The curriculum at Birkdale High provides a personalised experience for our students, designed to meet their individual needs. This is achieved by:

• Treating all students as individuals.
• Planning learning to meet the needs all of our students.
• Offering a comprehensive range of subjects to be studied.
• Focusing on developing students’ skills.
• Providing different curriculum pathways.
• Providing a range of extended learning experiences outside of the classroom.
• Ensuring students have access to high quality information, advice and guidance.

In Years 7 and 8, the aim is to improve our students’ skills and knowledge. To achieve this, the focus is on both subject specific and students’ personal, learning and thinking skills. Students are taught in ‘Form Groups’ throughout the stage (apart from in Mathematics when they are ‘setted’) and subject knowledge is also enhanced through the development of the aforementioned skills. Additionally, through PSHCE (including SRE)/CEIAG lessons), students will have extended opportunities to develop their learning.

The subjects studied are:
English, Mathematics, Science, Computing, Art, Drama, Music, Design and Technology, Foreign Languages – French and Spanish, Humanities – Geography, History, Religious Education, Physical Education and Personal, Social, Health & Citizenship Education.

In Years 9, 10 and 11, as well as following a core curriculum, students are able to choose from a range of courses to make up their studies. These courses include traditional GCSEs, applied GCSEs and BTECs. This gives students the opportunity to gain at least 10 GSCEs or the equivalent thereof. Students follow either an EBacc, academic or vocational pathway, depending on their choice of courses; providing an excellent route for advanced studies in Further Education and beyond. Students are also involved in PSHCE (including SRE/CEIAG) lessons.

All students take a common core of subjects:

English Language, English Literature, Mathematics (option to do Statistics), Science (option to do Triple Science), Religious Education, Physical Education, and Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE).

Additionally students are able to choose courses from:

GCSE courses in:
Art and Design, Drama, Music, Computer Science, Design and Technology, French, Spanish, Geography, History, Physical Education.

BTEC/OCR Cambridge Nationals courses in:
Catering and Hygiene, Creative IMedia and Sport Science, Alternative Curriculum.

Students take the core subjects [English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science, RE, Careers and PE] in Years 9, 10 and 11. They have a choice of four options in which they will sit a final examination at the end of Year 11.

Option subjects include:
Art and Design, Drama, Music.
Computer Science, I-Media.
Resistant Materials, Food.
French, Spanish.
GCSE PE, Sports Studies.
History and Geography.