All classes are small with a maximum of eight pupils, thus enabling a high level of individual help. Where necessary, more intensive tuition on a one-to-one basis is arranged.
All teaching staff are fully qualified and have many years experience in this particular field of education. In addition, our SENCO organises a highly qualified team of specialists who together develop learning strategies, monitor and assess pupils’ progress and produce reports for parents and LEAs.
All children follow the National Curriculum. Computers are available in all classrooms enabling the delivery of Information Technology in a cross-curricular manner as well as being used extensively by the English department.
English
English can obviously be a daunting subject for our students and whichever examination course they follow in Years 10 and 11, they receive a high level of teacher input to help them feel at ease about the skills needed to tackle these exams confidently. Depending on the level of their literacy skills when they enter Year 10, students are either placed on courses towards GCSE English or the Entry Level English course. The syllabus followed for GCSE English requires students to complete four pieces of coursework - Shakespeare, Media, original writing and studying a prose text. In addition there are two terminal examinations which test students reading and writing skills in a number of ways, including their response to poetry.
There is also a Speaking and Listening element in which students are tested on their skills at describing, narrating, explaining, imagining, discussion and argument.
The Entry Level English is an exam for those students whose literacy skills would not permit them to tackle the demands of GCSE. The course covers all the Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening requirements at Key Stage 4 of the National Curriculum and takes the form of units of coursework, with an externally set test paper at the end of each unit. It allows students to develop their skills through a wide range of informal and formal writing tasks and make oral and written responses to poetry and prose. In addition all students in Year 10, 11 and Sixth Form continue to develop their personal reading, writing and spelling skills through their Individual Education Programme.
Mathematics
Mathematics should provide a challenge and a sense of achievement for all pupils. At Nunnykirk, pupils gain pleasure and enjoyment from mathematical activities and derive satisfaction from a sense of achievement, thus gaining confidence in their ability to do mathematics at the appropriate level. Numbers can be exciting, challenging tools or the cause of great anxiety. The mathematics syllabus is designed so that pupils may cover it thoroughly, enabling them to gain in confidence and tackle mathematical tasks without anxiety and effectively use these tools within both school and the world of work.
Each student’s work is based around a six monthly individual education plan. Two important tools used in maths at Nunnykirk are finger multiplication and box method technique. All pupils follow a certificated course of mathematics as well as a GCSE modular course with the OCR exam board.
Science
The laboratory is well equipped with an interactive SMART board, digital projector and data logging equipment. Courses at Key Stage 2 and 3 are very practically based with many opportunities for the pupils to expand their knowledge of the subject through investigations and experimentation. In addition, full use is made of the 12 acre site we are fortunate enough to be set in. The River Font, which flows through the grounds, provides more than ample opportunity for field work. Older pupils follow a modular course of study that leads to a Single Award Science GCSE.
Art & Design / Photography
This is a highly successful and popular area of creative study at Nunnykirk where students often achieve the highest grades at GCSE, AS and A2 level. Specialised Art & Design courses run throughout the school -- with the younger students involved in a wide range of art & craft materials, year 9 developing their studies into work using graphic media to explore Fine Art themes as well as work involving photography, and as popular options in years 10 and 11, to study Art & Design: Fine Art and Art & Design: Photography at GCSE. Students often make remarkable progress and achieve the highest levels in these areas, going on to successfully continue their studies in Fine Art and Photography courses in the Sixth Form at Nunnykirk. Students have also carried out further diploma and degree courses in Fine Art and Photography at college and university. All work is rooted in the study of previous artists, photographers and crafts people and involves gallery and museum visits where relevant or necessary. There is an annual visit abroad for AS and A2 art and photography work -- Cologne, Paris and Budapest have been visited recently.
Expressive Arts
This course is for students whose strengths are creative subjects. Students undertake a series of workshops and use a wide range of stimuli towards extensive projects, which take place over the two years. They also have to write four pieces of critical analysis on each project and complete a presentation with evaluation of their work showing a combination of two art forms from art, visual arts, drama, literature, dance and textiles. In addition to the coursework there is a terminal controlled test in which pupils must work towards a presentation and evaluation.
ICT
Information and Communications Technology involves itself with preparing our students for the increasingly computer dominated world in which we live. Through study of a wide range of software applications, whether spreadsheets or databases, computer graphics or the Internet, students can use and gain experience with modern computer systems and follow a range of GCSE and practically based courses in Information and Communications Technology.
Geography
Geography promotes an understanding of the world and man’s place within it. Students follow courses in Geography throughout the school and can choose a GCSE course as an option in years 10 and 11. The work is often video or diagram based and many opportunities are taken to carry out geography work in the local environment. In the GCSE course students carry out two practical physical geography fieldwork assignments using specialised surveying equipment, concerning glaciation and river erosion in the Cheviot Hills.
Home Economics
All pupils do food studies up to the end of Key Stage 3 when they are able to choose the subject as a GCSE option in Food and Nutrition. The course deals with the safe and hygienic handling of food with opportunities to design own food products and evaluate them, cater in groups for parties and join in the work of a production line, mass producing food items. This is a practical based subject with an emphasis on healthy eating and the preparation of fresh food where students cook, prepare and handle food during every lesson up to the end of Key Stage 3. Students gain great satisfaction from the successful completion of their own efforts and often amaze themselves at the quality and standard of products they produce , which, in turn, greatly leads to confidence building. This course serves as a basis for many students who carry on their food studies at colleges of further education.
History
History is all around us at Nunnykirk and we try to make it come alive as much as possible. An enquiring approach is used with students to encourage them to become good historical investigators. Key skills are developed which can be applied to all sorts of situations, such as understanding how people think; what motivates them; what they think and feel; gathering and reading different kinds of information and communicating ideas clearly. There are strong links to Citizenship throughout the History curriculum and at each stage historical study is supported by a range of practical activities including visits to museums and places of historic interest. Students can take Short Course History to GCSE level and here they study Modern World and British History, concentrating on the Cold War and the Second World War.
Physical Education
Challenge, Achievement and Fun - we aim to provide experiences that are challenging but within their range of abilities, for them to attain success and a sense of achievement while taking part in all levels of sport. We follow the National Curriculum in lessons and also provide many opportunities for our pupils to participate in a wide range of extra curricular activities.
An Outdoor Education programme is incorporated into the curriculum and through our association with the Shorebase Trust on the coast at Amble, pupils take part in water sports giving them the opportunities to learn new skills and gain self confidence and obtain BCU and RYA qualifications.
Nunnykirk has playing fields and a floodlit all-weather surface on which a range of traditional games and athletics activities take place. There are indoor facilities for a range of Gymnastic / Trampolining activities, Table Tennis and Badminton.
Pupils are divided into two houses that provide opportunities for sporting competitions throughout the year culminating in the Summer Term with our traditional Sports Day and Swimming Gala. Year 10 and 11 can participate in GCSE Short Course P.E. Pupils of all sporting abilities are catered for and progress is encouraged by following nationally recognised sporting awards.
Rural Studies
At Nunnykirk we keep pigs, hens, ducks, geese and turkeys. There are vegetable plots, a greenhouse and fruit trees. The pupils learn to look after all of them. The responsibility of feeding, watering and caring for the animals, maintaining buildings, fences and growing crops, all offer a wide variety of practical learning experiences out of the classroom. Pupils can opt to follow this subject at exam level in Years 10 and 11. We also have a variety of machines which pupils maintain and use safely.
Resistant Materials
The Juniors and Years 7, 8 and 9 are given opportunities to design and make artefacts using wood in the Woodwork sessions. In Years 10 and 11 pupils can opt to follow the subject at GCSE level when there is a change of title to Resistant Materials as projects can include the use of plastics and metal. Technological activities provide pupils with opportunities to solve problems in a practical way through synthesising their knowledge of other subjects. The workshop is equipped with a range of woodworking machinery, power and hand tools. Pupils are instructed in their correct use and only allowed to operate according to age and experience and under close supervision. Pupils are made aware of the issues surrounding Health & Safety when working in a practical area.
Music
Music is taught up to the end of Key Stage 3. Throughout the course a relaxed atmosphere is adopted to build up each student’s self-confidence and enjoyment of the subject. Units of work are topic based and often geared to the student’s own interest. Within each unit, a wide range of musical activities are offered, such as electric keyboard work, creative work, musical games, listening to music and computer software is used for creative work. All these activities are designed to build upon a student’s strengths at a pace they are able to cope with while developing skills and interest.
Religious Education
Religious Education is Christian-based with additional topics on Judaism and Islam as well as multi-cultural topics to develop understanding and empathy. A range of software is used to develop interest and study skills. In the upper school students are encouraged to develop their discussion skills in topics ranging from suffering and euthanasia to life after death and global topics.
Drama and Swimming
These are included in the curriculum for all children up to and including Year 9. Entry Level Drama is available from Year 10 onwards.
Health and Sex Education
This is provided throughout the school but more specifically in a PSHE course followed by Years 9, 10 and 11. Details of this course are available at parents’ request. Should parents wish their child to be withdrawn from any part of this course, they should apply to the Headteacher.
Careers
Nunnykirk has extensive careers advice facilities and also has close links with Connexions and Trident (Careers Service). All children receive careers education as part of the curriculum, particularly during the last two years in school. All pupils participate in a period of work experience and/or taster courses at a local college during this time. Most pupils go on to further education or vocational courses.
Citizenship Studies
From 2002 all students in England have been required to study Citizenship as a National Curriculum subject. Citizenship Studies contributes to the school curriculum by giving students the knowledge, understanding and skills to enable them to participate in society as active citizens of our democracy.
Years 10 and 11 follow the GCSE short course in Citizenship, which is assessed by means of a coursework project outlining a citizenship activity and a final exam. the topics covered during this course are:
• School, Work and the Local Community
• National and European Citizenship
• Global Citizenship
Citizenship Studies contributes to the school curriculum by giving students the knowledge, understanding and skills to enable them to participate in society as active citizens of our democracy. This specification provides an ideal framework through which to deliver and assess the subject in Key Stage 4.
General Studies
The General Studies programme followed by the Sixth Form at Nunnykirk builds on the school’s Citizenship curriculum and aims to provide an opportunity to deal with a range of contemporary issues in ways that take account of their interdisciplinary nature. The aims of the General Studies curriculum are to enable pupils to develop the ability to view concepts, discrete knowledge and situations from a wider standpoint than that of a single discipline. The students will develop an awareness of contemporary issues and their importance nationally and/or internationally while attempting to understand information from a range of sources and to extend understanding by discussion, reading and working independently.