Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Approach 

We deliver a curriculum that enables our students to explore academic, cultural and personal development opportunities. Students will participate in a wider curriculum offer to include tutor programme, work experience and Conference Sessions as a compulsory part of the provision provided at Thomas Paine Sixth Form. We want our students to be the next generation of leaders who inspire others in whichever profession or pathway they choose for their future.  

We achieve this by teaching our students to develop a set of values and habits that allow them to contribute to our community in Thetford, and beyond. This means that we teach our students to be polite, hardworking, disciplined, resilient, determined and aspirational.  

16-19 Study Programme - Principles 

Our curriculum provision is ‘designed to provide students with a structured and challenging learning programme that supports their development and progression in line with their career plans.’ 

Our Curriculum includes the elements outlined by the DFE below: 

Qualifications that stretch students and prepare them for education at the next level or for employment (A Levels and Vocational Qualifications) 

Work experience to give students the opportunity to develop their career choices and to apply their skills in real working conditions (Timetabled and part of Leadership Programme) 

Other non-qualification activities to develop students’ character, broader skills, attitudes and confidence, and to support progression. (Tutor programme, Conference Sessions and Extracurricular Activities) 

To find out more about our curriculum, read our policy below or please get in touch.

Read our curriculum policy for more information

Our Approach to Teaching 

The classroom experience at Thomas Paine Sixth Form is founded upon:  

• High expectations and values 

• The knowledge and passion of our teachers as subject experts 

• Consistency in planning and delivery of curriculum 

• An emphasis on reading widely and often 

• A belief that deliberate practice is the best way to build the independence and confidence of pupils 

• Regular feedback and advice to students to help them progress 

• Recognising and rewarding hard work 

We work with our fellow academies within the Inspiration Trust to apply and innovate teaching approaches and deliver thorough, knowledge rich curriculum. This ensures that students have the knowledge not only to tackle their exams, but the wider and richer knowledge they need to get on in the world after education. 

Suggested Course Specialisms 

Thomas Paine Sixth Form offers students the opportunity to choose their own combination of courses, and to pursue different specialisms. We do not operate a system of pathways - believing that our students should be free to choose courses based on their strengths and the prior performance in individual subjects. 

If a student has a specific career or specialism in mind we do support this through different "Professional Specialisms". 

These are suggested combinations that have been proven to support student progression to university and apprenticeships in those professions. 

• Engineering (Aeronautical, Civil, Electrical, General or Mechanical) - Students considering a specialism in Engineering are advised to study A Levels in Maths and Physics. 

• Nursing - Students considering a specialism in midwifery or nursing are recommended to have at least one science A-Level. 

• Medicine - Students considering a specialism in Medicine will need A-Level Chemistry and usually one or two other science A-Levels.  Some universities require students to have A-Level Biology. Note: Students cannot study for a vocational qualification if they wish to study medicine at university. 

• Veterinary Medicine - Students considering a specialism in Veterinary Medicine will need A-Level Chemistry and usually one or two other science A-Levels.  Note: Students cannot study for a vocational qualification if they wish to study medicine at university.