Living to Learn & Learning to Live
We want our students to learn how to live. To develop character and values that will sustain them and others as they go through life. We want them to learn how to be happy and to positively impact the lives of others.
Learning to live requires young people to grow in understanding the value of love, happiness, health and belonging. With us they learn how to live fully and completely, to be the best version of themselves.
Living to Learn. We expect our students to discover their passion, their element. To light a fire within that will burn bright throughout their lives. To discover and sustain a sense of curiosity and wonder about themselves and the world.
Curriculum at NHGS
To see the curriculum by subject are, please click on the buttons below.
Further Information and contact details
For further information about the curriculum on offer at North Halifax Grammar School (NHGS), please contact us on mail@nhgs.co.uk.
The Wonder Years
To prepare our young people to be knowledgeable, creative thinkers, able to question, challenge and form their own opinions. Our curriculum is rich, balanced and challenging.
We wish our students to know and understand the very best of what has been thought and said. Most importantly we want them to experience a sense of wonder about the world and become lifelong learners.
Key Stage 3
“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” Plutarch
All students study English, Maths, Science, French, Spanish, History, Geography, Character and Culture, PE, Computing, Music, Art, Drama and Technology. They study these courses to the end of Year9 when they select their options for Year 10.
Myself and the World
Key Stage 4
“Reach out to the world with an open hand.” Zeno
All students follow an academic pathway and take 9 GCSEs, except where adjustments to the curriculum have to be made in collaboration with students with a special educational need or an extra maths qualification is undertaken.
All students study English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and Science.
Five out of seven groups of students opt to study separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics reflecting the depth of interest and enthusiasm for the Sciences, the other two groups choose to take the Combined Science GCSE which enables a broader choice of GCSE subjects.
There is a wide offer of subjects at GCSE with 4 options. Students can opt to study Art, Computing, Design & Technology, Food and Nutrition, French, Geography, History, Music, PE , Religious Studies and Spanish as well as separate science. In addition, to support their personal development, students follow non-examination courses in Character and Culture and PE.
Myself in the World
Key Stage 5
“Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the true scholar.” Nnamdi Azikiwe
We offer a wide variety of courses, including all the facilitating A Levels, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Geography, History, English Literature and Modern Languages, plus a wide range of specialist subjects including Art, Craft and Design, Business Studies, Economics, Politics, Media Studies, Music, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion and Ethics, and Sociology.
All of our students are expected to study a minimum of three A Level courses, with the option to study a fourth A Level where suitable. Students are also given the opportunity to demonstrate broader research-based skills with the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
Electives are also offered in the sixth form curriculum. Students studying three A Levels are expected to opt for two Electives to study in Year 12. There is a wide choice, from Plumbing, the Psychology of Aggression, Sports Leader and Arts’ Award to Public Speaking, Classics, Microbiology and Electronics. These courses, lasting approximately one term each, give our students real breadth to their studies outside of their A Level subjects.
Students also engage in an extensive programme of enrichment. Work placements in the community, a range of societies, online courses and leadership programmes are made available and students are directed and encouraged to gain a breadth of experience to set courses of their own choosing and make the world a better place.
My Place in the World
Ambit
The origin of the word Ambition is in the Greek root Ambit. This actually means wingspan and changes how we at NHGS view ambition. While you can be ambitious for careers and success, in climbing the proverbial ladder, it is perhaps more important that our students are ambitious to grow and develop; to become the best version of themselves.
That is why we have created our Ambit programme. The programme aims to cover all of the extra-curricular opportunities offered to our students from Year 7 through to Year 13. Within the programme students have a host of clubs and activities to engage in. They have opportunities to follow programmes such as the DofE, to develop leadership skills and to take part in an exciting range of trips and visits both national and international. By enabling our students to “spread their wings” we offer them the chance to discover new interests and a new perspective on the world.
Wider Curriculum
We offer a wide range of enrichment activities to complement the curriculum.
Year 7 students are offered musical, sporting, creative and cultural opportunities in a broad range of clubs from Art Club to Choir to Science Club and Amnesty. Students begin to receive specific careers guidance through Character and Culture lessons as well as a one to one interview and a range of planned activities such as the Tenner Challenge in Y7, Employer Engagement events, careers guidance during the options process for Y9 and university visits.
A rich range of enrichment opportunities and extracurricular trips continue in KS4 and 5. These include the 3 D printing club, Badminton, Camp (Year 9), Choral Group, Concert Band, Creative Writing, Dance Club, Debating, D of E Bronze, First Bow, Flute Ensemble, Football, Guitar Ensemble, Hockey, Percussion Ensemble, Pride (LGBTQ+), Rock Choir, Saxophone Ensemble, Science Club, Theatre Tech, Woodwind Group, Workshop Club and others. Work experience takes place in Year 10 and also students engage in mock interviews with employers and career guidance interviews.
Students are also encouraged and supported to develop their own enrichment opportunities to pursue their own special interests and share them with others.
The curriculum aims to be accessible to all our students regardless of sex, gender, race, religion, special needs etc.
The vast majority of our students follow the same academic pathway. We don't feel that a blanket approach which sees students disapplied from a subject due to their Special Educational Need or Disability is the right course of action. Therefore the majority of our students access our full curriculum offer, including learning an MFL. However, inclusivity is built into our curriculum offer. We treat each of our students as individuals and when necessary we do adapt the curriculum to suit their individual needs. When we do need to adapt the curriculum we aim to involve all stake holders, this includes the child and their parents.
There is a high retention rate into the Sixth Form, and all students are placed on suitable courses with no students categorised as NEET.
At NHGS we also believe that our curriculum goes beyond what is taught in lessons and we are duly proud of our extracurricular offer. Our co-curriculum aims to provide a wide-range of experiences and the school actively encourages all students to participate in these. Student Progress Tutors monitor participation of their students and the school surveys students regularly to analyse the levels of take-up of activities by different groups within the school.