The Haverstock Curriculum

Art & Design

The Art & Design curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills to experience, interpret and shape the world around us now and in the future. 

Students will develop their critical understanding of the past in order to explore the context of the present through a process of experimentation, collaboration and review. 

At KS3 students’ learning will be project based centred around research, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and a celebration of people, cultures and art movements from around the world. 

At KS4 students will study Art, Craft and Design with three projects in Y10: Introduction to GCSE Art & Design, Language, Power & Art and Portraiture. In Y11 students explore the theme ‘Structure’ and an Exam unit set by the examining board.

At KS5 skills development is crucial with painting, drawing, photography and sculpture taught in lessons. We work with external organisations and artists year on year to provide students with ‘real world’ experiences within the arts and beyond the classroom. Current partners are The Royal Drawing School, October Gallery, The Young New Contemporaries and Freelands Foundation. Co-curriculum opportunities are integral to the learning in Art & Design. We encourage all students to get involved with the many opportunities on offer. 

Business

The Business curriculum at Haverstock School is designed to create the next generation of entrepreneurs. Students become adept in their understanding of enterprise, entrepreneurship and the principles behind effective business management. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to take students on a journey through starting up and running a business, starting with the skills needed to have a critical view of risk and reward, moving onto funding, business plans and profitability. Students are then encouraged to aim high through focus on understanding of how a business survives, grows and flourishes. By the end of KS4, students will have secure and holistic knowledge on the world of business, supporting them both as consumers in a consumer society, but also as future employees within businesses. 

At KS5, our various Business qualification curricula deliver an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that empowers our students to become life-long learners and successful global citizens. There are options of Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Business programmes, to accommodate students of all needs and ability, reflecting the inclusive nature of Haverstock School. At each stage, students are taught with uncompromising quality about business finance, marketing, motivating staff, expanding abroad and business organisation. Students further develop their knowledge of key themes required to become global citizens, including global business strategies in an increasingly globalised world. In addition to the knowledge-rich curriculum, students develop their analytical skills, ensuring that they are given the tools to reach their own interpretations about information presented, such that they can make strategic and informed decisions as consumers and potential entrepreneurs. 

Launching in 2024, the exciting new T-Level in Management and Administration has been designed to incorporate in school learning with an exciting 45 day work placement. This means that in addition to the bespoke knowledge-rich curriculum, students will develop their soft skills, including their decision-making, team-working, interpersonal skills and organisation. This two-year programme, equivalent to three A-Levels, outsources 20% of the course to blue-chip employers, making Haverstock students uniquely employable at the end of the course. 

All Business curricula celebrate the incredible diversity of Haverstock students, and embed vital lessons about equality and diversity in Business throughout all key stages. Students studying Business at Haverstock leave their courses with qualifications, skills and critically, higher aspirations and ambitions. 

Citizenship

The study of Citizenship at GCSE provides students with the tools to understand the world around us. Students will build political literacy and an understanding of local, national and global events. Students will engage in thought provoking discussions and explore the relationship between their class studies and the real world. Overtime, students will accumulate skills to be able to debate and present a balanced argument. 

Through the study of citizenship students attain a greater understanding of global organisations, for example, considering the role of NATO, the UK and the Commonwealth. At the end of KS4 students will have an understanding of the law and justice system and ethical questions around living in the UK, the media and world organisations. In addition, all students will have completed an active citizenship project as part of their Citizenship GCSE studies, which prepares them effectively for post-16 study by instilling them with the  confidence to carry out research and lead their own projects.

Citizenship offers a range of co-curricular activities to ensure that students have an opportunity to develop not only their critical curiosity but also their communication skills. Citizenship at Haverstock provides students with the opportunity to work with local charities such as Water Aid, Mind and A21. Students are also given an opportunity to visit Parliament and  compete in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge.

Computer Science

Computer Science at Haverstock School celebrates digital literacy in all our students. This is underpinned by communication, problem-solving, and practical programming skills. Our curriculum prioritises the critical skill of coding while contextualising digital systems in a changing world. Students studying Computer Science at Haverstock are encouraged to question their digital experiences, and understand the significance, power and influence these systems have on our evolving world. Equality and diversity are embedded into our Computer Science curriculum, celebrating our diverse community, and the diversity within the world of Computer Science. 

Through the Computer Science curriculum, Haverstock students are equipped with digital fluency setting them up to participate effectively and safely beyond the classroom. Computer Science gives students essential skills not only for their future careers, but also so they can become active members of an increasingly digitised world. 

At KS3, students develop logical thinking skills, understand data capture and processing, digital safety, and learn to use specialised application software to implement algorithms and create innovative solutions.

At KS4 students develop their capability, creativity and knowledge in computer science, digital media and information technology. Students are signed up to ‘Isaac Computing’ to support their programming techniques and exam board assessments are structured on real-life scenarios where students are required to design and develop a solution. Coding is core to the curriculum.

At KS5 Haverstock students are equipped with the skills to use technology to solve real world problems. A-Level students further develop their skills in web technologies, coding and programming in Python, SQL, HTML and JavaScript languages.

Computer Science provides students with a comprehensive and practical education that prepares them for success in a variety of technology-related fields and empowers them to become responsible, ethical, and adaptable professionals in a digital world.

Design & Technology

The Design and Technology curriculum at Haverstock provides students with the knowledge and skills to experience and interpret the world around us. It aims to inspire the next generation to become inquisitive and resourceful individuals.

From the start of KS3 onwards, students learn to develop logical thinking skills and face challenges. By evaluating the work of past and present designers and innovators, students develop a critical understanding of their impact on daily life and the wider world. They will learn about context, purpose, collaboration, creativity, functionality, logic and impact. 

Students will become confident with a range of materials and processes and be able to combine these skills with an understanding of aesthetics, function, social, cultural and environmental issues. We want them to become autonomous creative problem solvers with the confidence to make an impact on their world and the people within it.

At KS3 students’ will learn through projects centred around research, drawing, technical skills and processes, mathematics and problem solving. Students will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating in year 8.

At KS4 students have the opportunity to study Design and Technology GCSE as one of their option choices. Their knowledge, skills and creativity are built on and developed in line with the exam board specifications.

At KS5 students can further develop their technical understanding, critical thinking and application through the study of A-level Design Engineering.

The co-curriculum opportunities are an integral part of learning in Design and Technology. Students are encouraged to take part in collaborative tasks like the annual school production set and props and developing and making products for the makers market. Opportunities to meet industry professionals as well as visits to exhibitions, taking part in workshops and entering design competitions are available to all year groups. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) events and opportunities are promoted to further build the knowledge and skills learnt in this department and their relevance in the workplace.

Drama

Drama is an essential part of students' education. At Haverstock, we ensure students gain the confidence and social skills to succeed in their future lives. They become kind, empathetic people who understand the world around them. 

By the end of KS3, students will have developed key personal and social skills, alongside their performance skills and knowledge of types of theatre. These skills will be built upon in KS4, where students gain a more in-depth knowledge of theatre processes and practitioners. KS5 takes all of this learning and allows students to apply this to the wider performing arts world.

Essential to our curriculum are the opportunities that students are offered alongside their lessons. We have weekly drama clubs that are open for all students, and all students have the opportunity to be a performer, designer or technician in the annual musical. We take trips to the theatre and participate in workshops led by professionals within the industry, through our partnerships with the Donmar Warehouse, the Roundhouse and the Almeida Theatre. These opportunities widen students experiences of the industry and develop their cultural capital whilst also bringing the joys of performance to a wider school and community audience.​

Economics

Haverstock School Economics is people centred, equipping students with an understanding of micro and macro economic systems, and illuminating the structures we all operate within. At GCSE level, the course enables learners to appreciate we are all part of the economy and how economics relates to almost every aspect of our lives; from the decisions of individuals or families to the structures created by governments and producers. Our curriculum develops learners’ understanding of how economic issues affect choices about resources and markets and vice versa. It gives students the skills and confidence to explore how consumers, producers and governments interact in markets nationally and internationally. The exciting new GCSE course provides a well rounded introduction to the subject and sets students up for success with A-Level Economics.

At A-Level, students develop the knowledge and skills needed to understand and analyse data, think critically about issues and make informed decisions. Disciplinary knowledge is built on, giving students the appreciation of the importance of a critical and thoughtful approach to the study of Economics. Students learn to think like economists, equipping them for the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities of adulthood and working life beyond the subject. 

These transferable skills from our curriculum prepare Haverstock students for a variety of different post-18 options. At university, many previous students have gone on to study History, Politics or Biology amongst other subjects. If Economics is pursued, this can lead to a range of careers in areas such as Accountancy, Journalism, Finance or the Civil Service. Increasingly popular are the Degree-Apprenticeship routes, allowing students to study and work simultaneously for some of the UKs largest companies.

Whatever decision our Economics students make, they will leave Haverstock School Economics courses with a greater understanding of the economic context in which they operate, and the ability to critically analyse the structures in which they live.

English

The Haverstock English curriculum inducts students into the academic discipline of English, by rigourously guiding students through the story of the subject. We develop a conception of texts as something that are crafted by authors for a purpose - and empower students to both read authors and be authors. As students progress through Y8, they develop an understanding of how authors communicate their ideas through the choices they make, and by the end of Y9 will have a broad experience of analysing whole, complex texts. We select our texts carefully to expose our students to an ambitious and diverse range of authors, supporting readers of all abilities. Our curriculum is supported by regular ‘Crafting Brilliant Sentences’ lessons, which develop the accuracy and variety of students’ writing and ensures they retain the detailed grammatical knowhow of primary school. 

Students are well prepared for their GCSE study of a range of complex texts: Macbeth, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, An Inspector Calls, and the ‘Power and Conflict’ poetry cluster. All students will also give a class presentation on a topic of their choice in Y10, fulfilling their ‘Speaking and Listening Endorsement’ as part of their GCSE Language qualification. From Y10, students are supported through regular revision HWs, combined with in-class quizzes, to retain the key knowledge they will need for their exams. As students progress towards the end of Y11, they are also supported by regular exam practice in Language and Literature, to ensure they are ‘match fit’ for these challenging examinations. 

We hope students will go on to study A Level Literature; here they will develop the breadth and complexity of their reading and learn to apply a range of critical lenses to texts. They will develop their knowledge of Shakespeare with detailed analysis of Hamlet, as well as broadening their reading through further study of the dystopian genre, poetry and drama of the 19th century, and two coursework essays taking in a range of exciting American literature. This will prepare students for future degree study in the Humanities: particularly, of course, the further study of English literature.

Students leave Haverstock with a sense of themselves as readers and as writers, primed to both enjoy and critically engage with the world of literature and language for the rest of their lives.

Geography

Geography at Haverstock provokes questions and explores answers about the physical and human aspects of our world. Geographer's discover links between these two elements of our planet, through learning about Globalisation to Deserts, or Urbanisation to Natural Hazards. This  develops their knowledge and critical understanding of the world, as well as their role in shaping it in the 21st century. Haverstock Geographer's will investigate the forces that are changing our sense of ‘place’ and space, both locally and globally; becoming experts in reading and interpreting the world we live in. Furthermore , students will have practical and hands on experience through co curricular and fieldwork opportunities in London and further afield . 

Our KS3 curriculum delivers global awareness through detailed study of specific places around our world and processes on a range of scales. Students will confront complex social, economic and environmental issues through a variety of sources, maps, texts, graphs and videos. 

Equipped with practical skills from trips and utilising mapping techniques, KS4 students will deepen their knowledge of global systems, gain confidence in applying their understanding and become articulate in justifying their own opinions of globally significant places, processes and concepts. This will leave students well placed to embrace the rigours of KS5 study, where they will independently, and critically interpret key geographical debates and concepts.

Health & Social Care 

Health and Social Care at Haverstock develops empathy and compassion by enabling students to view health care scenarios through the lens of a caregiver. Students analyse case studies and engage in regular discussion about the best approach to support the needs of individuals using research informed practice. The curriculum is designed to challenge students’ thinking, requiring them to consider theoretical models, policy and legislation when identifying the emotional, social, physical and mental  wellbeing of patients and the impact these may have on the care provided. 

The curriculum introduces students to a variety of professions in the Health and Social Care sector. Students learn how to make decisions based on ethical considerations and how to communicate effectively to both colleagues and patients. Students nurture these skills during scenario based discussions and implement it into coursework.

History

History at Haverstock equips our students with both powerful knowledge and the skills required to be well–rounded individuals. The curriculum is designed to instill a love and passion for History through the development of key historical skills and a depth of knowledge. It helps students to gain a better understanding of the world in which we live. Through our key stage three curriculum students explore chronologically the distant past to modern day Britain. They will know the story of how Great Britain was created , how Britain had an outsized influence on the outside world and how the twentieth century influences the world today. At the end of KS3 students will have a firm grounding in major events and changes in local, national and global aspects of History.    

The curriculum has been designed to provide students with the opportunities to practice key historical skills that will prepare them for GCSE, A-level study and later life. Haverstock students learn five key concepts: evidence and sources, interpretation, significance, change and continuity and cause and consequence. These concepts provide the tools for students to manipulate knowledge and engage in historical thinking. Learning History teaches students to think critically and to problem-solve. It promotes the need to ask perceptive questions, develop analytical skills  and synthesise complex information. GCSE History students will build on the knowledge and skills accumulated at KS3 to confidently articulate judgements stemming from enquiry-based questions in preparation for their formal examinations. At the end of KS5 students will have the skills and confidence to craft a bespoke coursework assignment and tackle sophisticated texts, becoming skilled academic historians.

The curriculum helps students to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity. Critical to achieving this are experiences outside of the classroom which maximize the local history on our doorstep. KS3 students have the opportunity to study the history of the Regent’s Canal and the impact of the industrial age on the local area. At GCSE and A level links established with ‘Camden Arts development’ offers students the opportunity to be a part of current historical discussions and debates .

Modern Languages

At Haverstock School, the Modern Languages curriculum is underpinned by our core values of inclusivity, tolerance and open-mindedness through valuing the diversity of our local community, our country and our world.

By learning French or Spanish, students develop strong communication skills enabling them to listen, read, speak and write effectively in another language whilst also supporting literacy development in their own language. The depth and complexity of the language increases throughout the key stages. Students move from referring to the present tense only in the form of short sentences to short paragraphs at KS3, to referring to the time frames while using longer, more complex and often authentic texts at KS4 before studying a piece of literature in its entirety and the grammatical structures which that involves at KS5.

Alongside this, the curriculum promotes an interest in culture, a love of languages that goes beyond the classroom and a linguistic curiosity inviting students to expand their outlook and challenge their world view.

We provide all students with a list of further cultural resources in the shape of books, films and podcasts which not only deepens their understanding of the language but expands their awareness of current affairs and popular culture in the French and Spanish speaking worlds. Every year we encourage students who speak another language at home such as Italian or Arabic to sit exams in these languages as well.

Knowledge of a foreign language, including the ability to communicate confidently and the awareness of cultural difference, gives students a distinct advantage in an ever more competitive world of work in the 21st Century.

Maths

Mathematics is a creative and connected discipline, empowering students to become responsible and critical citizens. As a universal language, Mathematics enables students to make informed judgments about the world around them and participate in discussions in wider society. It has relevance and utility in students’ future studies and in the world of work, underpinning fields such as engineering, physics, architecture, medicine, and business. Our curriculum develops logical reasoning, meticulous thinking, and problem-solving skills essential in both academic and real-world contexts. Proficiency in mathematics enhances educational and employment opportunities.

Our curriculum introduces mathematical skills in manageable steps, ensuring mastery before progressing. We emphasise the interconnection of skills, helping students synthesise knowledge to tackle complex problems. This structured approach supports every student's success and facilitates rapid progress. Additionally, our curriculum is designed to be inclusive and supportive of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), ensuring that all students have access to and can succeed in mathematics.

Our curriculum's flexibility allows teachers to tailor starting points based on class needs and abilities, ensuring advanced topic coverage annually. Smaller class sizes provide necessary support for target grade achievement. Homework includes retrieval practice, concept consolidation, and challenging problem-solving and reasoning-style questions, enhancing fluency and exam techniques. We seek cross-curricular links to show mathematics' interdisciplinary applications, use technology to enrich learning, and support diverse student needs through differentiation. We emphasise habits of mind such as questioning, exploring, conjecturing, generalising, explaining, and proving. These skills enable students to tackle problems of varying unfamiliarity that go beyond their everyday experiences.

Aligned with the national curriculum, our programme covers number, algebra, ratio and proportion, geometry and measure, and probability and statistics. Each strand is broken down into topics and sequenced learning objectives to promote understanding. 

Key Stage 3 builds on students' prior KS2 knowledge and ensures that students engage with all strands, increasing in depth and complexity to build fluency in mathematical fundamentals. This dynamic and inclusive approach to teaching leverages mathematical representations (e.g., counters, prime factor tiles, cubes, and 3D models), intelligent practice with careful variation in questions, and fluency tasks. These methods reinforce core skills and students are able to apply their knowledge swiftly and accurately in various contexts, fostering deeper comprehension and mastery. Repetition and practice reinforce knowledge, preparing students for more sophisticated problems in Key Stage 4.

At Key Stage 4 the focus shifts to applying mathematical concepts to complex scenarios. Continued support is available for students needing reinforcement, while advanced students revisit fundamentals swiftly before tackling challenging applied questions.

At Key Stage 5, students begin a pivotal journey to cultivate the very best mathematicians who are prepared for university-level study. Building upon the foundational skills and knowledge acquired during KS3 and KS4, our curriculum expands and deepens students' understanding. Through rigorous teaching methods, we empower students to not only comprehend but also appreciate the intricate principles of mathematics.

Music

The Music curriculum at Haverstock engages and inspires pupils to develop a love of music. Through developing their talent as musicians, their self-confidence, and creativity will increase. As they progress they develop a critical engagement with music, the ability to compose, listen with discrimination and form their own judgements. They do this by performing, listening and evaluating music across the ages, genres and styles.

The music department is a modern music hub that encourages self-expression and enables students to gain an understanding of musical history alongside building up the skills needed to become a successful musician. The curriculum gives students a creative outlet to learn the art of expressing themselves through performance and technology, in a safe space.

During Key stage 3, students focus on the foundations of music within performance alongside learning how to work in a team and work on musicianship.They continue to focus on expression and improvisation whilst learning how to sing, to play the piano, guitar and xylophone.  

This prepares students for KS4 GCSE Music which is a two year programme encouraging skills in music production, performance and analysis. The skills students learn give them the discipline in practice, rehearsal and teamwork to enable them to be confident, talented musicians. 

Co-curriculum is integral and students are given the opportunity to perform as individuals and as part of an ensemble to the community. Instrumental lessons are provided alongside piano, technology, guitar, drumming and singing. We offer performances and backstage management experience for our Winter Showcase and the Musical Band throughout the year. There are trips throughout the year and often we participate in the Camden Walk of Fame events and complete workshops at the Roundhouse. 

PE

Our curriculum is based on the belief that sport develops character and resilience so that students are well-prepared for success in later life. Students develop the knowledge and understanding of how to work effectively both individually and in teams developing problem-solving, communication and performance analysis skills. Students develop understanding of the benefits of physical activity and how it positively impacts their physical and mental health. Students will understand what barriers they may face when participating in physical activity in later life and will develop solutions to overcome this.

Students are given the opportunity to become increasingly skilful and intelligent performers, leaders, and officials. They  acquire and develop a range of skills and  learn how to apply these skills successfully. Students develop positive attitudes towards a variety of roles in physical activity, so that they are inspired to continue such activities outside of school.

By the end of Key Stage 3 students will be competent performers in a range of activities, they will show a detailed understanding of the rules and regulations that govern the sport. They will be able to demonstrate leadership skills across a broad range of activities.

By the end of Key Stage 4 students will develop existing performance, officiating and leadership skills. Students will become experts in their chosen sports and will have the opportunity to achieve sport specific qualifications. Key Stage 4 students can choose to study the GCSE PE qualification (AQA) which develops a greater understanding of all aspects of sport including the human body systems and sociocultural factors affecting sport.  Students will consolidate their skill acquisition through a variety of activities that will broaden their knowledge of both traditional and less traditional sports. 

Our Key Stage 5 curriculum will develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin physical activity and sport and use this knowledge to improve performance. Students will understand how physiological and psychological states affect performance and how key socio-cultural factors influence people’s involvement in physical activity. This is all done through the delivery of the Cambridge Technical in Sport and Physical Activity (OCR).

Alongside the curriculum our extensive co-curriculum programme offers students the opportunity to explore a wider range of activities. The department has a range of links with outside agencies who actively promote physical activity at both a competitive and recreational level. We provide students access to a range of sport specific qualifications and awards, all of which will develop softer skills to aid our students in later life. Throughout the academic year, students will have opportunities to attend educational trips to enhance learning whilst also being rewarded for their commitment to our programme by attending rewards trips. 

Politics

A-Level Politics at Haverstock School creates leaders. Studying Politics at KS5 gives students the knowledge of contemporary political structures in the UK and globally. Students will be equipped with an understanding of the changing nature of politics and how this is impacted by political ideas, institutions and processes. This empowers students to understand how government decisions are made, and what impacts them as well as the rights and responsibilities of citizens. In addition to this rich knowledge base, students improve their ability to analyse, interpret and evaluate political information, allowing them to form arguments and make judgements. This highly transferable skill, and the refining of essay technique will support them in other A-Level subjects, as well as in their future education and careers. 

In the first year we focus on UK government structures and political recent history, feeding into the impact of the media, how voters behave, and the changing nature of political parties and location of power. In the summer term, students delve into core ideologies of Liberalism, Conservatism and Socialism as well as the non-core ideology of Feminism. In Y13, students explore Global Politics, looking through a realism/liberalism dichotomy to analyse globalisation and shifting patterns of state sovereignty. Students learn these complex topics through a combination of front-led teaching, peer learning and presentations, debates, discussions and independent work. 

Students leave the course with the tools to understand the political landscape around them, be thoughtful and engaged citizens; crucially ones who are empowered to make their voices heard. Many choose to go on to study Politics at university and beyond, with recent alumni being employed by senior politicians, and less recent alumni being politicians themselves. 

Psychology

Psychology at Haverstock creates students who have a moral and unbiased view of the world. Students apply research approaches to a range of carefully chosen case studies that ignite passion for the subject and discuss the design of studies and analyse the results using psychological theory. Students tackle these discussions with different psychological lenses drawing upon their understanding of how behaviours originate and analyse their impact on society. Our curriculum not only prepares students for further studies or careers in psychology but also empowers them with a deeper appreciation and awareness of psychology-related issues in the world around them. Through this comprehensive and thoughtful approach, we develop well-rounded individuals who are equipped to make meaningful contributions to society.

Religious Studies 

The Religious Studies Department at Haverstock School fosters a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the diverse religious traditions and spiritual beliefs that shape our world. Wecultivate informed, empathetic, and open-minded students equipped to engage thoughtfully with the complex moral, philosophical, and cultural questions that arise in a pluralistic society.

At KS3, Religious Studies students will explore major world religions and philosophy, exploring the Abrahamic religions chronologically and then the Dharmic religions originating from the Indian subcontinent. Students will begin studying for their GCSE in Year 9, sitting their GCSE exams in Y10. 

At KS4 we follow the AQA RS course that allows for a deeper understanding of two faiths; Christianity and Buddhism, in addition to studying four philosophical and ethical units. 

At KS5 students progress to study philosophy and ethical thinkers alongside an in-depth examination of Christianity and its interconnections with ethics and philosophy. 

We  inspire students to develop a lifelong curiosity about the world’s religions and philosophies, fostering a generation of compassionate, knowledgeable, and ethically aware global citizens.

Science

Science at Haverstock equips students with the tools needed to understand the world around them, explaining how things work and interact. Our curriculum empowers students with the knowledge of phenomena, enabling them to hypothesise and conduct experiments to prove scientific truths, predict outcomes and analyse causes.  

Haverstock’s KS3 curriculum secures a foundational knowledge base of fundamental concepts with concrete examples to make science real and relevant for our students. As our students progress to KS4 they revisit concepts, deepen their understanding of these concepts and appreciate the transferability of knowledge between the 3 disciplines as well as the importance of the scientific process in the progression of scientific thought. 

Biology

Our Haverstock Biologists leave Y13 with a greater understanding of the development of biological theory. Students develop enthusiasm and interest for the subject by relating biological concepts from a cellular level to whole organism level. Haverstock biologists are able to explain why the natural world is the way it is and how to exploit these theories in industry to sustain life. The curriculum interleaves practical skills that provide students with an opportunity to see theory unfold and develop experimental techniques that are transferable to a range of higher education and apprentice courses.

Chemistry 

At KS5, Chemistry remains a practical based subject where we build on previous concepts and start to explore more advanced techniques such as analysis and spectroscopy. Our chemists link their ideas of atoms and ions to more complex molecules, and look at the routes to synthesise new chemicals. We work with local universities to expose our students to high level labs, and expand their learning outside of the classroom.

Physics 

Physics is to describe and explain the universe at its most fundamental level, from the smallest building blocks of matter to the vastness of time and space. Theoretical Physics attempts to address human beings’ natural curiosity about our origin, identity and destination, whilst applied Physics has brought about the development of the modern world. Students studying Physics gain an appreciation both of how much we already know about our universe and how much there is still left to discover.

Applied Science

Students who study Applied Science at Haverstock have the unique opportunity to continue with all 3 sciences, basing their learning in practical work. Students nurture analytical and critical thinking skills whilst executing complex experiments to prove scientific theory. The curriculum builds on concepts from GCSE providing the perfect step for higher educational courses and the world of work within science. With a strong emphasis on practical application students are well prepared for hands-on scientific courses such as midwifery, dentistry and physiotherapy. 

Curriculum Intent: Sociology

The KS5 Sociology curriculum at Haverstock empowers our students by equipping them with critical thinking skills so they can examine the nature of society and how it influences human behaviour. Students are inspired to recognise the relevance and importance of Sociology by understanding how institutions and individuals shape the rapidly changing world around them as well as questioning the influence of powerful groups in this process. As sociologists they will value the use of logic, reason and evidence while wrestling with ground-breaking ideas and contemporary research. By the end of their sociological studies they will be altruistic and progressive thinkers, who love the pursuit of knowledge and are responsible in their examination of it.

The KS5 Sociology curriculum follows the AQA specification and is carefully sequenced to optimise learning and embed it long term. We deliver specialist sociological knowledge in an inclusive and accessible way so that students are confident in engaging with the discipline and feel supported when they need to challenge themselves. In their first year, students are given an introduction to key concepts and theories which will underpin all of their sociological learning as well as an introductory seminar on their units of study and the exam skills needed for them to succeed in their A-Level exams. We also employ a range of pedagogical techniques so that our students can master all aspects of their verbal and non-verbal literacy. The use of strategies such as structured group work, debates, discussions, and independent work ensures our students are multiskilled in their approach to learning and ready for lifelong engagement in both the academic and working worlds.