Curriculum

Students have on-going and structured access to the core subjects of English, Maths and Science which are delivered creatively and in varied contexts.

The main aim of the curriculum is to ensure a non-compromising focus on core learning (English, Maths and Science) and to support students to make positive additional curriculum choices to nurture a love for learning.

Through its affiliation with Everton Football Club, the school places a strong emphasis on Sport and PE, but we also work with our partners to promote other curriculum areas such as the arts, hair and beauty, construction and child care.

Schemes of Work are designed to differentiate for a range of abilities, so students can move more quickly or more slowly according to individual profiles. We measure progress regularly and allow students a weekly opportunity to assess this with their assigned tutor.

At KS4, our full-time, permanent students have the opportunity to work towards GCSE qualifications or their equivalent, recognising the concept that knowledge can fall outside traditional subject boundaries and that learning can be achieved and organised in different ways.

Our curriculum includes opportunities for projects that draw on several subject perspectives, and we also ensure that teachers have opportunities to get involved with subjects other than their own. In our alternative provision context, bespoke learning packages are an important component of the student experience at the school. Our aim is to balance challenge with choice.

Please click here to read our curriculum policy.

To find out more information about the curriculum we follow, please send us a message via our Contact Us page.  Summer school funding breakdown

At Everton Free School & Football College we are fully committed to reviewing and evaluating all our practices and procedures to ensure we provide the highest quality of education possible for all our learners.

Quality assurance ensures that Everton Free School & Football College works towards recognised national standards. It is used to standardise and support teaching, learning and assessment.

Our quality procedures relate to all vocational programmes with an emphasis on assessment and internal verification based on the achievement of learning outcomes and criteria as identified by the awarding body.

Quality is monitored and ensured through:

• Internal verification.
• Support from middle and senior management to ensure all staff are aware of key dates, updates and future developments.
• Attendance and completion of training events/courses.
• Sampling of student work across all sites and cohorts. Support and feedback given and where necessary actions sanctioned to ensure assessors meet the required standards.
• Regular team and management meetings to support teaching, learning and assessment.

We are monitored and assessed twice a year for every individual vocational course that we deliver. This involves visits from awarding bodies to check policies, procedures and the standard of teaching, learning and assessment.  The reports reflect the excellent quality measures and high standards of our staff and students.

"The English language is a work in progress. Have fun with it." - Jonathan Culver

'Viewed freely, the English Language is the accretion and growth of every dialect, race, and range of time and is both the free and compacted composition of all.' - Walt Whitman
 
Everton Free School and Football College English Department welcomes students from ages 13-18 with an English curriculum that aims to inspire, enthuse and challenge all students. The English department offers GCSEs in both English Language and English Literature alongside Functional Skills English at Level 1 and Level 2 for those students who cannot access GCSE level. All students follow detailed and differentiated schemes of work that are reviewed regularly within the department.

All Year 9 students follow a Creative Curriculum, this includes a continued, sharp focus upon reading and Literacy skills each term, embedding IT, History and Geography with a creative approach, flexibility, and clear vision, aiming to give all students a pathway to build upon their social skills and using an outreach program embedded within their core subjects.
 

Key stage 3

Key stage 4
The English department delivers the WJEC Eduqas 9-1 GCSE in English Language (Year 11) and Eduqas 9-1 English Literature (Year 10), both follow a one-year plan that incorporates the assessment objectives which are clearly outlined within the specification.
 

Year 11

Year 10

Key Stage 5
Our 6th Form curriculum content follows the Eduqas GCSE English Language 9-1 course; the scheme of work follows a one-year plan stated within the specification and relies mostly on revision techniques and revision questions based on the assumption that students have previously completed a full GCSE English Language course of study. Functional skills are also available at Key Stage 5 particularly for those students who have unique circumstances and / or EAL students.

"The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics." - Paul Halmos
 
Our qualification aims and objectives are to enable students to:

• Develop fluent knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts
• Acquire, select and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems
• Reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences, and draw conclusions
• Comprehend, interpret and communicate mathematical information in a variety of forms appropriate to the information and context.

Based on students covering differing elements of the curriculum in their previous schools, a flexible approach has beenadopted towards the order of topics taught and also the length of time allocated to each topic.

Key Stage 3
Year 9 students will have a bespoke programme linked closely to the GCSE specification based on the schools mixed year groupings. Work is differentiated and is focused on ensuring they secure key mathematical skills, knowledge and understanding.

Key Stage 4
Our Year 10/11 students currently follows the Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Mathematics Specification (1MA1) which allows each student to achieve a graded 9-1 GCSE in Mathematics.

GCSE Mathematics curriculum content and assessment covers:

• Number
• Algebra
• Ratio, proportion and rates
• Geometry and Measures
• Probability
• Statistics

The scheme of work is specifically designed and delivered with a degree of flexibility due to the nature of consistent new starters throughout the academic year. The majority of our students complete the Foundation Tier programme which enables them to achieve a Grade 1-5.

The curriculum is externally assessed in the summer term and involves three equally-weighted written examination papers with 80 marks on each paper, each contributing to 33.3% of the final grade. Each student is permitted to take assessments in either the Foundation tier or Higher tier.

Our Sixth form Mathematics curriculum currently follows the Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Mathematics Specification (1MA1) which allows each student to achieve a graded 9-1 GCSE in Mathematics. The scheme of work is specifically designed for a post-16 one-year revision course based on the assumption that candidates have already completed a full GCSE Mathematics course of study and are re-sitting the qualification.

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." - Marie Curie

The science department at Everton Free School is made up of passionate and dedicated teachers keen on helping students understand the scientific method and the universe around us.

Lessons take place in our two brand-new and purpose-built laboratories on the first floor of the school, surrounding a central preparation room. Our science classrooms are equipped with Interactive Smart Boards and one is equipped with a fume cupboard to allow us to demonstrate exciting chemical reactions in safety.

The department is supported by the invaluable expertise of a science technician whose meticulous planning allows for a range of practical activities to be undertaken by students in all year groups and of all abilities. Students also benefit from access to our experienced and highly-qualified technician assistants.

Years 10 and 11 - Combined Science
The AQA Combined Science (Synergy) course is taken by the majority of Year 10 and 11 students at Everton Free School and is split into two components, Life Science and Physical Science.

Life Science includes the following units:

Unit 1 - Building blocks.
Unit 2 - Transport over large distances.
Unit 3 - Interactions with the environment.
Unit 4 - Explaining change.

Physical science is made up of:

Unit 5 - Building Blocks.
Unit 6 - Interactions over small and large distances.
Unit 7 - Movement and interactions.
Unit 8 - Guiding spaceship Earth towards a sustainable future.

All units involve students taking part in Required Practicals. They will be assessed in their understanding of these Practicals in the examination at the end of the course.

Students will sit four examination papers at the end of Year 11.

The specifications for the course can be downloaded from the AQA website: http://aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-synergy-8465

Alternatively, we also provide opportunities to study Entry Level Science for those students who are not yet ready to take GCSE Science

Examining Body: WJEC

Assessment: There are 2 aspects to the course which are externally assessed at the end of the course.
60% of the final grade comes from one 60 minute exam paper.

Component 1: Introduction to Physical Education

• Health, Fitness and Well-being
• Exercise Physiology
• Movement Analysis

40% of the final grade is from assessment. Learners will be assessed in two different activities. These must be a combination of individual and team sports e.g. 1 team sport and 1 individual sport.

Component 2: The Active Participant in Physical Education
Practical assessment will be ongoing throughout the course and pupils will be required to demonstrate their skills in a variety of drill situations and competitive conditions while under pressure. 

Full details of the course specification can be found by clicking here.

Students are given the opportunity to study an option each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.

These options are designed to engage students into teaching and learning, motivate and improve behaviour, develop vocational skills and enhance students' knowledge, achievement and attainment.

This curriculum enables personalised learning that equips students with the skills they need to progress and achieve, and the choices available are as follows:

Childcare - More information coming soon
Creative Studies - More information coming soon

Art & Design
Our students have the option of completing a range of Art & Design qualifications including WJEC GCSE Art & Design, NCFE Level 1 and Level 2 Award in Creative Craft.

There are a number of avenues students can take when completing NCFE creative Craft such as Textiles, Floristry, Cake decorating and Art & Design. Within Art, the qualifications aim to extend and further develop students' skills, extend students' knowledge and understanding of the creative craft process and demonstrate Health and Safety throughout.

Students explore raw materials, evaluate their own work, develop ideas and learning through the craft process; and have the opportunity to display pieces of art work throughout the school, giving students a sense of pride and ownership of their achievements.

English Blast
We hold Extra English classes in the school week from Tuesday to Thursday, during the final period of the day. Students choose this option in order to enhance their Reading and Writing skills, alongside Speaking and Listening techniques.

During these option periods, students are taught all the skills they need to gain awards in Functional Skills English.

Functional Skills are available to students from Entry Levels 1-3 and Levels 1-2. It is a successful option and covers a range of topics, along with giving students many opportunities to learn from 'the alternative classroom' including our very own Goodison Park.

Maths Options - 'Maths Blast'
We have a small group of students who have chosen to do Extra Maths in the afternoons. They complete two regular catch-up lessons in the classroom and one creative lesson a week which takes place at Everton Football Club in the Executive boxes. Some activities include demonstrating their knowledge through quizzes, using their creativity to complete displays and being taken on offsite on Mathematical based trips were they can apply what they have learned in the real world.

Music
Key Stage 4: Year 10 and 11 students currently follow the NCFE Music Technology Award.

DJing is a core element of the music programme offered at Everton Free School.

Students learn the basics of DJing and the following skills:
* Mixing techniques including 'beat matching' and 'looping'
* How to set up a DJ station
* How the various components interact with each other.

We currently have three DJ stations set up in the music room, all with different functions and offering a variety of effects and methods in which songs can be mixed and DJ sets can be built.

Students build their record libraries from songs within their own collections and others sourced from the internet. Each student works on a six-song DJ set, which is performed in school.

Professional DJs come in to school regularly to perform for the students and work with them on a one-to-one basis.
Students also have the opportunity to learn how to play piano, sing, play drums and guitar. These can be taught as a group or in a one-to-one lesson after school if the student feels he/she needs more time.

During music lessons students often go into Liverpool to learn about the history of music in our city and discover new talent by watching live music.

Some of our Year 11 students have been accepted into various music colleges in Liverpool to further their study of the subject.

Dance
Dance is a great way to help improve students' physical health and their wellbeing.

Our dance programme offers Level 1 & 2 Dance Leadership qualifications which serve to engage students. It gives you the tools to lead physical activity sessions and, further, develop your employability skills.

One Year 11 student said: "Dance Leaders has really given me the confidence to go out and chase my dreams."

The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust Achieve programme is a flexible provision for 11-19-year-olds who are experiencing challenges with attendance, attainment or motivation and may be at risk of exclusion or not attaining the grades they are capable of.

It is designed to help young people who are struggling to develop important character skills through relevant, engaging and informal learning, and connect them with the world of work.

Students will have access to a qualified construction tutor, available at all their Free to Choose sessions. They will also be a part of various community projects throughout the city - for example providing a wheelchair accessible allotment for one of our local SEND schools - and they will gain joinery and gardening skills as part of projects in the community and enterprise.

Prince's Trust groups in the past have completed projects alongside companies like Merseyrail and Merseytravel, as well as Everton in the Community.

As part of the programme, students explore the following:

• Personal and social development - by working in small groups you are able to meet new people and make new friends
• Life skills - through fun and interactive sessions, you will learn how to manage money, be healthy and stay safe
• Active citizenship - working as part of a team to make a difference to your local community
• Enterprise project - this is a Dragons' Den-style challenge which puts your entrepreneurial skills to the test
• Preparation for work - learning how to create a tip-top CV, practice for future interviews and explore your skills and talents

Sport
Sport at Everton Free School aims to develop pupils' competence and confidence to take part in a range of physical activities that become a central part of their lives, both in and out of school.

Our sport curriculum aims to enable all pupils to enjoy and succeed in many kinds of physical activity: in lessons you will develop a wide range of skills, strategies and compositional ideas to perform successfully and, when you are performing, think about what you are doing, analyse the situation and make decisions.

You also reflect on their own and others' performances and find ways to improve them. In our sport and extra-curricular programmes, pupils learn about the key concepts of physical education, which are:

• Competence
• Performance
• Creativity
• Healthy, active lifestyles

And they learn about the key processes that underpin these:

• Developing skills
• Making and applying decisions
• Developing physical and mental capacity
• Evaluating and improving
• Making informed choices

Each student receives two hours of entitlement to core PE every week (two lessons). For those students who choose sport as an Option, a further three hours are added.

For Free to Choose Friday, students can choose sport for a further three hours and aim to obtain an accredited qualification - Level 1-2 NCFE in Health and Fitness.

Everton Free School is also entered into a Football League run by Liverpool County FA in which students compete against 14 other Alternative Provision schools. We also work with local boxing clubs including Anfield and Liverpool North Boxing Clubs - those students who opt to choose boxing within core sport lessons can work towards the England Junior Boxers Leaders Award.

Sports include: Dance (leading to a Sports Leaders UK Dance Award), badminton, football, dodgeball, table tennis and boxing.

Table Tennis
Table Tennis is offered as an option here at Everton Free School. It is a fun way to exercise, make new friends and socialise while developing co-ordination, timing, balance and improving personal fitness.

Players learn the etiquette, rules and regulations of Table Tennis, and have the added opportunity to progress onto, and enter, local Youth Table Tennis leagues and competitions.