“We are our choices’’ - Jean-Paul Sartre
The ASPIRE curriculum at King's Bolton is at the core of our student’s education. The ASPIRE curriculum pervades all aspects of education at King's and ultimately seeks to promote success in our students' formal education and In their lives outside of, and following school. The ASPIRE curriculum seeks to educate students on various subjects concerning; their health and well-being, their relationships and their purpose in the wider world. This is done to facilitate the opportunity for each individual to fully realise their potential and achieve success.
The ASPIRE curriculum and PSHE provision at King's Bolton link heavily to the school's ASPIRE values - Aspiration, Self-awareness, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect and Endeavour. It reflects the DfE policy statement concerning PSHE education and is created according to the PSHE association’s suggested programme of study.
The role of the ASPIRE curriculum is to provide learning experiences to ensure the personal, social and health education of students.
Students will develop values, attitudes, knowledge, skills, and understanding to meet the Government’s aim for every child - regardless of background or circumstance - to recognise the following:
• Health and Wellbeing; be healthy and stay safe
• Relationships; be confident, respectful and caring
• Living in the Wider World; make a positive contribution, be resilient and understand the legal and economic responsibilities they will have
Although the ASPIRE curriculum does not entail a GCSE or equivalent qualification its purpose is to ensure that learners are progressing both academically and socially. The ASPIRE curriculum will maintain the school's high academic standards and will require students to utilise their academic skills both in assessment and within lessons. This will include but is not restricted to; engaging in longer-form writing, knowledge retrieval and engaging in independent research projects.
Intellectual habits are a fundamental component of a successful learner. The ASPIRE curriculum promotes self-awareness and encourages students to consider themselves as learners whilst providing the tools to become successful learners.
Students will develop a greater awareness of themselves, their beliefs and the beliefs of others in the wider community. The curriculum will therefore promote critical and fair thinking habits which will assist learners in their understanding of themselves and the wider world.
The structure of the ASPIRE lessons will promote intellectual habits by ensuring that students engage with lesson content through the same structure and by sharing the same attitude they would have toward any other subject in their school day.
The ASPIRE curriculum necessarily incorporates a diversity of study due to the subject matters contained within the DfE PSHE guidance and the PSHE association’s suggested scheme of learning. Some of the subject topics students will encounter will include; Personal identity, puberty, rights, drugs and relationships. Each of these subject matters will be taught concerning a variety of perspectives from many cultural and moral backgrounds.
Students will discuss several topics of a sensitive nature and therefore regular contact will be made with parents. Key to a successful ASPIRE lesson is ensuring that all subject matters are delivered in a culturally sensitive manner and this shall be achieved through open channels of communication with the greater community outside of the school.
Inclusive
The ASPIRE curriculum seeks to support the progress of all students and has specific provisions to cater for a variety of SEN needs. Inclusion permeates the curriculum and lessons are informed by referring to our inclusion register and by seeking counsel from the SEN specialists within the school. All students must have the opportunity to make progress and work towards the same outcomes.