The peaks

Dixons Trinity Chapeltown is an all-through school serving students aged four to sixteen located in the heart of Chapeltown. During their twelve years with us, students move through four distinctive key phases described below. In each phase, students are supported to meet, and exceed, age-related expectations whilst preparing for the next stage in their education.

Base Camp – Curious Students

EYFS, Year 1

Students are supported to become inquisitive thinkers in order to understand themselves and engage with the world around them.

This peak marks the start of formal education; it is the foundation of our students’ academic careers. Oracy and reading are a key focus throughout Base Camp - we ensure our students become confident storytellers by immersing them in numerous high-quality texts and introduce them to ambitious vocabulary. Talk is at the heart of the classroom - routines and expectations are introduced and developed, including ‘talk partners’, ‘full sentence answers’, ‘talk tasks’ and ‘word of the week’. Students learn to read through a rigorous systematic phonics programme, taught daily, with a high emphasis on developing a deep and long-lasting love of reading. Foundation knowledge is developed and remembered across a breadth of subjects providing the first steps towards mastery in each area. Lessons are taught through a carefully planned balance of teacher-led and child-initiated learning with a view to developing the independence needed for the next stage in their education. Base camp has a strong focus on providing experiences to supplement the academic curriculum including the completion of Summits. These formative years underpin all future learning by supporting students’ personal, social and emotional wellbeing whilst harnessing their curiosity for learning.

Lower Peak – Confident Students

Year 2, Year 3, Year 4

Students are supported to develop resilience and make meaningful connections in their learning in order to build academic fluency.

During Lower Peak, developing intrinsic motivation is an increasing focus and begins to underpin student learning. Lower Peak marks a pivotal stage in our student’s education as they apply previous learning and demonstrate our driver of purpose through using and linking the knowledge they have gained. Reading and oracy are a key focus as students interact with classic literature through the process of storytelling, and progress to being confident writers. In Family Dining, all students deliver ‘appreciations’ and engage in meaningful conversations. Students continue their journey through an ambitious, formal and progressive curriculum with the introduction of teaching from subject specialists. Teaching from these subject specialists enables students to develop and retain detailed knowledge and become coherent, critical and creative thinkers. We ensure that all students are speaking in accurate sentences using subject specific vocabulary. By the end of Lower Peak, students will be confident, articulate and fluent learners with a grounded understanding of the world around them.

Middle Peak – Independent Students

Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8

Students are supported to be responsible learners and develop subject knowledge to make informed decisions about their future.

This peak marks an important transition for our primary students as they truly begin to develop and demonstrate our driver of autonomy. Reading remains a key focus as students develop the fluency to be more self-directed in their enjoyment of a wide range of texts from different cultures, genres and time-periods. The introduction of ‘Dream Team’ ‘PDS Seminars’ and ‘Stretch’ projects further serve to elevate oracy. The co-curriculum model is established, with a range of electives for students to choose from, to add greater breadth and depth to the formal curriculum. Students in years 5 and 6 will experience an increase in teaching from subject specialists as well as continuing to have support from their class teacher. Year 7 and 8 marks the beginning of secondary education where students bring and build on the wealth of knowledge learnt and retained at the beginning of this peak. During this phase, students will develop a greater sense of responsibility and independence both at school and home.

Upper Peak – Expert Students

Year 9, Year 10, Year 11

Students are supported to become subject specialists and critical academics in readiness for further education and having a great life.

In this peak, students will continue to study a rich and broad curriculum, underpinned by rigorous academic reading whilst deepening their understanding of chosen subjects. Reading for enjoyment and fulfillment supports both their academic and personal development and allows students to access the best of what has been thought and written. In this phase, students manipulate both the linguistc and physical aspects of oracy to suit a variety of different contexts and purposes; they become fluent, confident and articulate speakers. Co-curricular electives remain an important part of their life at the academy and all Summits will be achieved by the end of Year 11. The driver of purpose is manifested through student leadership as students from Upper Peak support their younger peers in a variety of ways through paired reading and tutoring to mentoring and guidance. By the end of this phase, students will be prepared to sit both high tariff GCSE and vocational qualifications and have mastered the knowledge and skills of each subject domain in readiness for study at A-Level and beyond.