Curriculum

Documents

The curriculum at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School follows the guidelines laid down in the National Curriculum. This ensures that the school provides a broad, balanced curriculum for all children. In addition there are many more opportunities available to extend and enhance pupils’ experiences.

Teaching Groups
Each child has different abilities and needs, so teaching groups are arranged accordingly. Progress is reviewed regularly and there is ample opportunity for pupils to move sets, if appropriate.

Choices at 14
The curriculum changes in year 10 and pupils can access a wide range of opportunities. They can choose between academic courses or a more specialist vocational route, depending on what career pathway they are considering. Plenty of information, advice and guidance is available for pupils and parents to make sure they are well prepared.

Priestley College
We have excellent relationships with our outstanding neighbouring sixth form college and Boteler pupils receive preferential offers of places. Priestley College provides expert support, helping students on to university, and former Boteler pupils are among the highest performing students.

Warrington Collegiate
For specialist vocational education and training Warrington Collegiate now provides a wide range of excellent courses in state-of-the-art accommodation. We work very closely together, ensuring students get all the help they need to make the right choices. Former Boteler pupils have been in the news recently, winning national awards in Catering and Beauty as part of the Warrington Collegiate team.

The School’s Distinctive Christian Character
Our school’s ethos is firmly based upon Christian beliefs, values and practices and this underpins all that we do. Each day begins with an act of collective worship which is Christian in nature and promotes spiritual and moral understanding. Religious Education focuses on Christianity and the Anglican faith, but pupils also learn about other major world religions and we recognise and respect other faith groups within our community. As part of the RE curriculum, pupils take part in the Archbishop of York award scheme. They learn about what Jesus taught and they get the opportunity to put faith into practice through practical projects that improve the lives of others.

“Students make an excellent contribution to the school and wider community through a variety of enterprising community projects.”  OFSTED 2010

Special Educational Needs
The school has developed an excellent reputation for its work with children with Special Educational Needs. We always try to work closely with parents to ensure that a support programme is appropriate and effective. Teaching Assistants provide support in mainstream lessons, but sometimes pupils are
withdrawn from their class to work in a small group or for one-to-one tuition. Much of this work takes place in “Links”, our Learning Support Unit. The department also works closely with other agencies, such as Social Services and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service to ensure that every child receives the most appropriate support.

Gifted and Talented
The school is highly committed to stretching and challenging pupils with particular gifts and talents. There is a ‘Gifted and Talented’ co-ordinator who works with these pupils to support their academic and emotional development and to pay particular attention to their progress. Gifted and Talented students are challenged in each lesson, but are also invited to take part in specific events run in school, locally or at a national level.

Sex Education
We believe that pupils need to develop an understanding of sexual attitudes and behaviour, introduced in a way which is based on Christian values and emphasises the central role of the family. In Science, pupils study physical changes at adolescence and sexual reproduction as a life process in accordance with National Curriculum. In the Personal, Social and Health Education programme, pupils consider moral and ethical issues. They also learn about relationships and parenting.

Music
There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to enjoy and learn about music in a vibrant department. In lessons they perform, compose and listen to music. In year 10 music is an optional subject, but there is a large take-up and results are consistently excellent. Instrumental lessons are open to all, with specialist teachers coming in to teach woodwind, brass, strings, percussion, guitars and singing. (There is a charge for instrumental lessons, unless a child is entitled to Free School Meals). Outside the curriculum there are a number of superb bands and choirs to join, with the chance to perform at many prestigious events and venues. There are also performances from visiting musicians, and the highlight of the calendar is when the school playing fields are transformed for ‘Boteler Out Loud’, our world record-breaking annual community music festival.

“The take-up and results in music at Key Stage 4 are exceptionally high.” OFSTED 2010

Sports
The school provides a great Physical Education experience. Having the best playing fields and Sports Centre in Warrington really helps! In addition to excellent PE lessons, there are many recreational and competitive clubs. We run teams in football, netball, rugby, basketball, athletics, table tennis, volleyball and handball. There’s something for everyone and the advantage of us being a fairly small school is that a much higher proportion of pupils can get into ‘the school team’. Having Boteler Community Sports Centre on site also gives many advantages to pupils who want to go on to play club basketball, netball and volleyball.

Other Extra-Curricular Activities
Music and Sports clubs are just part of an extensive extra-curricular programme and the majority of pupils make the most of it. Everyone is catered for, whether they are an expert or a novice. There are also many opportunities for study, research, computing and completing homework, as well as revision and extension lessons in many subjects. Details of the range of activities are published regularly in the fortnightly Boteler Bulletin.

The Boiler Room
Sir Thomas Boteler has its own Youth Club, ‘The Boiler Room’, which runs every evening during term time from 2.50 till 6pm, with special events during the school holidays. There is plenty to do and all the latest games consoles are there. There’s also the chance to get extra help with homework, or simply relax after a hard day! It’s run by a team of trained youth workers who provide a safe, supervised environment and a friendly atmosphere. What’s more, it’s completely free!

Educational Visits
It is important for pupils to broaden their educational experiences beyond the classroom. This helps them understand the wider community and they find out more about themselves. There are many sporting fixtures against other schools and day visits out of school to complete fieldwork or investigations. There is also a variety of exciting residential opportunities. Most visits will involve a charge, although pupils entitled to Free School Meals may be exempt, entitled to a grant, or be charged a lower rate.

Student Voice and Leadership
We respect and value the views and opinions of our young people and we create a range of opportunities for them to make a difference to the school community and to the lives of others.

  •  There is a vibrant, effective school council which plays an active part in policy making and many other aspects of school life. Its leaders have gained recognition at a local, regional and national level.
  • Through the Archbishop of York award scheme, all pupils are encouraged to use their initiative and are given the responsibility to lead their own projects.
  • Our popular Junior Sports Leaders programme provides leadership training and experience and also provides excellent sports opportunities for our primary school pupils.
  •  The Boiler Room provides volunteering opportunities for our pupils when they move on to the sixth form, further developing their leadership skills and giving them the edge over the competition when it comes to university applications.
  • The school is widely regarded as a Centre of Excellence for Youth Leadership. We founded and lead the internationally recognised HOBY UK Youth Leadership residential. Hundreds of young people have benefitted from the programme and, of course, Boteler pupils are right at the centre.
  • We are strategic partners of the ‘Albert Schweizer Leadership For Life’ organisation and as well as sending pupils to their international conferences, their programmes form part of a ‘Leadership Curriculum’ which is taught in school.

“They have many good opportunities to develop their leadership skills and their sense of values.” OFSTED 2010