The Wider Curriculum

We are very proud of the wider curriculum that is at the heart of learning at St. Julian’s. In all subjects, students develop skills and attributes that underpin their future success. The wider curriculum is a dedicated opportunity to shine a light on skills and values, such as:

The significance of these for young people to make positive contributions to society and to lead fulfilled lives in school and beyond is widely recognised by higher education institutions and employers (WEF, 2016). By developing reflective practices around these and other skills and competencies students develop their ability to apply them in new contexts. 

In Key Stage 4 the Wider Curriculum includes:

• Electives - for students choosing Double Award Science 

• Enrichment

First Aid (Y10 only)

Digital Citizenship (Y10 only)

Critical thinking (Y10 and Y11)

• Physical Education (all students)

• Outdoor Education Programme (all students)

Mr. Norbury explains the Electives in his screencast below

This exciting programme is an opportunity for students to dive into areas of interest beyond the examined curriculum. The electives are assessed, but not externally examined so the development of this curriculum is unconstrained by exam boards. Students will be encouraged to broaden their horizons through the electives and will be guided to select a range of experiences that cover a variety of skills. 

The electives include (but are not limited to) opportunities to enhance learning in sports, arts, music, science, outdoor education, independent research and self-management. This breadth of experience will encourage students to explore their own interests and to develop the skills that are the hallmark of lifelong learners.

Note: All students will study PSHE and experience the Outdoor Education Programme. In addition, students will choose either: 

Double Science + Electives 

Or 

Triple Science

Students complete their first unit of First Aid in Year 8 within the Enrichment programme.  This is recapped and expanded upon in Year 10 with an emphasis on managing emergency situations in the outdoors.  This better prepares them for the Bronze and Silver awards and the associated expeditions.

The students cover the following topics:

• Recap primary survey, recovery position and CPR.

• When and how to call the emergency services.

• Importance of monitoring the casualty´s changing condition

• Bleeding and shock

• Muscles, bones and joint injuries

• Hypo/hyperthermia, heat stroke, and dehydration

• Seizures and epilepsy

• Diabetes and blood glucose

• Allergic reactions

Students will aim to gain a deeper understanding of their online presence both in and outside of school. The course is split up into a blended learning environment including a self-paced program (Google Digital Applied Skills)  guided by the teacher and a deep dive into the complex world of social media and the tools used to engage users.  Students will learn to use a range of G Suite applications to build their digital skills and online citizenship. 

The course covers four main areas which are: 

• Understanding your Digital Footprint- students will think about the actions they take online and create a visual picture using Google Sheets.

• Creating and Safeguarding Passwords- students discover how a hacker guesses passwords using a dictionary attack, then learn how to create and safeguard secure passwords.

• Evaluating Credibility of Online Sources- students search for an article online and use key questions to evaluate the credibility of its source

• The Social Media Dilemma- students will analyse the documentary through active listening activities, class discussions and look at influential factors such as algorithms, fake news and AI, the attention economy and disinformation for profit to gain awareness of the harms and benefits of social media.

In Years 10 and 11 Physical Education remains compulsory for all pupils. The programme is an extension of the work covered in the earlier years with Hockey, Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball being the major games. In the second term, Athletics in the form of Cross-country and Track and Field events remains an important aspect of the Physical Education programme.  In the summer term, lessons are largely given over to the teaching of Tennis and Softball.

Note: Physical Education can also be taken as a GCSE subject and more information on this is available on the Physical Education page. 

Over the course of the two years students will be involved in a range of activities, all of which are based outside the normal classroom environment. 

The aims of the OEP are many. By giving students exposure to a range of outdoor activities they will have the opportunity of working together to achieve a common goal. Along the way they will learn about the value of teamwork, develop important leadership skills and appreciate individual differences within a group environment. At an individual level the programme will develop the student’s personal confidence, particularly when participating in some of the more challenging activities. Not only will the students improve their physical aptitude, but will also learn important skills that will benefit them throughout their lives, such as resilience, collaboration, empathy and thinking outside the box.

The attributes and descriptors of the learner profile define the type of learner the IB hopes to develop through its programmes. Although the IB Diploma is two years further down the student’s learning journey, the OEP nurtures these required aptitudes in preparation for the IB, whilst also incorporating aspects of the school’s own mission statement.

Increasingly, universities and employers are looking to select students that not only have the academic qualifications but who can offer something above and beyond other candidates. The OEP will equip students with vital skills and experiences that are required in these increasingly competitive times. 

As the majority of students in Year 10 now complete the Skills for Life Award (an in-house equivalent of the Bronze Prémio Award) the Year 10 programme has been designed to help students in preparation for this award. This includes teaching them basic navigational skills, camp craft etiquette and taking the students on at least one practice walk in the Sintra hills.  The course will also benefit those students that have already completed the Skills for Life Award and are about to embark on the Silver Prémio in Year 11. Part of the programme consists of a short course entitled ‘Cooking for Camping’ which has been designed to teach our students about how to prepare healthy and  nutritious meals from scratch, which can be prepared whilst on the expeditions they participate in, and a group cooking course called ‘The Master Chef Challenge’.

The OEP comprises of number of testing activities, many of which are designed to challenge the students both physically and mentally. Over the course of the Autumn Term, Year 10 students will have the opportunity to experience the high rope course at Adventure Park, tackle the school’s military style assault course within the grounds of St. Julian’s, along with rock climbing on the sea cliffs of Casa da Guia, under the careful instruction of the team from LifeOutside. The students also complete a wide range of problem solving challenges and activities within the grounds of the school and the surrounding local environment. 

In Year 11 the theme of team-work, communication and problem solving in an outdoor environment continues, culminating in a thrilling afternoon of coasteering along the Sesimbra shore. 

In their second cycle of OEP all Year 11 students will complete the Primary School Project. This is a three week school based community project, which requires the students to work in small groups with the objective of planning and then delivering a lesson to a Primary School class. To conclude the Outdoor Education Programme students will opt for either, a water based life-saving course (compulsory for those students wanting to participate on the Silver Prémio Award) or a creative cooking course, led by a professional chef.

The OEP is constantly evolving, with new and exciting initiatives/activities being added every year. For example, this year a trip to Bounce was offered for the first time to all Year 11 students. 

It is important to make very clear that whilst the OEP is a non-examined course, its long-term value to the students is immeasurable. It is a compulsory component of the KS4 curriculum offered at St. Julian’s and the students full participation is expected.

The aim of the St Julian’s Critical Thinking course is to develop mature, reflective thinkers who are equipped to critically evaluate evidence, generate challenging questions and develop reasoned arguments of their own.  Given that the majority of our students intend to follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, our Critical Thinking course provides an excellent introduction to the skills required for Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay.

The Critical Thinking course is designed to support student learning across the subject range and beyond by providing students with the opportunity to:

• Develop an explicit awareness of their own thinking and evaluate the basis upon which they form judgments, opinions and conclusions

• Enable students to generate their own questions in relation to evidence and information

• Organise and present data in order to reach well-supported and evidenced conclusions

• Explore issues creatively from a range of different perspectives

• Analyse arguments, highlighting the assumptions, bias and reasons that underpin them and develop counter arguments of their own

• Evaluate the credibility of different sources of evidence

• Challenge the ideas of others using carefully constructed and evidenced argument

• Apply these skills with confidence across a range of materials, contexts and subject.