The Mead Educational Trust is deeply committed to ensuring that all children and young people in its schools, particularly the least advantaged, receive an excellent education. Brook Mead Academy draws upon first class leadership and outstanding teaching and learning practices from across The Mead Educational Trust, making sure that each pupil has every opportunity to achieve.

Brook Mead Academy offers its pupils a uniquely rich curriculum based on the TMET secondary curriculum vision of giving “all our students access to the best which has been thought, said, written and created in every field of human endeavour so that they are knowledgeable, critical, enriched and well poised to lead fulfilling lives.” The curriculum for each subject is carefully crafted and sequenced by teams of subject experts and enthusiasts across our schools. Therefore, Brook Mead pupils receive the best academic provision, on a par with the best schools locally, regionally and nationally. This is complemented by an extended day which allows for a rich extra curricular offer to widen horizons, unearth talents and promote meaningful personal development.

Like all Mead secondary schools, our curriculum will have a particular focus on English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) subjects, namely English, maths, science, languages, and humanities. It is our aim that pupils graduate from Brook Mead Academy as articulate, resilient, well-rounded individuals who excel academically, in the arts, languages and on the sporting field.

Courses of study

Year 7: English, Mathematics, Science, French, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Music, Art, ICT, Physical Education, Latin and PSHCE.

Year 8: The above curriculum continues except for Latin which is offered in Bonus Time.

Year 9: The above curriculum continues and Food Technology is added to the curriculum.

Our curriculum model:

Key stage Subject Number of lessons per week
KS3 (current) English 6
Mathematics 5
Science 5
Geography 2
History 2
RE 1
French 2 (3 in year 8+9)
Latin 1 (in year 7 only)
Art 2
PE 2
Computer Science 1
Music 1
PHSCE 1
BBT 2
KS4 (provisional) English

(Language + Literature)

6
Mathematics 5
Double Science 6
(Triple Science

or Extra Maths)

1
RE 2
French 3
Core PE 2
Option 1 – Hist/Geog 3
Option 2 3
PHSCE 1
BBT 1

With our high calibre staff, we are able to offer a broad year 7-9 curriculum as part of an ambitious KS3 experience. With the opening of the second site with BMA Upper, we are now able to offer Food as part of our curriculum at KS3. This is a very welcome addition. We  are still able to offer more curriculum time for English, maths and science which, given disrupted schooling during the pandemic, our relatively lower prior attaining cohort and substantial number new to English, is a boon. We are also amongst the 3% of schools nationally offering Latin to all our scholars. The curriculum model allows focus on the EBacc suite of subjects, as always intended from the original bid. The intention is for as many scholars as possible to study the EBacc suite of subjects to GCSE.

The KS4 curriculum time allocation has been carefully thought through after looking at models at CMA and RMA and noting the needs of our cohort and availability of staff and facilities. There is still a high proportion of time for English and maths as befits those subjects and their primary importance. Science also benefits from time allocated. Those who are making good progress may study single science options (triple science). Scholars who take double science will also have an extra lesson of maths each week which will serve to maintain and boost attainment and progress in both maths and science. We will take a “languages for all” approach with all scholars studying French to GCSE. In line with the EBacc aims, most pupils should study either geography or history. All pupils will study religious education to GCSE. Pupils should leave BMA with at least 9 qualifications.

Year 10 and 11: Pupils study English (Language and Literature), Mathematics, Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), a Modern Language, Geography, History, Religious Education and Physical Education. They may also choose additional subjects from a broad range including Spanish, Business Studies, Computing, Art, Photography, Drama, Dance, Music, Sport, Product Design, Textiles, Food and Nutrition.

To discuss any of the subjects on our curriculum in more detail, please use this link for details of our Curriculum Leaders.