lessons each week and students will also complete homework tasks that reflect on their learning and also activities in recorded ppts that they will watch for homework. This will enable 1-2-1 discussions to be provided in text and also in person during lessons.
Term 2
Topic 2
- Independent research commences and students will document their progress using either the HPQ logbook OR SHSG extended essay forms (proposal, planning form)
- Recorded ppts on planning, documenting research and provided in Term 1 can be referred to by students as they need
Assessment
- Assessment and feedback provided on HPQ logbook (initial ideas completed during term 1 but formal proposal and planning sections to be completed this term) OR SHSG essay forms and in 1-2-1s
Term 3
Topic 3
- Completion of HPQ report and / or SHSG extended essay.
Assessment
- SHSG essay produced
- HPQ report produced
- HPQ presentation produced and delivered
- HPQ logbook and reflections completed and submitted
Year 11
Term 1
Topic 1
- Completion of HPQ report and / or SHSG essay
- Revision skills
Assessment
- Essays produced and work shared.
Term 2
Topic 2
- Revision study skills
Assessment
- Self-assessment of progress from EB1
Term 3
Topic 3
- Revision study skills
Assessment
- 121 feedback on progress and ready for final examination discussions
Achieving mastery in Academic Enrichment – knowing and remembering even more than what is expected in a grammar school curriculum
The HPQ /SHSG extended project journey over four terms of KS4 is an ambitious curriculum plan that develops students and their abilities to engage in academic inquiry from start to finish.
Recommended reading
- All extracts and resources are provided by teachers using teams
Useful websites, TED Talks and research for GCSE
- We have a range of support materials available in our library and online – J-Stor etc.
- ‘Exploring’ what is provided including links to additional reading related to the different texts that can aid students in meeting the assessment criteria.
- The HPQ specification from AQA might be useful for the course oversight.
Academic Enrichment-specific language to master at GCSE
- All required technical terminology can be found in the material provided.
- Key concepts to understand for essay writing: inference, argument, reasoning.
- Key concepts to understand for researching; bias, validity and reliability.