The key focus of the curriculum at The Lower Academy is to ensure an ambitious, broad, balanced and well-sequenced curriculum that build knowledge and skills step-by-step. 

Our curriculum is designed to give the students opportunities to learn regardless of their starting point, in order to:

• Develop a love of learning
• Develop resilience to be able to work independently
• Develop foundational skills such as literacy, reading, numeracy and oracy
• Support spiritual, moral, social and cultural growth
• Encourage healthy lifestyles and how to be an active citizen
• Prepare students to make informed choices for their options in Year 9

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is taught in one-hour lessons. Each subject has the following number of hours per week:

To support all students to build on their previous knowledge and skills we have three pathways, Elm, Oak and Ash. Students are placed in one pathway based on their attainment data to ensure that the appropriate scaffolding, adaptations and stretch and challenge are in place to support them making progress.