Curriculum and Performance
Taking full advantage of every learning opportunity
Our unique curriculum
Thomas Estley Community College is dedicated to providing an enriching, excellent quality comprehensive community education service for all learners and the wider community.
We ensure that learning is engaging and effective through establishing consistently high quality teaching and learning, and aim to develop our students into positive citizens through our enriched curriculum. Thomas Estley will ensure that every student fulfils their potential, enjoys their learning experience and develops a positive set of values, leadership, and character traits needed to set them up for a successful future. We prioritise Kindness, Respect, Resilience, Perseverance and Courage in addition to our student leadership focus.
Thomas Estley has an excellent reputation, locally and nationally, for its innovative and high quality curriculum, chosen by the national curriculum authority as a case study and a source of excellent practice for other schools. We at Thomas Estley are extremely proud of our innovative curriculum, delivering skills for life and work through a range of subject specialisms and cross-curricular modules. We are a SSAT leading Edge School. We work closely with feeder primary schools and local secondary schools to ensure smooth transition from primary to secondary through to sixth form for our students, with collaborative planning and provision particularly focused in Years 6-7 and throughout Key Stage Four.
Extra Curricular Activities
All students have access to extra-curricular activities including foreign and British residentials, ski and sports trips, day visits to enhance the curriculum, fieldwork, sports fixtures, clubs in most curriculum areas, performing arts clubs and performances, links abroad and other special interest clubs and activities. The latter generally take place before and after school and during school lunchtimes.
Targeted provision
Students who would benefit from extra support generally or in particular curriculum areas can access our ASDAN and lifeskills provision, long or short term projects, study and learning support within the curriculum, targeted catch-up provision, targeted visits and clubs.
Students who would benefit from extension and stretching generally or in particular curriculum areas can access more able provision within and outside of lessons, including visits, challenges, masterclasses, competitions, clubs, chances to lead and to teach, and to showcase their talent.
In order to support high attainment and progress in GCSEs, we have targeted Year 11 sessions (T6) which run from 3.05pm – 4.05pm. Students are invited to attend these progress workshops if they are in need of additional support in curriculum areas or need additional time to complete practical elements of their GCSE course. Parents and students can also request to attend these additional sessions. Parents are notified of these sessions via ParentMail and students are informed the week prior in tutor time.
Careers
We are very proud of our careers programme, which spans all 5 years that students are with us. For more detail, please visit our Careers and Post 16 page. 'Pupils have access to information about colleges, apprenticeships and employers. They are well informed about their future choices.' (Ofsted 2024)
Leadership and Character Curriculum
Our Thomas Estley Way character curriculum is embedded within our provision. ' The ‘Thomas Estley Way’ guides pupils to show kindness, respect, courage, perseverance and resilience in classrooms and around the school. This is the foundation for a culture of mutual respect.' (Ofsted 2024). Students also benefit from a three tier leadership programme, offering leadership opportunities and experiences for all students, and access to leadership projects and national accreditation. ' There is a well-considered programme that helps pupils develop their character and leadership skills. This includes a wide range of opportunities.' (Ofsted 2024).
Impact of our curriculum
Full information about our curriculum outcomes in Year Eleven can be found here:
If you would like more curriculum information, please contact admin@thomasestley.org.uk with 'Curriculum Query' in the email heading.
Curriculum subjects and foci
Years 7-9
In years 7-9, students learn a wide range of subjects to experience a broad and balanced diet of knowledge and skills:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- History
- Geography
- French and Spanish
- Computing and IT
- Art
- Resistant Materials, Textiles and Food technology
- Physical Education
- Music, Drama and Dance
- Religious Education
- Social Studies, including Personal, Social and Health Education, Citizenship, Sex and Relationship Education
- Careers and guidance
- Personal Development drop down days and module focus days to enhance PSHE, careers and SRE elements.
As well as the above, in year 9, students opt into a Specialism which takes place once a week. Specialisms develop students' skills and leadership development, in a context of their choosing.
Read more about our Specialisms curriculum HERE.
Year 10-11
GCSE learning starts in Year 9 in all core subjects, beginning with building student knowledge and understanding, and working towards developing exam response techniques and study skills that will enable students to succeed in their GCSEs. GCSE learning in other subjects begins in Year Ten as a two year programme. Students also study core PE, core Social Studies and RE, and PSHE/Personal Development, as well as accessing a regular Careers curriculum and careers and guidance support.
In addition to the core subjects, students opt into a further 4 subjects:
- a language (French or Spanish)
- a humanity (geography or history)
- two further free-choice options
With over 20 optional subjects to choose from, and supported with guidance and advice, we equip your child with every chance to succeed.
Curriculum learning journeys for each subject and knowledge organisers for each KS3 subject can be downloaded below.
Read more about our GCSE options and process HERE.
See information about subjects taken by our students last year here: Subjects entered at key stage 4 - Thomas Estley Community College - Compare school and college performance data in England - GOV.UK (compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk)
Ofsted report
Our school was rated Good in all areas in the last Ofsted inspection in October 2024. The full report can be viewed here https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50263212 (ofsted.gov.uk) or downloaded below.
Here are some key findings:
- The ‘Thomas Estley Way’ guides pupils to show kindness, respect, courage, perseverance and resilience in classrooms and around the school. This is the foundation for a culture of mutual respect. Pupils are happy. Relationships between pupils and staff are strong.
- Pupils benefit from high-quality pastoral guidance. They trust staff to keep them safe.
- The school is aspirational for all pupils. There are high expectations for pupils’ academic achievements. The majority of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are successful in most subjects.
- The school prioritises pupils’ wider personal development. There is a well-considered programme that helps pupils develop their character and leadership skills.
- Pupils are well informed about their future choices.
- The school has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum. It is organised in a way that helps pupils build on what they have learned previously. A small number of pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, benefit from personalised learning pathways.
- Weak readers are identified quickly and get the support they need to improve their reading confidence and fluency.
- In Years 10 and 11, most pupils study the full range of English Baccalaureate subjects. The curriculum is challenging and prepares pupils well for their next steps.
- Teachers are subject experts. They help pupils grasp subject-specific vocabulary. Typically, new learning is explained clearly, and this helps pupils link new knowledge to what they know already. Questions are designed carefully to check understanding and challenge pupils to think deeply. Pupils respond well. They try hard in lessons and produce work of a good quality.
- The school provides purposeful training to help staff meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff receive detailed information about each of these pupils’ needs and the strategies they can use to support them.
- Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They understand the consequences of poor behaviour. Staff apply these fairly. Pupils are proud to earn rewards for good conduct and hard work.
- The school is determined that all pupils are well prepared for living in modern Britain. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They consider the importance of respecting diversity and fundamental British values.
- Most parents are positive about the school.
- Trustees and governors are knowledgeable. They hold school leaders to account and share the school’s aspirations.
BUILDING LEADERSHIP AND CHARACTER TOGETHER
College Ethos, Vision and Values
Governors, staff, parents and students were involved in agreeing a set of core values which define the college’s ethos, within the mission of our Trust, which is Building Leadership and Character Together.
We define ourselves as a "Community of Courage and Commitment to Success". The 'values' statements below describe the college’s professional behaviours and expectations, as we work to build leadership and character together:
- Aiming to achieve our best.
- Taking full advantage of every learning opportunity.
- Showing resilience through our experiences and challenges.
- Seeking out our talents and following our dreams.
- Reaching out for opportunities to lead and encourage others.
- Making a positive difference and celebrating success.
- Including the whole community, sharing, caring and giving time as needed.
- Treating each other with kindness, fairness and respect.
- Finding space in our lives for fun, joy, praise and laughter.
British Values
Our Ethos and Values align with the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and belief.
We promote ‘British Values’ through our spiritual, moral, social and cultural education which permeates through the school’s curriculum and supports the development of the ‘whole child’.
We recognise that such development is most successful when those values and attitudes are promoted by all the staff and provide a model of behaviour for our students.
Thomas Estley KS3 curriculum
Thomas Estley KS4 only curriculum learning journeys
KS3 Curriculum knowledge organisers
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