Stretch & Challenge

At Louth Academy we actively support and encourage learning through continuous high expectations of all our students. This expectation is an integral part of our Academy's inclusion of educational opportunity for all and reinforces our commitment to providing an environment in which every student is enabled to think deeply and engage with challenging concepts.

The Academy and staff provide a stimulating and enriching curriculum to enable our students to develop. Curriculum and Pastoral Leaders, supported by the Stretch and Challenge Coordinator, provide enrichment opportunities to challenge and stretch their cohort further. Students are encouraged to be active participants in lessons, take responsibility for their learning and grasp the initiative where possible. The emphasis is on increasing the depth before breadth of the curriculum, rather than providing an accelerated curriculum.

A number of extra-curricular activities run, which allow for enrichment and extension. Involvement in sports teams, music and opportunities for performance are organised. House competitions, reading clubs, field trips and various external visits are arranged and well attended. Enrichment activities provide opportunities for students to work with those of different ages but with similar interests. Staff are encouraged to set up clubs and extra activities according to their own interests - for example, Chess Club and the Trading Card Strategy Club.

The 'Stretch and Challenge' pages are intended to help your son or daughter develop independence and take some responsibility for their own learning at Louth Academy. In lessons there will be occasions when your son or daughter may like to increase the difficulty of the work, try an additional task or link their learning across subjects. It may be that their learning at home or in extra-curricular studies could enable them to take their classroom learning to the next level.

Linked to each Curriculum Area icon, there are a range of activities that students and families can engage with at home and in the wider community to extend learning.

Art & Design Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Drawing challenges. A list will be issued to all KS3 students that they can work through. Students are challenged to complete 2-3 per term - for example: draw a flower, animal, something mechanical, your bedroom, your bike, etc. These tasks become progressively more challenging as students move towards the end of keystage.
  • Complete a set of challenges that reflect the assessment objectives: 4 cultural tasks, 4 creativity tasks, 4 competency tasks and 4 critical tasks. This can include Christmas card design, etc.
  • There are excellent resources available in books and on the internet such as videos and step by step drawing guides. Students can work through 'how to', and step by step drawing activities to learn new skills and techniques.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Encyclopaedia of Drawing Techniques - Hazel Harrison.
  • The Complete Book of Drawing - Barrington Barber.
  • The Drawing Project: An Exploration of the Language of Drawing - Mick Maslen and Jack Southern.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • There are often extension activities as part of your son's or daughter's set homework projects, or ambitious ways of approaching the projects. Ask your son or daughter to share how they intend to challenge themselves!
  • If your child is attending an extra-curricular club, they will be given fun challenges in a lunch-time session or after-Academy club every week, ranging from drawing to sculpture to photography.
  • A number of students in Art are also keen on producing their own ideas at home too.

Activities to suggest or support could include:

  • Drawing from life, this is an extremely important (and sometimes the most frustrating!) skill to develop. Try observing objects or environments, accurately capturing the shape, textures and light involved.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to sometimes work for a sustained period and to compare quick, expressive sketches with more careful observations.
  • Transcribing work, copying a section or all of an artwork in a similar media allows your son or daughter to understand the processes the artist went through to achieve a certain style.
  • Collage or drawing in response to an event or a news story will help your son or daughter to create visual stimulus with meaning.
  • Building and sculpting shapes, this can be done with anything, and for anything, from blu-tac to craft straws; inventing new forms and structures in 3D is an important part of development.

Questions to ask about what your son or daughter is working on:

  • What made you decide to draw/make this?
  • How is this different to your other work?
  • What would happen if you used different materials for this?
  • Is there an artist who works like this? Are you working in a particular style?
     
  • Galleries: Gallery visits are extremely valuable for young artists and photographers, allowing them to engage with artwork in 'real life' and often providing a range of free activities, course and workshops for younger artists.
  • Useful Materials: A space in which to work, and sketchbooks with cartridge paper make a huge difference; drawing pencils in a range of grades - 2B-8B, pastels and paint. All supplies are available in different price ranges and quality.
  • GCSE: Students could also take responsibility for extending their skills via additional workshops and making pro-active use of example A* coursework available via teachers.
  • Activities: entering competitions - there are many competitions open to students run by Saatchi Gallery, The Tate, local and national Rotary clubs to name but a few, and your son or daughter should be considering entering some. Their teacher will be able to support and guide entries.

Art & Design Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Deeper reading and reports about artists that have been researched in lessons, providing personal opinion and prompting further discussion.
  • Collecting broadsheet newspaper research on contemporary artists, recording details in the form of a scrap book.
  • Creating an art work that reflects the world's current events.
  • Creating an art work that reflects a mood.
  • Running a KS3 Art Club with the help of a teacher; to plan and design a short term Scheme of Work to be delivered here.
  • As part of analytical drawing, focus on measuring and proportional drawing - either a subject suggested by staff or own subject matter.
  • Design and create a visual story using unusual features - for example: emojis, a comic strip, willow pattern.
  • Create a YouTube style video to demonstrate a skill or product; create a time-lapse video of a drawing/painting to show the process.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Encyclopaedia of Drawing Techniques - Hazel Harrison.
  • The Complete Book of Drawing - Barrington Barber.
  • The Drawing Project: An Exploration of the Language of Drawing - Mick Maslen and Jack Southern.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • There are often extension activities as part of your son's or daughter's set homework projects, or ambitious ways of approaching the projects. Ask your son or daughter to share how they intend to challenge themselves!
  • If your child is attending an extra-curricular club, they will be given fun challenges in a lunch-time session or after-Academy club every week, ranging from drawing to sculpture to photography.
  • A number of students in Art are also keen on producing their own ideas at home too.

Activities to suggest or support could include:

  • Drawing from life - this is an extremely important (and sometimes the most frustrating!) skill to develop. Try observing objects or environments, accurately capturing the shape, textures and light involved.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to sometimes work for a sustained period and to compare quick, expressive sketches with more careful observations.
  • Transcribing work - copying a section or all of an artwork in a similar media allows your son or daughter to understand the processes the artist went through to achieve a certain style.
  • Collage or drawing in response to an event or a news story will help your son or daughter to create visual stimulus with meaning.
  • Building and sculpting shapes - this can be done with anything, and for anything, from blu-tac to craft straws; inventing new forms and structures in 3D is an important part of development.

Questions to ask about what your son or daughter is working on:

  • What made you decide to draw/make this?
  • How is this different to your other work?
  • What would happen if you used different materials for this?
  • Is there an artist who works like this? Are you working in a particular style?
  • What made you decide to draw/make this?
  • How is this different to your other work?
  • What would happen if you used different materials for this?
  • Is there an artist who works like this? Are you working in a particular style?
     
  • Galleries: Gallery visits are extremely valuable for young artists and photographers, allowing them to engage with artwork in 'real life' and often providing a range of free activities, course and workshops for younger artists.
  • Useful Materials: A space in which to works sketchbooks with cartridge paper make a huge difference; drawing pencils in a range of grades - 2B-8B, pastels and paint. All supplies are available in different price ranges and quality.
  • GCSE: Students could also take responsibility for extending their skills via additional workshops and making pro-active use of example A* coursework available via teachers.
  • Activities: entering competitions - there are many competitions open to students run by Saatchi Gallery, The Tate, local and national Rotary clubs to name but a few, and your son or daughter should be considering entering some. Their teacher will be able to support and guide entries.

Photography Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Composition: practise taking photographs of a range of subjects exploring different composition rules: Leading Lines, Rule of Thirds and Golden Mean.
  • Viewpoint: take portraits of friends, family from different viewpoints: looking down on them, looking up at them, eye level. How does this change the mood of the portrait? Does the person appear more or less powerful?
  • Light: explore different lighting and understand its impact on the appearance and mood of a photograph; try photographing at different times of day - sunset, midday, sunrise.
  • Complete a documentary or photojournalist project. Find a local event, person or activity and take photographs over a longer period of time to create a visual story.
  • Join Instagram - the most extensive photography portfolio in the world. Follow at least 100 photographers you like; record your personal opinions on their work and this can be a valuable contribution to your GCSE Research grade.
  • Create a photographic diary; aim to create a picture each day which records/describes your life. This could be on Instagram.
  • Movement; practice freezing movement with your camera and a short shutter speed and blurring movement with a longer shutter speed and a tripod.
  • Make a number of photographs that document a poem or song; photography is really effective at evoking visual metaphor.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • The Photography Book by lan Jeffrey; An anthology of the most important photographs ever made.
  • The Digital Photography Book: Part 1 by Scott Kelby; a comprehensive beginners guide of the technical and visual skills needed to work in Digital Photography.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • There are often extension activities as part of your son's or daughter's set homework projects, or ambitious ways of approaching the projects. Ask your son or daughter to share how they intend to challenge themselves!
  • If your child is attending an extra-curricular club, they will be given fun challenges in a lunch-time session or after-Academy club every week, ranging from drawing to sculpture to photography.
  • A number of students in Art are also keen on producing their own ideas at home too.

Activities to suggest or support could include:

  • Drawing from life - this is an extremely important (and sometimes the most frustrating!) skill to develop. Try observing objects or environments, accurately capturing the shape, textures and light involved.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to sometimes work for a sustained period and to compare quick, expressive sketches with more careful observations.
  • Transcribing work - copying a section or all of an artwork in a similar media allows your son or daughter to understand the processes the artist went through to achieve a certain style.
  • Collage or drawing in response to an event or a news story will help your son or daughter to create visual stimulus with meaning.
  • Building and sculpting shapes - this can be done with anything, and for anything, from blu-tac to craft straws; inventing new forms and structures in 3D is an important part of development.

Questions to ask about what your son or daughter is working on:

  • What made you decide to photograph this?
  • How is this different to your other work?
  • What would happen if you used different lighting?
  • Is there a well-known photographer who works like this? Are you working in a particular style?
     
  • Galleries: Gallery visits are extremely valuable for young artists and photographers, allowing them to engage with artwork in 'real life' and often providing a range of free activities, course and workshops for younger artists.
  • Activities: entering competitions - there are competitions open to GCSE-age students run by Sony Photographers Award and the Young Travel Photographer of the Year; your son or daughter should be considering entering these. Their teacher will be able to support and guide entries.

Websites to support the curriculum in KS3 & KS4

The website below provides a list of galleries and what they have on offer including exciting resources and opportunities for young artists:

You or your son or daughter could download the free Art Fund app which gives you all the latest exhibitions near to you.

Careers & Personal Development Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Take part in additional projects to extend knowledge of the topics covered in lessons there is a suggested list of Careers & Personal Development projects that could be undertaken (see Careers & Personal Development teacher).
  • Entering into competitions, e.g. 'Step into the NHS' competition for Year 8 students.
  • Taking part in a Lifestyle Project - for Years 7 and 8.
  • Reading widely to develop appreciation of social and current affairs - broadsheet newspapers and online newspapers.
  • Listen to the news - listening out for local, national and global issues to discuss in lessons.
  • Watching the news - watching out for local, national and global issues to discuss in lessons.
  • Watching specific current affairs television programmes which reinforce the Careers & Personal Development curriculum - for instance Big Questions.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Democracy

Human Rights

Animal Rights & Welfare

  • PETA UK - Animal rights advocacy
  • Animal Aid - Animal rights campaign
  • RSPCA - Animal welfare charity
  • WWF UK - Wildlife conservation foundation

Miscellaneous

How can parents help? What can be done at home?

Again - a few ideas:

  • Engage in discussion with your son or daughter about Careers & Personal Development related affairs, e.g. the election, the NHS crisis, drug awareness and other current affairs.
  • Broaden horizons - visit places of interest on a local, regional and national level, e.g. the Grimsby Town Hall and The Houses of Parliament.

Careers & Personal Development Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Take part in additional projects to extend knowledge of the topics covered in lessons there is a suggested list of Careers & Personal Development projects that could be undertaken (see Careers & Personal Development teacher).
  • Taking part in a Lifestyle Project - for Year 9.
  • Taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award - Years 9 and 10.
  • Taking part in National Citizenship Service - Year 11.
  • Attending organised trips and taking an active interest in Further Education.
  • Speaking to potential employers and being pro-active about Post-16 education.
  • Take an active interest in talking to visiting speakers or performers about the issues they are raising.
  • Reading widely to develop appreciation of social and current affairs - broadsheet newspapers and online newspapers.
  • Listen to the news - listening out for local, national and global issues to discuss in lessons.
  • Watching the news - watching out for local, national and global issues to discuss in lessons.
  • Watching specific current affairs television programmes which reinforce the Careers & Personal Development curriculum - for instance: Big Questions.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

All the websites listed above and the following:

Careers

Miscellaneous

How can parents help? What can be done at home?

Again - a few ideas:

  • Engage in discussion with your son or daughter about Careers & Personal Development related affairs, e.g. the election, the NHS crisis, drug awareness and other current affairs.
  • Broaden horizons - visit places of cultural interest on a local, regional and national level, e.g. the Grimsby Town Hall and The Houses of Parliament.

English Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Read widely - both for pleasure and around the topics being studied in lessons. For example, if Shakespeare is being studied, try reading another play that he wrote or complete some independent research into what life was like in his day.
  • Engage in discussion about topics being explored in English lessons.
  • Take a leading role in learning in lessons - choose an area to lead based on individual strengths.
  • Engage in discussion with older generations to explore and appreciate a wide variety of ideas and opinions.
  • Attend theatre performances of plays by authors of texts studied in class.
  • Develop a wider awareness of current affairs, accessing quality newspapers and current affairs programmes.
  • Be aware of and watch documentaries and television series exploring key themes and ideas explored in class.
  • Research historical factors relating to texts studied beyond those explored in class.
  • Visit local libraries and bookshops to attend workshops, book signings and book launches.
  • Attend extra-curricular clubs offered at lunch-time and after Academy hours.
  • Join a local theatre group.
  • Take the opportunity to enter the inter-house competitions put on by the Academy.
  • Enter a range of literary competitions such as Young Writers and get involved in the Grimsby Telegraph Young Reporters scheme.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Broadsheet newspaper websites listed further below with KS4.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Sit and read regularly with your son or daughter. Recommend books that you have read. Discuss key issues and ideas explored in the text being read.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to practise speaking and listening presentations to develop confidence when speaking publicly.
  • Watch documentaries relating to key themes explored in the Academy and explore the ideas discussed.
  • Attend theatre performances of texts being studied in class.
  • Visit literary places of interest to support study of texts and authors: Bronte Parsonage, Stratford upon Avon, The Globe Theatre, Warner Brothers Studios.

English Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Read widely - both for pleasure and around the topics being studied in lessons. For example, if A Christmas Carol is being studied, try reading another novel that Charles Dickens wrote or complete some independent research into what life was like in his day.
  • Explore the wide range of resources on the VLE to support study of texts at GCSE.
  • Volunteer to support with KS3 extra-curricular clubs.
  • Engage in discussion about topics being explored in English lessons.
  • Take a leading role in learning in lessons - choose an area to lead based on individual strengths.
  • Engage in discussion with older generations to explore and appreciate a wide variety of ideas and opinions.
  • Attend theatre performances of plays by authors of texts studied in class.
  • Develop a wider awareness of current affairs, accessing quality newspapers and current affairs programmes.
  • Be aware of and watch documentaries and television series exploring key themes and ideas explored in class.
  • Research historical factors relating to texts studied beyond those explored in class.
  • Visit local libraries and bookshops to attend workshops, book signings and book launches.
  • Attend extra-curricular clubs offered at lunch-time and after Academy hours.
  • Join a local theatre group.
  • Take the opportunity to enter the inter-house competitions put on by the Academy.
  • Enter a range of literary competitions such as Young Writers, Hay Festival Short Story Writing Competition and get involved in the Grimsby Telegraph Young Reporters scheme.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Broadsheet newspaper websites - for instance:

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss literature with your son or daughter. Recommend books that you have read. Discuss key issues and ideas explored in the text being read.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to practise speaking and listening presentations to develop confidence when speaking publicly.
  • Watch documentaries relating to key themes explored in the Academy and explore the ideas discussed.
  • Attend theatre performances of texts being studied in class.
  • Visit literary places of interest to support study of texts and authors: Bronte Parsonage, Stratford upon Avon, The Globe Theatre, Warner Brothers Studios.

Geography Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Get involved in Geography Club.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during Geography lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Try to make links between geographical theory and ideas and places that they have studied.
  • Read and use maps when visiting places outside of the Academy.
  • Watch the news and keeping up to date with current events and their link to Geography.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of Geography within any national newspapers.
  • Students could keep a 'Geography in the News' scrapbook – printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to Geography.
  • Equally, on holiday, they could similar scrapbook about the human and physical environment of the place.

The following texts may be of interest:

  • Read the Horrible Geographies series.
  • Familiarisation and use of atlases.
  • Using encyclopaedias/country fact file books.
  • Reading of world fact books.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • Planet Earth (BBC).
  • Coast series (BBC2).
  • Search Dr Iain Stewart in YouTube for tectonics and processes.
  • Watch the news for stories with a geographical connection
  • Various BBC documentaries by Simon Reeve, covering both physical and human geographical themes.

Watching films such as:

  • Ice Age: Continental Drift.
  • Madagascar.
  • The Day After Tomorrow.
  • Dante's Peak.
  • The Jungle Book.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to Geography.
  • Discuss geographical events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. music festivals, carnivals, sporting events.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to explain their own views on a range of geographical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
  • Support your son or daughter with additional knowledge linked to homework (i.e. what you know, your opinion, how things have changed?)
  • Visit places of geographical interest, either locally (e.g. Lincolnshire Wolds, Hubbard's Hills, Rimac Saltmarsh, Hull) or further afield (e.g. Dorset coastline, The Eden Project, Brimham Rocks, London, Leeds, etc).
  • When on holiday, take note of human and physical environments such as coastal processes, cultural behaviour and transport systems).
  • Look for evidence of Geography where you might not expect to find it, e.g. sporting rivalries, museums, adverts, music and art.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to investigate or join a conservation organisation, e.g. WWF, Woodland Trust, Surfers Against Sewage.

Geography Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Attend after Academy revision sessions.
  • Do additional research about the case studies provided in the revision guide.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during Geography lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Try to make links to between geographical theory and ideas and places that they have studied.
  • Ask teachers for access to past exam papers/sample questions and answers.
  • Read and use maps when visiting places.
  • Watch the news and keep up to date with current events and their link to Geography.
  • Enhance maths skills that link to Geography by applying ideas from maths lessons and putting them into a Geographical context.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of Geography within any national newspapers.
  • Students could keep a 'Geography in the news' scrapbook – printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to Geography.
  • Equally, on holiday, they could similar scrapbook about the human and physical environment of the place.

The following texts may be of interest:

  • Reading the Horrible Geographies series.
  • AQA textbooks and revision guides.
  • Atlases.
  • Encyclopaedias/country fact file books.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • Planet Earth (BBC).
  • Coast series (BBC2).
  • Kevin Mcleod Slumming it (Channel 4).
  • Search Dr Iain Stewart in YouTube for tectonics and processes.
  • An Inconvenient Truth (Climate Change).
  • Various BBC documentaries by Simon Reeve, covering both physical and human geographical themes.
  • Watch the news for stories with a geographical connection.
  • Countryfile.

Watching films such as:

  • The Impossible.
  • The Day After Tomorrow.
  • 2012.
  • San Andreas.
  • Slumdog Millionaire.
  • Flood.
  • Dante's Peak.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to Geography, e.g. EU referendum, geopolitical debates.
  • Discuss geographical events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. music festivals, carnivals, sporting events.
  • Encourage students to explain their own views on a range of geographical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
  • Support students with additional knowledge linked to homework (i.e. what you know, your opinion, how things have changed?)
  • Encourage students to use road maps when planning a journey rather than a satellite navigation system.
  • Visit places of Geographical interest, either locally (e.g. Lincolnshire Wolds, Hubbard's Hills, Rimac Saltmarsh, Hull) or further afield (e.g. Dorset coastline, The Eden Project, Brimham Rocks, London, Leeds, etc.).
  • When on holiday, take note of human and physical environments such as coastal processes, cultural behaviour and transport systems).
  • Look for evidence of Geography where you might not expect to find it, e.g. sporting rivalries, museums, adverts, music and art.
  • Find out about or join a conservation organisation, e.g. WWF, Woodland Trust, Surfers Against Sewage.

History Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Produce their best entry for the Inter-house History competition – it runs every year.
  • Attend History Club at lunch time.
  • Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during History lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Challenge themselves to complete more 'hot' homework or complete a wider range of homework tasks from the takeaway menu.
  • Try to use higher order concepts to make links to topics studied at primary school.
  • Find out more about the era being studied – what were the fashions like? What entertainment existed? What were houses like?
  • Create a scrapbook on local history.
  • Watch historical films and read historical novels. Try to critically evaluate how accurate they may be.
  • Speak to older generations about the past – ask them how society has changed.
  • Create your own multi-media videos about an aspect of history that really interests you.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

The following texts may be of interest:

  • Encyclopaedia Britannica could assist in exploring topics fully.
  • Read the 'Bygone' section of the Grimsby Telegraph (or look it up on the internet) to learn about the history of our local area.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne.
  • Goodnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian.
  • The Eagle of the Ninth - Rosemary Sutcliffe.
  • Conn Iggulden novels.
  • Bernard Cornwell novels.
  • Private Peaceful - Michael Morpurgo.
  • War Horse - Michael Morpurgo.
  • The Machine Gunners - Robert Westall.
  • Horrible Histories.
  • Carrie's War - Nina Bawden.
  • Wave Me Goodbye - Jacqueline Wilson.
  • Eliza Rose - Lucy Worsley.
  • D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • Use Channel 4 On Demand and BBC iPlayer to find historical documentaries.
  • The History Channel.
  • Watch programmes on Yesterday.
  • MrGreen1066 on YouTube.

Watching films such as:

  • Goodnight Mr Tom.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
  • Christmas Truce.
  • Pompeii (12).
  • The Sound of Music.
  • Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
  • The Great Escape.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, and try to find links back to historical events.
  • Research your family tree.
  • Take your child to a museum, or discuss buildings of historical significance in the local area.
  • Discuss students' homework and classwork – getting them to explain and justify the judgements they make.
  • Ask your child to teach you about an aspect of history that they are learning about.
  • Ask your child to act out an important historical event/moment for you.
  • Encourage students to use the local library in order to access a wider range of historical reading material, or to access newspaper archives.
  • Visit places of historical interest when the opportunity arises. This could be locally, nationally or internationally.
  • Examples of places to visit include: National Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln Cathedral, Hull's Museums Quarter, Clifford's Tower in York, Jorvik Museum, York Dungeon, Eden Camp, Beamish, The Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Warwick Castle - the opportunities are endless!
  • Visit National Trust properties and English Heritage sites.
  • Whilst on holiday, make an effort to find out about the history of the area that you are visiting.
  • Go to the theatre or cinema to watch a historical play or film.

History Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Attend after Academy revision sessions.
  • Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during History lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Ask teachers for access to past exam papers/sample questions and answers.
  • Create their own multi-media videos about an aspect of history that really interests you.
  • Watch historical films and read historical novels. Try to critically evaluate how accurate they may be.
  • Speak to older generations about the past – ask them how society has changed.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

The following texts may be of interest:

  • Read History Today magazine.
  • Purchase additional textbooks/revision guides to read more widely on the subjects you are learning about.
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica could assist in exploring topics fully.
  • Read newspapers and search for articles about important historical events.
  • The Man in the High Castle - Philip K Dick.
  • Hitler - Ian Kershaw.
  • The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.
  • Every Man Dies Alone - Hans Fallada.
  • Bernard Cornwell novels.
  • War Horse - Michael Morpurgo.
  • Private Peaceful - Michael Morpurgo.
  • Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.
  • Day of the Assassins - Johnny O'Brien.
  • Number the Stars - Lois Lowry.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • Use Channel 4 On Demand and BBC iPlayer to find historical documentaries.
  • The History Channel.
  • Watch programmes on Yesterday.
  • The Last Kingdom (15).
  • Blackadder.
  • 1066: A Year to Conquer England.
  • Ancient Warriors - The Normans & The Vikings.
  • Watch documentaries on the topics we are studying and other areas of history, e.g. David Starkey's Days that Shook the World series.
  • MrGreen1066 on YouTube.

Watching films such as:

  • Schindler's List.
  • Valkyrie.
  • Swing Kids.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
  • Hitler: The Rise of Evil.
  • Band of Brothers (15).
  • Hope and Glory (15).
  • The Diary of Anne Frank.
  • War Horse.
  • Suffragette.
  • All Quiet on the Western Front.
  • Race.
  • Selma.
  • The Great Escape.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, and try to find links back to historical events.
  • Research your family tree.
  • Take your son or daughter to a museum, or discuss buildings of historical significance in the local area.
  • Discuss your son's or daughter's homework and classwork – getting them to explain and justify the judgements they make.
  • Ask your son or daughter to teach you about an aspect of history that they are learning about.
  • Encourage students to use the local library in order to access a wider range of historical reading material, or to access newspaper archives.
  • Visit places of historical interest when the opportunity arises. This could be locally, nationally or internationally.
  • Examples of places to visit include: National Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln Cathedral, Hull's Museums Quarter, Clifford's Tower in York, Jorvik Museum, York Dungeon, Eden Camp, Beamish, The Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Warwick Castle - the opportunities are endless!
  • Visit National Trust properties and English Heritage sites.
  • Whilst on holiday, make an effort to find out the history of the area that you are visiting.
  • Visit a museum.
  • Go to the theatre or cinema to watch a historical play or film.
  • Listen to Radio 4 discussions and debates on historical topics.

ICT/Computer Science Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Use resources like 'lightbot' to develop basic programming.
  • Use resources from 'code.org' to develop basic programming.
  • Download 'scratch' and other game-making programs to help develop programming and understand logic.
  • Investigate apps to support learning – for example appshed which is a free subscription.
  • Investigate and use Java script.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Lift-the-Flap Computers and Coding – Rosie Dickins.
  • Coding for Beginners: Using Python – Louie Stowell.
  • A Beginner's Guide to Coding – Marc Scott.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Encourage your son or daughter to teach you or a sibling/other relative the skills they have learnt in the Academy (even if you think you know how to do the skill already).
  • Encourage your son or daughter to learn to touch-type; there are many free programs and apps available.
  • Discuss the IT controls you have in use in the home and why you consider it vital to monitor certain access to computers and mobile devices.

ICT/Computer Science Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Student could extend understanding through reading texts such as Computer Weekly.
  • Students could download free creative packages such as GIMP and Inkscape to help them develop their bitmap and vector images skills.
  • Download 'python' and other programs to help develop programming and understand logic.
  • Investigate apps to support learning – for example appshed which is a free subscription.
  • Investigate and use Java script.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Beginning Java – Ivan Horton.
  • Teach Yourself Java – Roger Cadenhead.
  • Python Programming for Absolute Beginners – Michael Dawson.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television assist with supporting the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Encourage your son or daughter to teach you or a sibling/other relative the skills they have learnt in the Academy (even if you think you know how to do the skill already).
  • Encourage your son or daughter to learn to touch-type, there are many free programs and apps available.
  • Discuss the IT controls you have in use in the home and why you consider it vital to monitor certain access to computers and mobile devices.

Mathematics Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Complete all homework set.
  • Complete probing questions which are designed to help develop a deeper understanding.
  • Homework club is available for any additional support.
  • Access mathswatch, it has a variety of videos, worksheets and interactive questions for students to complete.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss your son or daughter's homework - getting them to explain their mathematical processes.
  • When out and about, encourage the use of maths - for example, when going food shopping encourage your son or daughter to keep a running total of the cost what is in the trolley.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to teach you or a sibling/other relative the skills they have learnt in the Academy (even if you think you know how to do the skill already).
  • Discuss current lessons with your son or daughter - if they can explain what they are studying to parents/carers this will help them to develop a deeper understanding.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend homework club for any additional support.

Mathematics Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Complete all homework set.
  • Complete probing questions which are designed to help develop a deeper understanding.
  • Homework club is available for any additional support.
  • Access Corbettmaths, it has a variety of videos, worksheets and interactive questions for students to complete.
  • Complete a variety of past GCSE questions to understand how the questions are posed.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Please see the list above in the KS3 section.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss your son or daughter's homework - getting them to explain their mathematical processes.
  • When out and about, encourage the use of maths - for example, when going food shopping encourage your son or daughter to keep a running total of the cost what is in the trolley.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to teach you or a sibling/other relative the skills they have learnt in the Academy (even if you think you know how to do the skill already).
  • Discuss current lessons with your son or daughter - if they can explain what they are studying to parents/carers this will help them to develop a deeper understanding.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend homework club for any additional support.
  • When it comes to practising examination questions in timed conditions, parents can time their son or daughter and help them work through the mark schemes to ensure marks are being awarded fairly on self-assessment.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend after-Academy revision sessions.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to create a revision timetable.

Modern Languages Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • All students have an individual Kerboodle Login and can practise skills or complete extra exercises at home on the website.
  • To develop vocabulary further, look out for French/Spanish on labels and instructions on everyday items around the home.
  • Find episodes of children's programmes in French/Spanish online to watch.
  • Check if any DVDs at home have soundtracks in French/Spanish and watch the programmes/films.
  • Ask at the Tourist Information Office for leaflets for attractions in French/Spanish (or print from websites).
  • Label items in the home in French/Spanish.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Your son or daughter will be expected to learn new vocabulary on a regular basis and parents/carers can help students by showing an interest in the topics of study and testing their son or daughter on the words/phrases.
  • Using a French or Spanish dictionary, nominate a letter and ask your son or daughter to construct a picture made up of objects starting with that letter in the target language. Abstract words, featuring emotions, can also be used.
  • Play games like scrabble in the target language. Decided whether the scoring system needs to be altered to take account of different in the use of different letters in other languages.
  • If anyone in the family or friendship circle speaks a target language, try to organise more contact to practise speaking skills.
  • If you are fortunate to travel to a French or Spanish-speaking destination for your family holidays, encourage your son or daughter to speak in the local language as much as possible.
  • When visiting museums or attractions in the UK, request a copy of brochures or guides in French or Spanish to try to develop vocabulary.

Modern Languages Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Use GCSE Bitesize to help you revise.
  • Use kerboodle logins to access additional resources.
  • Complete extra exercises available on the VLE.
  • To develop vocabulary further, look out for French/Spanish on labels and instructions on everyday items around the home.
  • Find episodes of children's programmes in French/Spanish online to watch.
  • Check if any DVDs at home have soundtracks in French/Spanish and watch the programmes/films.
  • Ask at the Tourist Information Office for leaflets for attractions in French/Spanish (or print from websites).
  • Label items in the home in French/Spanish.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Please see website list above under KS3. 

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Your son or daughter will be expected to learn new vocabulary on a regular basis and parents/carers can help students by showing an interest in the topics of study and testing their son or daughter on the words/phrases.
  • Using a French or Spanish dictionary, nominate a letter and ask your son or daughter to construct a picture made up of objects starting with that letter in the target language. Abstract words, featuring emotions, can also be used.
  • Play games like scrabble in the target language. Decided whether the scoring system needs to be altered to take account of different in the use of different letters in other languages.
  • If anyone in the family or friendship circle speaks a target language, try to organise more contact to practise speaking skills.
  • If you are fortunate to travel to a French or Spanish-speaking destination for your family holidays, encourage your son or daughter to speak in the local language as much as possible.
  • When visiting museums or attractions in the UK, request a copy of brochures or guides in French or Spanish to try to develop vocabulary.

Music Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

Music is not just learning to play an instrument or singing. Music links to every curriculum subject and naturally the subject itself encourages students to stretch and challenge themselves on a daily basis when they engage with it.

In the Academy:

  • There are lots of lunchtime and extra-curricular clubs available in the Music Curriculum Area for all tastes and genres (see extra-curricular timetable).
  • There are opportunities for students to lead aspects of rehearsals within extra-curricular ensembles. These skills not only develop musicianship, but also leadership skills.
  • Students do not just contribute musically to our concerts at Louth Academy; students also help with the logistics of putting on a concert: choreography, backstage, staging and set etc.
  • Inter-House Music Competition: Students enter this as a solo artist. This is an opportunity for students to stretch themselves in confidence, discipline and time management, to prepare solo repertoire for a live performance in front of an audience and staff judges.
  • The Music Curriculum Area has a wealth of instruments that students can explore. They range from common instruments found in the west, to rarer eastern instruments. Why not challenge yourself to play an instrument that is similar to your own - what are the similarities and what are the differences/new difficulties?
  • As well as our instruments we have a collection of scores (sheet music) and CDs from genres ranging from the Renaissance period right up to Contemporary music and music from varying cultures. How does music evolve through the centuries?

Out of the Academy:

  • Lincolnshire Music Service hosts a range of musical ensembles and groups that students can become involved in, giving an opportunity for students to build their social skills and develop their musical abilities. Louth is host to the Louth Children’s Choir which is run in association with the Louth Choral Society and is open to children from year 3 – 8. There is also the Louth Strings Orchestra which rehearses every week at King Edward VI Grammar School and is open to students of all abilities. In the wider community Boston hosts an area Wind Band for musicians who play a wind instrument at Grade 3 and above; a Youth Pop Choir open to KS3 & 4 students; and the Boston Youth Jazz Orchestra for students to audition annually for a place.
  • For students of an exceptional instrumental ability, Lincolnshire also hosts the county ensemble groups the Lincs Youth Symphony Orchestra, Lincs Youth Wind Orchestra and Lincs Youth Concert Orchestra for students of a minimum of Grade 4 on their instrument. Rehearsals run monthly in Lincoln.
  • The Louth Riverhead Theatre is host to many musical productions, who are always on the lookout for young musicians and performers to take part in the choruses or as their leading roles – why not pop in and ask about audition opportunities?
  • Louth is also home to the fabulous Pump House Recording Studio, bursting with musical opportunities from music tuition by professional musicians, professional studio recording sessions, song writing and production workshops and performances from worldwide bands and artists. Why not take a stroll down and say hi to Tom the owner, and check out the amazing insight to the world of the music industry?
  • The Louth Community has lots of established musicians and bands that you can watch, listen to, join, meet new people and make music together. With venues such as The British Legion, The Jazz Club, The Town Hall and Spout Yard hosting many concerts and gigs, music can always be accessed in this town. If there is nothing already out there that takes your fancy, why not make your own band and take to the stage?
  • In North East Lincolnshire there is lots of music making taking place. An obvious venue where a variety of music events take place is Grimsby Auditorium. The Auditorium features acts ranging from ‘The Foo Fighters’ to Big Jazz Bands to ‘The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’.

What else can be accessed to support the curriculum?

Some Music apps are particularly useful:

  • YouTube
  • Deezer / Spotify
  • Garageband
  • Audacity
  • Figure (Make Music and Remix Beats)
  • EarWizard
  • Yousician
  • ABRSM Sight-Reader Trainer
  • ABRSM Aural Trainer
  • ABRSM Practice Partners (Piano, Violin etc.)

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Speak to your son or daughter about how music has evolved in your lifetime. Music is so accessible now and it is difficult for them to understand when music was not instantaneous.
  • Attend a variety of local and wider field concerts. Encourage students to research the contextual background behind the pieces they have experienced at the concert - even better do it retrospectively, then students can engage more with the music.
  • Encourage students to involve themselves musically in the community. Lincs Music Service and MAPAS are specialists in this field.
  • Share likes and dislikes in music and justify them. We find students struggle to justify their preferences and resort to the opinion that ‘it’s on the radio’ or ‘my friends like it’.
  • Most importantly, have a variety of music playing in the house.

Music Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

Music is not just learning to play an instrument or singing. Music links to every curriculum subject and naturally the subject itself encourages students to stretch and challenge themselves on a daily basis when they engage with it.

In the Academy:

  • There are lots of lunchtime and extra-curricular clubs available in the Music Curriculum Area for all tastes and genres (see extra-curricular timetable).
  • To develop theory skills, we offer two additional classes to facilitate this. One is designated for students taking GCSE Music and supplements the work they are doing in lessons; the other is for students who wish to take graded exams in Theory (grades 1-8).
  • There are opportunities for students to lead aspects of rehearsals within extra-curricular ensembles. These skills not only develop musicianship, but also leadership skills.
  • Students do not just contribute musically to our concerts at Louth Academy; students also help with the logistics of putting on a concert: lighting, sound desk, choreography, etc.
  • Inter-House Music Competition: Students enter this as solo artists and as larger House ensembles. This is an opportunity for students to socially stretch themselves, as there will be students from different year groups and of varying abilities, whilst again initiating leadership skills.
  • The Music Curriculum Area has a wealth of instruments that students can explore. They range from common instruments found in the west, to rarer eastern instruments. Why not challenge yourself to play an instrument that is similar to your own - what are the similarities and what are the differences/new difficulties?
  • As well as our instruments we have a very large collection of scores (sheet music) and CDs from genres ranging from the Renaissance period right up to Contemporary music. How does music evolve through the centuries?

Out of the Academy:

  • In Lincolnshire, there is lots of music making taking place. An obvious venue where a variety of music events take place is Grimsby Auditorium (also the venue for our MAT concerts). The Auditorium features acts ranging from 'The Foo Fighters' to Big Jazz Bands to 'The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra'.
  • The area has lots of established musical groups that students can join, meet new people and make music together.
  • As an Academy, we encourage students to take part in musical activities outside of the curriculum that we feel they would enjoy, helping them to engage in the wider music scene of our local area. This opens doors for our students into many other musical activities, which consequently benefits their learning within school, through development of musicianship.
  • If there is nothing already out there that takes your fancy, why not make your own band/music group?

What else can be accessed to support the curriculum?

Some Music apps are particularly useful:

  • Garageband.
  • Figure (Make Music and Remix Beats).
  • EarWizard.
  • Yousician.
  • ABRSM Sight-Reader Trainer.
  • ABRSM Aural Trainer.
  • ABRSM Practice Partners (Piano, Violin, etc.).

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Increasing familiarity with the following software will be useful:

  • Sibelius.
  • Aurelia.
  • Protool.
  • Cubase.

What films or television programmes can be used to support the curriculum?

  • Fantasia - Disney.
  • August Rush.
  • Howard Goodall's Story of Music - YouTube.
  • How to Make a Number One Record - BBC.
  • Music Masters - John Adams/Karlheinz Stockhausen.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Speak to your son or daughter about how music has evolved in your lifetime. Music is so accessible now and it is difficult for them to understand when music was not instantaneous.
  • Attend a variety of local and wider field concerts. Encourage students to research the contextual background behind the pieces they have experienced at the concert - even better do it retrospectively, then students can engage more with the music.
  • Encourage students to involve themselves musically in the community. MAPAS are specialists in this field.
  • Share likes and dislikes in music and justify them. We find students struggle to justify their preferences and resort to the opinion that 'it's on the radio' or 'my friends like it'.
  • Most importantly, have a variety of music playing in the house.

Physical Education Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Take part in extra-curricular activities offered at the Academy to ensure that skills are being developed and practised regularly.
  • Students to make themselves available to represent the Academy at all levels of school sport.
  • Take up opportunities given to them to represent district/county/national teams.
  • Take on a coaching/leading role in extra-curricular activities, especially during lower school practices.
  • Join sports clubs and teams in the community to develop skills and game play even further.
  • Take a leading role in assisting others in lessons, particularly those activities where the individual student is highly competent.
  • Take on an officiating role in lessons and/or extra-curricular clubs.
  • Take part in inter-house activities on offer at the Academy.
  • Coach/assist with inter-house teams and events by officiating/coaching or assisting the teacher in organising the competition.
  • Watching live games to develop knowledge of game play as well as rules and regulations.
  • Watch different genres of dance on the internet to develop knowledge and understanding of dance.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Visit sports museums with your son or daughter.
  • Go to the theatre to watch shows (dance).
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend extra-curricular activities to both perform and support others.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend community sports clubs.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to represent district/county/national competitions and teams.

Physical Education Key Stage 4 - GSCE

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Take part in extra-curricular activities offered at the Academy to ensure that skills are being developed and practised regularly.
  • Students to make themselves available to represent the Academy at all levels of school sport.
  • Take up opportunities given to them to represent district/county/national teams.
  • Take on a coaching/leading role in extra-curricular activities, especially during lower school practices.
  • Join sports clubs and teams in the community to develop skills and game play even further.
  • Take a leading role in assisting others in lessons, particularly those activities where the individual student is highly competent.
  • Take on an officiating role in lessons and/or extra-curricular clubs.
  • Take part in inter-house activities on offer at the Academy.
  • Coach/assist with inter-house teams and events by officiating/coaching or assisting the teacher in organising the competition.
  • Watching live games to develop knowledge of game play as well as rules and regulations.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Visit sports museums with your son or daughter.
  • Go to the theatre to watch shows (dance).
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend extra-curricular activities to both perform and support others.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend community sports clubs.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to represent district/ county/ national competitions and teams.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to complete further reading in the topic areas covered using the internet.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to read sports pages of local and national newspapers.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to watch sport on television especially international events such as the Olympics.

Physical Education Key Stage 4 BTEC

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Attend the fitness club provided by the Academy to develop knowledge and fitness relating to their training programme.
  • Join a gym outside of the Academy to develop their knowledge and fitness relating to their training programme.
  • Take part in extra-curricular activities offered at the Academy to ensure that skills are being developed and practised regularly.
  • Research fitness testing methods using the internet – e.g. Top End Sports.
  • Use the internet to develop knowledge in all aspects of the syllabus.
  • Use governing body websites to develop knowledge of the rules and regulations ready for the 'Unit 2: Practical Sports Performance'.
  • Visit sports museums to recognise how sports have developed over time.
  • Use sites on the internet to observe different fitness testing procedures, e.g. YouTube.
  • Watching live games to develop knowledge of game play as well as rules and regulations.
  • Take a leading role in assisting others in lessons, particularly those activities where the individual student is highly competent.
  • Take on an officiating role in lessons and/or extra-curricular clubs.
  • Take part in inter-house activities on offer at the Academy.
  • Coach/assist with inter-house teams and events by officiating/coaching or assisting the teacher in organising the competition.
  • Take up opportunities given to them to represent district/county/national teams.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Visit sports museums with your son or daughter.
  • Go to the theatre to watch shows (dance).
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend extra-curricular activities to both perform and support others.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend community sports clubs.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to represent district/ county/ national competitions and teams.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to complete further reading in the topic areas covered using the internet.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to read sports pages of local and national newspapers.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to watch sport on television especially international events such as the Olympics.

Religious Education Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Enter the Spirited Arts competition - this runs in July every year.
  • Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during R.E. lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Try to make links to religious scripture in their class work.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of religion within any national newspapers.
  • Students could keep a 'Religion in the news' scrapbook - printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to religion.

The following texts may be of interest:

  • The Chronicles of Narnia - C S Lewis.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne.
  • The Philosophy Files - Stephen Law.
  • Read extracts from sacred texts such as The Bible, all of which can be accessed on the internet.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • The Big Questions - Sunday mornings on BBC One.
  • See if you can identify moral/ethical/religious themes within programmes you watch such as soaps and dramas.

Watching films such as:

  • Bruce Almighty/Evan Almighty.
  • The Prince of Egypt.
  • The Chronicles of Narnia.
  • The Miracle Maker.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
  • The Golden Compass.
  • Wall-E.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to religion.
  • Discuss religious events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. discussing Christmas, Diwali, Eid.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to explain their own views on a range of philosophical/ethical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
  • Visit places of religious interest, either locally (e.g. Grimsby Minster, Lincoln Cathedral) or further afield (Stonehenge, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, etc.).
  • When on holiday, take note of religious customs/dress/places of worship - many popular destinations have a lot to offer in terms of deepening understanding of religion.
  • Look for evidence of religion where you might not expect to find it, e.g. in an art gallery, a museum, on the football pitch, etc.

Religious Education Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Attend after Academy revision sessions.
  • Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during R.E. lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Develop their knowledge of religious scripture beyond the basics covered in lessons.
  • Ask teachers for access to past exam papers/sample questions and answers.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of religion within any national newspapers.
  • Students could keep a 'Religion in the News' scrapbook - printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to religion.

The following texts may be of interest:

  • Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder.
  • The Life of Pi - Yann Martel.
  • The Philosophy Files - Stephen Law.
  • The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.
  • Religious Scripture - e.g. The Bible, Hindu scripture/stories such as the Ramayana.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • The Big Questions - Sunday mornings on BBC One.
  • Watch documentaries related to ethical issues, e.g. those by Robert Winston, concerning IVF, Trevor MacDonald - Life on Death Row and Life and Death Row.
  • Identify moral and ethical issues such as adultery, divorce, euthanasia, etc within soaps and dramas that you watch.
  • Use BBC iPlayer to watch programmes and documentaries about religion.

Watching films such as:

  • Selma.
  • Gandhi.
  • Jesus of Nazareth.
  • Schindler's List.
  • The Truman Show.
  • Philadelphia.
  • The Colour Purple.
  • The Help.
  • Hotel Rwanda.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
  • Gattaca.
  • Million Dollar Baby.
  • Philomena.

Additionally, follow people such as the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Dawkins, Church of England, etc. on Twitter.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to religion, e.g. Meeting between Pope Francis and Donald Trump.
  • Discuss religious events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. discussing Christmas, Diwali, Eid.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to explain their own views on a range of philosophical/ethical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
  • Visit places of religious interest, either locally (e.g. Grimsby Minster, Lincoln Cathedral) or further afield.
  • When on holiday, take note of religious customs/dress/places of worship - many popular destinations have a lot to offer in terms of deepening understanding of religion.
  • Look for evidence of religion where you might not expect to find it, e.g. in an art gallery, a museum, on the football pitch, etc.

Science Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Take part in the after Academy Science Club for KS3 that extends the KS3 curriculum.
  • Take a leading role in learning in lessons – contribute ideas and think critically about what you read and learn.
  • Research tasks are often set for homework; extend focus on these to bring back to lessons in order to discuss and debate.
  • Read the news, in particular BBC articles that cover science; these can be found at BBC Science & Environment..
  • Listen to the news – have a news app on the iPad and use it. When science is in the news, carry out additional research around the topic and what developments have recently been made in the science industry.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

  • Watching television programmes such as Planet Earth in addition to documentaries about nuclear disasters/global warming.
  • Watch Stargazing Live.
  • Videos on Science Channel.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Ask questions about the content of Science lessons and ask your son or daughter to explain scientific concepts to you.
  • Take opportunities to ask 'What would happen if…?' questions or present brainteasers to encourage your son or daughter to be inquisitive and seek out answers.
  • Visit places of scientific interest – for example, the National Space Station at Leicester, Eureka and Magna at Sheffield, The Museum of Science and Industry Manchester, The Natural History Museum, The London Planetarium and The Science Museum London (where interactive workshops may be available).
  • Connect science with holiday activities - visiting zoos, farms, aquariums, discussing nature on a walk or tide patterns when on a beach.
  • National Trust locations: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/woolsthorpe-manor, or Jodrell Bank in Manchester.
  • Talk to the older generation at home about how science has changed over the years.
  • Refer to The Royal Institution website for further ideas.

Science Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Volunteer to help run the after Academy Science Club for KS3 that extends the KS3 curriculum.
  • Take a leading role in learning in lessons – contribute ideas and think critically about what you read and learn.
  • Research tasks are often set for homework; extend focus on these to bring back to lessons in order to discuss and debate.
  • Read the news, in particular BBC articles that cover science; these can be found at BBC Science & Environment.
  • Additional reading of articles in The New Scientist will extend learning.
  • Listen to the news – have a news app on the iPad and use it. When science is in the news, carry out additional research around the topic and what developments have recently been made in the science industry.
  • Attend after-Academy revision sessions.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

  • Watching television programmes such as Planet Earth in addition to documentaries about nuclear disasters/global warming.
  • Watch Stargazing Live.
  • Videos on Science Channel.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Ask questions about the content of Science lessons and ask your son or daughter to explain scientific concepts to you.
  • Take opportunities to ask 'What would happen if…?' questions or present brainteasers to encourage your son or daughter to be inquisitive and seek out answers.
  • Visit places of scientific interest – for example, the National Space Station at Leicester, The Museum of Science and Industry Manchester, The Natural History Museum and The Science Museum London (where interactive workshops may be available).
  • Visit National Trust locations: Woolsthorpe Manor or Jodrell Bank in Manchester.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to attend after-Academy revision sessions.
  • Talk to the older generation at home about how science has changed over the years.

Technology Key Stage 3

The Technology Curriculum Area is well organised, forward-thinking and practically based. Students are able to further develop their understanding of the design industry from hands-on interaction with modern processes (i.e. 3D printing, laser cutting, thermo printing, and computer aided design) and materials (i.e. neoprene, polymorph). We are firmly committed to improving all that we do and invite you to take a further look at what we have to offer.

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

Our students are encouraged to take on more accountability for their own learning to support development of key independent learning skills required of them as they begin their Design and Technology journey.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Technology Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

Our students are encouraged to take on more accountability for their own learning to support development of key independent learning skills required of them in Further Education or Employment.

  • Enter Young Designer competitions.
  • Keep a design inspiration sketch/scrap book for D&T – collect images of interesting product ideas/themes/new technologies; research designers (past and present) and influential companies to help build a wider knowledge in addition to class work.
  • Keep track of industry led exhibitions – expos, product launches (Apple, Samsung, etc.) – keep a record in your scrap book; does this happen yearly or one offs? This will help build your industry knowledge especially if there are career possibilities.
  • Create your own Design Portfolio – create your own briefs or use any of the following:
    • Next are looking for an innovative range of lighting for their children's bedroom range. Using the theme of Space, create several designs that could be sold by Next.
    • A restaurant is improving their outdoor seating area and want to commission a table and chair set that is individual to them and reflects their surroundings (this will include a water garden and decorative lighting. They are very ethical and are keen to make sure that the design is sustainable.
    • All Saints are looking to expand their range of clothing to include Children's wear – using their key on-edge style, design a range of Children's wear that is both in-keeping with their style yet age-appropriate.
    • You are applying to an Art College to study Fashion – design a range of one-off pieces that show your talent and creativity.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

Resistant Materials:

  • The Journal of Sustainable Product Design.
  • T3 - Gadget magazine
  • Future PLC - Technology magazine publisher

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

Resistant Materials:

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Take an active interest in your son's or daughter's project work.
  • Allow them to practise their skills if you have access to a workshop environment at home or with extended family.
  • Provide opportunities to visit a wide range of museums, art galleries, exhibitions, etc.
  • Including them in everyday shopping activities – clothes shopping (looking at fibre content); conscientious shopping – asking questions 'Why is that so inexpensive?' Check labels for countries of manufacture - 'Do you think their workers get paid much?' Looking at product packaging in the supermarket questioning 'Is it necessary?' 'How could you improve that?'
  • Investigate exhibitions such as the Great British Sewing Bee Live.
  • Investigate The British Style Collective (the old clothes show live).