The Emmanuel College curriculum is designed to engage all students, no matter their background, in a broad and balanced range of subjects. Our curriculum is knowledge-rich, where knowledge is defined as ‘that which we believe to be true’. Within the curriculum, therefore, knowledge is the starting point of a student’s journey to mastery.

Our curriculum enables students to:

1. Acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
2. Cultivate strong character and the intellectual discipline to apply their learnt knowledge correctly.

Emmanuel College is committed, for all students, to:  

• Have access to an ambitious, coherent, knowledge-rich curriculum that allows all students to acquire and apply knowledge.
• Experience a straightforward delivery of said curriculum, supported by effective sequencing of topics with long term learning at it’s core.
• Engage in reliable assessments that accurately gauge students’ progress through the curriculum and further embed knowledge.

In order to support effective curriculum delivery in the classroom, teachers should regularly gather information on students’ knowledge and understanding of what has been taught. They should regularly use low stakes testing in lessons and, alongside departmental assessments, gain a better understanding of where students are in their learning journey and were they need to go. 

Effective delivery of the curriculum in lessons should include, but is not limited to: 

• content which is knowledge-rich;
• an understanding of how students learn, lessons which are planned with this in mind;
• opportunities for all learners to succeed;
• classroom discussion and targeted questioning, delivering passion for the subject you teach;
• regular low stakes testing such as multiple-choice questions and retrieval to understand progress and common misconceptions;
• application of knowledge and skills in new contexts, challenging all learners to stretch their understanding of a topic;
• extended writing and practice;
• feedback which students can act on immediately, both in written format, and verbal.

Key Stage Three and Four Curriculum

*In Year 7 students study one language, either French or Spanish. In Year 8, students have the option to pick up a second language (from French, Spanish, German, or Latin). All four languages are available at GCSE and from 2024 are offered at A level.

**All students in Year 7 have 1 timetabled reading lesson per week. Single linguists in Year 8 and Year 9 continue to have one timetabled reading lesson per week.

***GCSE option choices include Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Design and Technology, Drama, Economics, Food Preparation and Nutrition, Graphic Communication, Music, French, German, Spanish Latin, Geography and History. BTEC Digital Information Technology, Enterprise, Travel and Tourism, and Health and Social Care. CNAT in Engineering and Sports Studies.

Sixth Form

Most students study three A Level subjects, or equivalent, and are expected to study these subjects through to the end of Year 13. Alongside A Levels in typically 20 subjects, the College offers BTECs in Applied Law, Business, Engineering, Health and Social Care, IT and Science and Cambridge Technical in Sport and Physical Activity. A minority of students study four A Levels (especially those who take Further Maths). The College week allows for five lessons of teaching per A Level subject per week, and a large proportion of subjects are taught by two teachers.

A copy of our Sixth Form prospectus with our full course offer can be downloaded here.