Academic rigour

We believe all children are entitled to the powerful knowledge which maximises life chances. Children need powerful knowledge to understand and interpret the world. Without it, they remain dependent upon those who have it.

Powerful knowledge is cognitively superior to that needed for daily life. It transcends and liberates students from their daily experience. So, our curriculum is led by, collaborated on and delivered by high-quality subject specialists.

We know that a good curriculum will always be contested… if we don’t care for quality then the very thinking of our students will be dumbed down. So, the grammar of each subject is given high status; the specifics of what we want students to learn matter and the traditions of subject disciplines are respected.

In our education philosophy, skills and understanding are seen as forms of knowledge. We do not believe that there are any real generic skills that can be taught outside of specific knowledge domains. That being the case, the curriculum should be planned vertically and horizontally giving thought to the optimum knowledge sequence. It should be designed to be remembered in detail. Our schools serve diverse communities, so we believe the curriculum should embrace and value the most powerful knowledge from a variety of cultures and traditions.

At each Key Stage, the curriculum should focus on closing gaps, early intervention, and developing the core literacy and numeracy skills for success at that level. Curriculum breadth and cultural capital are key to our mission.

Regardless of setting, streaming or mixed ability classes, students of all abilities are entitled to powerful knowledge. And most importantly, they are entitled to high currency qualifications which improve their life chances. As such, at Dixons, we believe in preparing students thoroughly both for national assessment and for further study.

Download the 'Curriculum on 1 page' document at the bottom of this page.