Hounsdown School - A Science College

About our Curriculum

At Hounsdown School we are committed to provide all students with a broad, balanced, differentiated and challenging and enriching curriculum.  The curriculum meets the requirements as set out in section 2 of the Education Reform Act (1988) that all students are taught Religious Education.  This is undertaken at Hounsdown through the teaching of Ethics & Beliefs.

Our curriculum allows each student the opportunity to reach and achieve their potential and prepares them for the opportunities and challenges of adult life and their role and responsibilities as active citizens in modern Britain and our democratic society.

Curriculum Map (showing how teaching at Hounsdown is divided up over five years)

Equal Opportunities policy (under Curriculum section)

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Policy (under Safeguarding section)

KS4 Attainment

Statement of Curriculum intent

Curriculum by Year

Curriculum Setting

Students are grouped for subjects in a variety of ways using setting, mixed ability teaching or broad banding as appropriate.  Broad banding means that some classes will have different class labels but the same broad spread of ability. Examples of mixed ability sets include subjects such as Art, Drama, Music and PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education). 

When creating a group setting system we use benchmarking data (KS2 & KS3 results), CATS, Reading Ages and Spelling Ages alongside on-going teacher assessment.  Staff in school make the final decision about setting.  Setting, where it occurs, is reviewed departmentally at the end of every term and any individual changes to setting will be notified to parents and carers through a formal letter home.

Subjects are grouped together in to blocks to make the timetable work. English and Maths are never in the same block, which means students may be in different sets for English and Maths, as appropriate for the ability.

Setting starts with a broad range of abilities in each set early in Year 7 and is refined over time as teachers get a better understanding of the student’s work. Students are quite likely to change sets over their school career, such that they are best placed in each set to help them make good progress.

Independent Study

We believe that Independent Study is important as it:

  • Encourages and develops self-discipline and organisation
  • Broadens and extends the school curriculum
  • Given opportunities to consolidate and extend class learning and develops creative thinking
  • Prepares students for life-long learning

More on Independent Study...

Further Information

If you would like further information about our curriculum, please email admin@hounsdown.hants.sch.uk.