Our Curriculum

Our End Goals 

In line with the Oasis Curriculum holistic approach, our commitment to an exceptional climate for learning and focus on continual teacher improvement - we make academically rigorous learning the foundation of every lesson. We have designed our curriculum to be broad and rigorous, opening doors and closing the gap to ensure that all students at Oasis Academy South Bank, regardless of their starting point or additional needs, are able to achieve our two end goals of achieving their dream job and becoming model citizens. 

Our Values 

At the heart of our curriculum are our STAIRS values (Scholarship, Transformation, Aspiration, Inclusion, Resilience and Social Responsibility). We know that character development doesn’t happen by chance but through intention and purpose; it is therefore an explicit part of our curriculum. We work hard at preparing our students to be the best version of themselves, not just for today, but for the rest of their lives.  We have a continuous focus on these values with our students through our lessons, weekly PSHCE curriculum, our ‘House Group’ time, assemblies, our family style dining, our D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) sessions and our enrichment program.  We believe that these values will ensure that our students are well-informed, conscientious, socially responsible members of our community and country who understand not only how to keep themselves and those around them safe, but how to flourish in the complex ever-changing world that we live in. 

Our Curriculum Design 

Our curriculum offering to students is broad and ambitious for all.  Our knowledge-rich approach to curriculum design and delivery is based on the latest research in cognitive science to ensure that we are offering an excellent academic provision for our students that will guarantee them very best outcomes.  We believe that a carefully sequenced curriculum, direct instruction, structured practice and repeated retrieval quizzing are the best methods for students to make excellent progress and to close the disadvantage gap.  

We provide all students with a broad and ambitious academic curriculum throughout Key Stage 3, 4 and 5. All students study Maths, English, Science, Modern Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Computer Science, Drama, Music, Art, PE, Design and Technology and Gastronomy during Key Stage Three. In Key Stage Four, all students continue to study Maths, English, Science, a language, Computer Science and Religious Studies with students choosing a humanity to specialise in (either Geography or History) and two options subjects (Music, Art, GCSE PE, Design and Technology, Gastronomy, Drama, GCSE Religious Studies) with half of our cohort studying three separate sciences. 

We have an extensive “next steps” program that ensures that all students, whether they stay at OASB for Sixth Form or move to another college or apprenticeship make good choices about the course that they go on to study and are supported through this transition by our pastoral team. 

Our Sixth Form builds on the fundamental learning in Key Stage 3 and 4 to ensure academic excellence for our students alongside an extensive program to prepare them for both life at university and the world of work. 

What makes our curriculum different? 

Our curriculum, however, is about so much more than simply securing great results. It is about our academy’s determination to achieve excellence with equity and integrity, opening doors for our students and closing the gap. Our extended school day enables us to deliver our ‘Drop Everything And Read’ (DEAR.) literacy program that takes place during our ‘House’ time.  We use this time to develop a love of reading in our young people as we know that this is integral to their success in the future. Alongside this, our innovative enrichment curriculum delivered at the end of the day ensures that students have a deep understanding of the range of opportunities available to them in both their personal and professional lives so that students have incredibly high aspirations for their future. This program includes Duke of Edinburgh, debating and volunteering as well as our ‘Climb The STAIRS to Greatness’ careers program which is delivered in partnership with a range of external partners including PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Facebook and Clifford Chance. 

The South Bank 6 

Assessment: 

Assessment at Oasis Academy South Bank 

At Oasis Academy South Bank, we believe that learning occurs in four phases. 

Each of these stages are equally important and our curriculum is designed to ensure that this is happening during every single lesson, week, half term and academic year. 

In lessons 

During lessons, students are continually assessed to check what they have learnt and mastered so that the teacher is able to, when necessary, reteach sections, provide more practice, more support or more challenge for students. Parents are encouraged to look in their children’s books each week.  As a parent, you may want to look at the following things/ask your child the following questions. 

A “good” book: 

• Neat, title & date underlined, sheets stuck in 
• Tasks completed  
• Work is frequently self-assessed, peer assessed (in green pen) or marked by a teacher (red pen) 
• Students have completed stretch/challenge tasks 

Questions you might want to ask your child: 

At home 

Students will be set regular homework from their subjects.  This may be in their exercise books or may be set online such as Hegarty Maths/Tassomai.  There is homework club open in school every lunch time and every evening should students wish to make use of this space.  Homework is designed to provide students with additional opportunities to practice what they have learnt during their lessons. At the end of each term (or half term in Maths, Science & Sixth Form), students will complete a post assessment.  This is their chance to show off what they have learnt during that term.  Students should be revising/practicing for these assessments in the weeks beforehand.  Their teachers will have provided them with revision materials to support them with this. 

Reporting to Parents 

Engagement Ratings 

We know that for students to make the best progress, they need to have brilliant attendance, be active learners during their lessons and complete the work set for them outside of class.  We want to ensure that parents, teachers and students all have a really accurate picture of how a student is engaging in their learning both inside and outside of lessons and so every 6 weeks we share engagement ratings.  

Students are given three rating scores: 

(i)   Their contribution in class - actively participating in the lesson by asking and answering questions and contributing to paired and group discussion. 

(ii)   Their completion of work in class - written or practical work. 

(iii)   Their completion of work outside of lessons – this may include completing tasks set for homework, revision for assessments and quizzes or online learning tasks such as Hegarty Maths. 

This is shared as a printed report and on MCAS 

Post Assessments 

During each term, students will be working towards a clear end point.  At the end of each term (December, March and July), students complete a ‘post-assessment’.  These are designed to enable them to show progress towards that end point.  These focuses mainly on content learnt during that term but are also used as an opportunity to check understanding of previous knowledge and concepts through interleaving. These assessments are really important as they allow students and teachers to identify where there are gaps in their learning so that we are able to revisit these areas and if necessary, put in place some additional support for students. 

Mock Exams 

Students will take part in a more formal period of mock exams. Students will receive a report with their grade in each subject.