Our Aims

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CIE’s aim is to provide an environment in which students from a wide range of cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds can:

• Realise fully their academic and social potential
• Understand and appreciate the rich diversity of their various cultural traditions

We try to do this by:

• Providing courses that will widen the educational opportunities for students
• Teaching that is of a high standard and appropriate to the abilities and needs of each student
• Pastoral care that will enable the student to feel secure in a caring and supportive environment
• Social activities that widen the understanding of the students of their environment and which create more opportunities for social interaction
• An immediate environment which is safe and secure
• A school environment in which students and teachers feel empowered to develop their skills and also feel valued and respected

In order to help us achieve these goals we will ask you for feedback at the end of your first week and again at the end of your course. However, if you would like to discuss anything at another time, please come and talk to us.

Curriculum Policy

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking out new landscapes but in having new eyes”. Marcel Proust “The Curriculum should enable all young people to become:

• successful learners, who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
• confident individuals who are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
• responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society”- revised National Curriculum Aims QCA 2007.

“One of our greatest needs is the feeling of worth, value and respect”. Abraham Maslow.

Aims and Outcomes

• The curriculum should be about the development of the whole person.
• This means that the curriculum is about attitudes and values as well as skills and knowledge.

Students should:

• feel valued and develop a feeling of worth and self-esteem
• understand the importance of their relationship with others, via consideration, responsibility and honesty “No man is and island”
• be able to communicate their feelings and opinions to others
• be a constructive member of the community.

All learners should be given equality of opportunity for learning. This means that the curriculum should be relevant to them and accessible. Students should:

• understand the relevance of what they are doing
• enjoy what they are doing
• take an active part in their own learning
• use their own experience on which to base their learning.
• The curriculum should encourage the students to develop important skills.
• This means the curriculum should introduce students to communication, analysis, problem solving, enquiry and logical and creative thinking.

Students should be able to:

• think creatively, analytically and critically
• understand that learning skills are transferable
• communicate effectively about their learning
• The curriculum should present students with new challenges and opportunities

Through experiencing challenge, opportunity and risk in a safe environment students should be able to:

• be resourceful and show initiative and enterprise
• take risks responsibly and creatively
• understand and work towards the needs of their community
• use technology as a tool for innovation
• work independently and as a member of a team.

The curriculum should reflect the learners place in the national and global communities. This means it should allow them to develop their sense of identity beyond their personal experience, to develop a sense of belonging and empowerment to make a difference for the better in a wider world.

Students should:

• develop a pride in their own national culture and a respect and understanding of the culture of other nationality and regions
• understand the concept of interdependence at the micro and macro levels
• recognise their responsibilities as members of a national and a global community.

What do we need to consider? How do we ensure that the outcomes for learners take as much account of their personal development and well being as their academic achievement?

• Positive personal relationships within the school
• Tutorial system
• Careers advice
• Social activities
• Small classes
• One to one sessions
• Choice of EFL materials
• Motivation theory in Business Studies
• Staff INSET on Humanist approaches to education

How do we ensure that all learners should have equality of opportunity for learning?

• Tutorial system
• Positive social relationships
• The negotiated day
• Interesting and well planned lessons
• Experiential learning
• Small classes
• Advice about educational progression from senior staff and Higher Education adviser

How do we ensure that the curriculum encourages students to acquire important skills?

• Schemes of Work including problem solving exercises
• INSET
• Individual learning
• How do we ensure that the curriculum provides challenge for the students?
• Individual and group projects and presentations
• Personal targets set and revised in tutorials

How do we ensure that the curriculum reflects the learners place in the national and global community?

• Choice of materials
• Social activities

1. Presentations

• Positive social relationships