English has a crucial and central place within the educational fulfilment of pupils. A high quality education in English will enable pupils to communicate with fluency and aid pupils in becoming confident individuals who can express themselves emotionally, intellectually and socially. Being able to acquire and build on pre-existing knowledge of English language and literature enables pupils to partake in the community, access information, and build social capital.

Pupils will be entitled to 4 lessons of English per week, this accounts for a total of 4 hours per week. There will also be English booster lessons every week at KS3. We will be teaching both Language and Literature, which counts as 1 GCSE each (2 in total).

At Olive High we value and recognise the importance of mathematics as a creative and highly inter connected discipline that has solved many complex and intriguing problems throughout history.

Pupils will be expected to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in problem solving. Pupils will take increasing responsibility for the progress of their work. Through the mathematical content pupils should be taught to develop fluency and build on previous knowledge from key stage 2 and extend this to encapsulate the following topics. Pupils will also develop their use of formal mathematical knowledge to interpret and solve problems.

Pupils will be entitled to 4 lessons of Mathematics per week, this accounts for a total of 4 hours per week.

The process of Science is a way of building knowledge about the universe and constructing new ideas that illuminate the world around us.

Those ideas are inherently tentative, but as they cycle through the process of science again and again and are tested and retested in different ways, we become increasingly confident in them. At Olive high the science curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils become confident in the key aspects and processes of science. The curriculum aims to make each pupil develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.

Pupils will be entitled to 4 lessons of Science per week, this accounts for a total of 4 hours per week. We will be teaching the Combined Science Award which counts as 2 GCSEs.

At Olive High we believe that the study of history helps to develop essential skills in order for pupils to become responsible well informed citizens. History is an exciting subject which encapsulates pupils into a past world and gives them the opportunity to gain information and ask questions about previous civilisations.

We aim to ensure that children:

– Know and understand the history of Britain in a chronological order, and recognise the change and continuity that has taken place;

– Understand how people helped shape Britain, and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world;

– Understand the histories of other cultures and countries across the world;

– Develop knowledge in the methods of historical enquiry. This includes the use of different types of evidence.

Pupils will be entitled to 1 lesson of History per week, this accounts for a total of 1 hour per week.

At Olive High pupils are able to study Islam and Christianity as part of the modern Religious Studies curriculum. Pupils will also study Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism along with atheism. 

We believe that Religious Studies (RS) promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and of society; and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Religion and beliefs inform our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave. Religious education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. The RS curriculum aims to develop pupil’s knowledge and understanding of the world’s major religions, their religious traditions and other world views that attempt to answer the above questions. Pupils will have the opportunity to visit local places of worship to enhance their learning experiences. Furthermore pupils will be encouraged to get involved in interfaith projects in the local area.

Pupils will be entitled to 2 lessons of Religious Studies per week, this accounts for a total of 2 hours per week.

Although the entirety of the curriculum at Olive High incorporates the ideas of SMSC, there is a specific focus on these as part of the Citizenship curriculum. As active citizens of British society pupils are taught the importance of showing mutual respect, accepting and celebrating differences and similarities, adhering to the principles of non-violence and living in accordance with human rights and democracy. Democracies need active, informed and responsible citizens; citizens who are willing and able to take responsibility for themselves and their communities and contribute to the political process. Furthermore democracies depend upon citizens who, among other things, are:

· aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens;

· informed about the social and political world;

· concerned about the welfare of others;

· articulate in their opinions and arguments;

· capable of having an influence on the world;

· active in their communities;

· Responsible in how they act as citizens.

These capacities do not develop unaided. They have to be learnt. While a certain amount of citizenship may be picked up through ordinary experience in the home or at work, it can never in itself be sufficient to equip citizens for the sort of active role required of them in today’s complex and diverse society. This is the reason why at Olive High there is a strong emphasis on Citizenship not just as a subject on its own but as the underlying ethos of our school. Through the Citizenship curriculum pupils will be able to conduct themselves within and outside of school as responsible, social, moral, just, and active citizens.

Pupils will be entitled to 1 lesson of Citizenship per week, this accounts for a total of 1 hour per week.

At Olive High, pupils will have the opportunity to study URDU as a second language. This reflects the demographics of the local area where the majority of pupils are from Asian heritage. 

Students will be taught listening, reading, speaking and writing URDU and will develop transferable skills, relevant to further study and the world of work. The range of topics within the URDU curriculum aims to inspire students who are interested in the culture of Urdu speaking countries.

Pupils will be entitled to 2 lessons of URDU per week, this accounts to a total of 2 hours per week.

Incorporating ICT in schools can inspire pupils to undertake careers in technology and enhance their understanding of how computer technology impacts people’s daily lives. The knowledge acquired at key stage 3 and 4 may increase their interest in ICT-related fields during their college education. Furthermore, ICT education provides pupils with grounding in computer-related software and activities, such as using office suite, programming languages and creating spreadsheets. Pupils can apply these skills to a range of occupations later in life.

There will be two lessons of ICT per week which amounts to two hours. Pupils will have access to the latest ICT facilities. Teachers will make use of new technologies in all lessons to enable interactive learning experiences.

Pupils will be entitled to 2 lessons of ICT per week, this accounts for a total of 2 hours per week. We will be teaching the Cambridge Nationals Level 2 award in ICT which is equivalent to 1 GCSE.

From September 2022 we will be introducing GCSE ART & DESIGN as an option. 

From September 2022 we will be introducing GCSE BUSINESS as an option. 

From September 2022 we will be introducing GCSE FOOD PREPERATION & NUTRITION as an option. 

Life Skills complements life and living skills helping pupils develop the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to manage life and future opportunities. 

Although there is no formal qualification for this subject, it develops the mind-set that every person adopts in everything they do. It is closely related to qualities such as independence, resilience, grit, motor skills etc. 

We believe this is an important skill for young people in understanding who they are and how they can realise their potential. 

Life Skills will be entitled to 1 lesson of Life Skills per week, this accounts for a total of 1 hour per week. 

Geography is the study of places on earth and their relationships with each other. Geography provides a conceptual link for pupils between home, school, the local community, and the world beyond. At Olive High we believe that a good education in geography will help expand the minds of pupils and create an interest to study the social and cultural environment. The aim of our geography curriculum is to train and develop pupils into responsible and well informed citizens. Who will learn to think critically, research, and communicate their thoughts through writing and other means of communication independently.

Pupils will be entitled to 1 lessons of Geography per week, this accounts for a total of 1 hour per week.

An education in art and textiles provides and inspires personal expression, personal understanding, creative and practical responses, promoting imaginative risk taking to provide solutions to our material, emotional, social and virtual worlds. Art education will engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to participate in, experiment with, invent and create their own works of art and some textiles. Art further enables pupils to contribute to and engage as confident citizens and future professionals to the culture, creativity, economic success, leisure, material and emotional well being of our society within both national and global contexts.

Pupils will be entitled to 1 lesson of Art per week, this accounts to a total of 1 hour per week.

At Olive High we believe that high quality health and physical education is necessary for all pupils in our very own sports hall. It helps to increase the physical competence, health related fitness, self-responsibility and enjoyment of physical activity.

We have also partnered with external organisations and offer swimming and bike riding lessons. 

Pupils will have 1 lesson of PE per week. This accounts to 1 hour of PE every week.