LEARNING

The new curriculum at Suffolk New Academy will ensure all students have the skills, breadth of experience and specialist opportunities which will secure successful progression into further studies and employment.

The curriculum begins in Year 7 with our foundation year during which students will ensure the basic skills for learning (literacy, numeracy, ICT and Being a Learner Skills) are secured through both discrete learning and experiences across the broader range of subjects in this year.  One key element in this will be the Being a Learner programme.  This is a series of lessons delivered throughout Year 7 specifically to develop skills such as teamwork, self-management, enquiry and creativity.  These lessons will be followed up by the use of the skills in all subject areas in Year 7 and beyond.

In Years 8 and 9 students will put these skills to use in the context of a full complement of National Curriculum subjects.  Learning will be focused, engaging and built around a firm understanding of the most recent research into how we learn and develop.

In Key Stage 4 the Academy will ensure that there are a wide range of opportunities for all students to follow courses of study appropriate to their interests, strengths and future plans.  These opportunities will be delivered in close partnership with our Sponsor, Suffolk New College, providing new and exciting opportunities to students previously unavailable such as engineering and horticulture.  Whilst the range of courses will be developed as the Academy grows we will also ensure that the standards which employers and other educational providers expect are provided for all students. 

At KS4 the course studied are:

Extended activities at Suffolk New Academy

All students are encouraged to participate in the wide range of extended activities available. This starts early with a work out at the fitness centre before the day starts and a breakfast in our canteen.  At the end of the day there are many activities to take part in; science and computer clubs, music, drama, dj-ing, and the list is always growing. The end of the day is a good time to catch up with school work in the library, or go to the 'safe place to be' which is open late, or drop in to one of the many learning sessions.

Sport plays a big part in the life of the Academy; the Academy participates at local and county level in many of the traditional sports - football, netball, hockey, cricket, basketball and rugby. More unusual sports and activities are also offered from hip hop dancing and judo to skiing. The Academy has up to date sports facilities, a brand new fitness suite and all-weather outdoor pitches.

Every alternate Wednesday during the afternoon, Suffolk New Academy students follow an Enrichment Programme.  During this time they can choose from a range of activities including web design, yoga, crocheting, photography, cribbage, footmatics, broadcasting, trampolining, skipping, creative activities, boatbuilding and many other skills. This gives the students an opportunity to learn something that they wouldn’t normally, with peers that they may not normally work with.  It is an ideal time to learn team building and social skills.