Curriculum

At the ContinU Plus Academy (CPA), our ambitious curriculum is designed to meet the diverse and often complex needs of marginalised, disaffected, and excluded young people. We deliver a flexible, structured curriculum that supports students both full-time and part-time—within the Academy, through outreach provision, and in partnership with local schools.

Our aim is to prepare each student for a positive and sustainable next step—whether that is reintegration into mainstream education, progression into further training, or moving into employment. We are committed to ensuring that every pupil leaves us with the skills, confidence, and qualifications they need to succeed, achieve and thrive in life.

Re-engaging some of the most disengaged learners requires a personalised and holistic approach. Our curriculum is built around developing both social and functional skills, delivered in a way that unlocks students’ intrinsic motivation to learn. Each pupil receives a tailored programme that reflects their individual needs, aspirations, and starting points and is sequenced so they can access and build on knowledge and skills.

The Curriculum at the ContinU Plus Academy is the totality of the educational experience available to pupils when in our care. The aim of the ContinU Plus Academy is to redress the balance of life chances and experiences open to our pupils after significant trauma and disaffection with education and wider society.

The school community believes in true equality of opportunity and celebration of diversity. We are firmly committed to a holistic and positive educational approach that allows our pupils to leave our school as happy and self-realised individuals.

We support students to take increasing responsibility for their own learning, behaviour, and personal development—enabling them to make informed, positive choices about their futures. Through access to accredited qualifications, meaningful learning experiences, and consistent pastoral support, students gain the tools to shape their own lives.

Central to our curriculum design is the belief that relationships matter. We understand that all behaviour is a form of communication, and this understanding informs our interactions, teaching strategies, and the structure of our learning environment. Strong, trusting relationships underpin everything we do, ensuring that our curriculum is not only academically purposeful but emotionally safe and supportive.

As a starting point for the delivery of this flexible and demanding curriculum the CPA staff will create a school that:

provides a safe environment;
provides a sense of partnership and belonging;
provides someone to listen to them;
provides space for risk taking and personal discovery;
gives the students confidence;
engenders trust and acceptance of them as they are;
encourages them to explore and share feelings and hopes for the future;
helps them emphasise with the experience of others;
recognises and explores the values they are living by.

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Offer

Core	EBacc Subjects	Others
English – 3 hours	RE – 1 hour	Outdoor Education – 4 hours
Maths – 3 hours	Food Technology – 1 hour	Enrichment
Science – 3 hours	Music/ICT – 1 hour
Art – 2 hours

Subject	Qualifications at KS3
English	Entry Level Certificate – “Step up to English”
Maths	Entry Level Certificate NCFE Level 1
Science	AIM Entry Level

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Offer

Core	Option Subjects (x3)	Other Subjects
English – 3 hours	RE – 2 hours	Outdoor Education – 4 hours
Maths – 3 hours	Food Technology – 2 hours	Enrichment – 1 hour
Science – 3 hours	Physical Education – 2 hours
Art – 2 hours	Child Development – 2 hours
PSHE – 1 hour	Music – 2 hours
	Drama – 2 hours
	Health and Social – 2 hours
	Business / Digital Skills – 2 hours

Subjects	Qualifications at KS4
English	Entry Level NCFE Level 1 and Level 2 GCSE English Language
Maths	Entry Level NCFE Level 1 and Level 2 GCSE Maths
Science	AIM Level 1 and Level 2 GCSE Biology
Art	Arts Award – Bronze, Silver or Gold GCSE Art
Food	Level 2 Home Cooking Skills
Child Development	Level 2
Digital Skills	Level 2
PE	GCSE
History	Entry Level / GCSE
Health & Social Care	Level 2
Drama	GCSE
Media	Level 2 / GCSE
Business	GCSE
Religious Studies	GCSE
Music	GCSE
Chemistry	GCSE

Key Stage 5 Curriculum Offer

Core	Options	Other Options
English – 3 hours	Food Technology – 4 hours	Work Experience – 4 hours
Maths – 3 hours		Enrichment – 1 hour
Arts Award – 3 hours