“The School has a curriculum which is well designed and ambitious.” (Ofsted November 2024)
Our curriculum is designed to nurture, build strong character, and support your child’s overall growth. Through Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) education, regular form tutor sessions, and assemblies, we focus on values like respect, resilience, and understanding, while also teaching Fundamental British Values, career awareness, and personal development.
For the first three years of secondary school (Key Stage 3), your child will explore a wide range of subjects, gaining a strong foundation for future studies and opportunities. Core subjects such as English, Maths, and Science are prioritised, alongside History, Geography, and Modern Foreign Languages. Creative and practical subjects like PE, Music, Drama, Art, Religious Education, and Design Technology add balance, while Media, IT, and Business Studies connect learning to real-world career paths, especially in Leeds.
To enrich your child’s experience, we offer a variety of extra-curricular activities during an extended school day. These programs give students opportunities to develop their skills, explore their interests, and grow into confident, capable 21st-century citizens.
Our subject specialists thoughtfully plan and sequence lessons to ensure students gain meaningful and lasting knowledge.
At Guiseley School, we focus on purposeful teaching that is tailored to each subject. Our teachers use proven methods, based on research, to ensure lessons are effective and engaging. They adapt their teaching to meet the needs of students, helping everyone learn and succeed.
We support our teachers with ongoing training and coaching, so they’re always improving and bringing their best to the classroom.
“Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. The school has put a detailed programme of professional development in place. This helps teachers to improve the lessons that they teach. The school provides expert support and guidance, and opportunities, to share good practice.” (Ofsted Nov 2024)
We use assessments to check how well students are learning. Quick checks happen in every lesson to make sure key ideas are understood, and we adjust teaching if needed. Twice a year, we also use broader assessments to review progress and understanding.
“Teachers check pupils learning to ensure that pupils have understood what they are learning” (Ofsted Nov 2024)
PSHE
At Guiseley School, the curriculum is thoughtfully designed to support students' personal growth and self-awareness at every stage of their education. Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) education is a key part of this, with dedicated lessons. The PSHE program follows a carefully planned sequence to address important topics such as career planning, personal and online safety, Fundamental British Values, healthy lifestyle choices—including mental health and wellbeing—relationships and sex education, and citizenship. These sessions also provide students with opportunities to build on their knowledge and prepare for life beyond school.
“All pupils and students across the school benefit from personal development provision that is noteworthy. This helps them to develop a strong understanding of how to keep healthy and safe, including age-appropriate advice about sex and relationships. Pupils and students understand what ‘being Guiseley’ means and how they should behave both in school and in the wider community.” (Ofsted Nov 2024)
Our curriculum is designed to give your child the knowledge and skills they need to thrive. While preparing for Key Stage 4 is important, we also focus on providing a well-rounded education in Years 7 to 9.
To achieve this, we dedicate extra time to subjects like Humanities and Modern Foreign Languages, helping to broaden students’ horizons. This approach also ensures more students are ready for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) pathway after Year 9.
In Year 7, your child will study both German and Spanish. At the end of Year 7, they will decide which language—or languages—they will continue with in Years 8 and 9. This early exposure helps build strong language skills that will benefit them throughout school and beyond.
Study lessons per week
| Subject | Lessons per week |
|---|---|
| Art | 1 |
| Drama | 1 |
| Design and Technology | 1 |
| English | 4 |
| Geography | 2 |
| History | 2 |
| IT | 1 |
| Maths | 4 |
| MFL | 2 |
| Music | 1 |
| PE | 2 |
| Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (RPE) | 1 |
| Science | 3 |
Our Key Stage 4 curriculum gives students a broad and balanced experience, helping them explore a range of opportunities over two years. Year 9 acts as a valuable transition year in several subjects, helping students prepare for this important stage of their education.
All students can access the EBacc subjects and take a mix of GCSEs and other Level 2 qualifications, allowing them to experience different styles of learning and assessment. In Key Stage 4, we provide extra time for core subjects like English, Science, and Mathematics to ensure students build strong foundations for their future. Physical Education is also a core part of the curriculum, emphasising the importance of health and fitness in everyday life.
Science is a required subject for all students, and many also choose to study a foreign language. Our curriculum balances flexibility and choice within a structured framework, offering guidance and tailoring opportunities to suit individual needs as much as possible.
Core curriculum
- English Language and Literature
- Maths
- Science (Combined or Triple)
- PE
Mathematics and English receive four lessons a week in Year 10 and 11, whilst Science delivers both Additional and Triple Science on five lessons per week in Year 10 and six lessons per week in Year 11.
Students in Year 10 receive two lessons of Core PE per week; in Year 11 they receive one lesson of Core PE per week.
IT skills are taught across the curriculum, with ICT/Computing groups existing as option cohorts.
Options Subjects
The following subjects were offered as options for 2024. The following subjects were offered as GCSEs. Those with information in brackets are the Level 2 vocational courses which are equivalent to a GCSE:
- Fine Art
- Design Technology Product Design
- Design Technology Materials and Textiles
- Hospitality and Catering (WJEC Vocational)
- Digital Photography
- Drama
- Enterprise and Marketing (Cambridge National)
- Geography
- German
- History
- Computer Studies
- Creative iMedia (Cambridge National)
- Music
- PE
- Religion, Philosophy and Ethics
- Spanish
- Sports Studies (Cambridge National)
All options currently receive three lessons per week in both Year 10 and Year 11. RE is taught as an option subject in KS4 and through our PSHE programme. These sessions are designed by our Curriculum Leader for RE.
For more information about our Key Stage 5 Curriculum, see the Qualifications and Curriculum page in the Sixth Form section.