Whole School Curriculum Intent:
St Mark’s School is a smaller than average sized 11-16 comprehensive school, taking students from Larkhall, across the City of Bath and the surrounding area. The curriculum at St Mark’s, within the mainstream school and within our MLD Resource Base, is designed to fulfil the school’s vision to inspire students to achieve their goals and be a force for good both in school and the world beyond. Being a school of faith, our students are encouraged by the words in Matthew 5:16, which tells them to ‘Let your light shine’, reminding them to have aspiration, resilience and to value the importance of community in their work.
Our students arrive with a wide range of experiences from primary school and a significant number join us, yet to meet age related expectations, at the end of Key Stage 2. Thus, we quickly identify the specific needs of each of our learners and focus on the fast acquisition of reading skills so that they are able to quickly make progress and meet age related expectations by the end of our Key Stage 3 curriculum.
Academic and vocational qualifications are the cornerstone of educational success at St Mark’s and we have a curriculum offer at Key Stage 4 that enables learners at all levels to achieve their personal best. We also feel that being ready for the world of work and having the skills and personal qualities to become healthy, resilient individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society are also equally important. As our school community lacks the ethnic and cultural diversity that is representative of life in Great Britain, our curriculum also focuses on opportunities to promote issues of equality and a thorough understanding of British Values.
Our Curriculum Offer is:
- Aspirational so that students achieve well and develop belief in themselves
- Creative, to allow all of our students to thrive while developing their true identities
- Meaningful and contemporary so that students are gaining the knowledge and skills that they need to exist in the ever changing world beyond school
- Rigorous, challenging and motivating so that our students find joy in, and learn to value, the commitment needed to learn and live well
- Personalised, supportive and collaborative, allowing our students to develop their resilience, interdependence and the skills needed to have a positive contribution in the school and wider community
- Supportive of local, national and international dimensions which develops a cultural capital that prepares our students for any challenge that they face when they move through the different phases of their lives
Being a faith school, students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is integral to the education we provide. Therefore, our curriculum, collective worship and House events all have a strong focus on students’ personal development and well-being.
If you would like more detail on the Curriculum Intent and Implementation at St Mark’s School Please click here.
Subject Intent
For further information on individual Subject Intent, please see our Subject Intent Documents
If you would like to find out more about the curriculum please contact Mr Nick Barley, Assistant Headteacher via: nbarley@st-marks.org.uk
Options 2023-2025
For the options booklet September 2023-2025 please click here.
For the options presentation 2023-2025 please click here.
Key Stage 5
For further information on our Key Stage 5 offering, please see: Studying at the New Sixth