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05/09/25

📷 We’re Back! Welcome to a brand new school year at RBA! Check out this week’s short message from the Headteacher with a warm welcome and what to expect this term. piped.video/-nMu0KiOtQA?feature…

05/09/25

📷 JOIN US – Secondary Transfer Open Evening! Thinking about your child’s next step? Come and discover what makes Robert Barclay Academy the right choice for your family. 📷 Date: Thursday 11th September 2025 📷 Time: 5.15pm – 8.00pm 📷 robertbarclayacademy.co.uk/

03/09/25

A huge welcome to our new Year 7s — the newest members of the RBA family! 💙 We’re so excited for the journey ahead. Here's to new friends, big dreams, and an amazing year! 🌟

28/08/25

More Tickets Added!! Secondary Transfer Open Evening on Thursday 11th September 2025. 📅 Date: Thursday 11th September 2025 🕕 Time: Evening 5.15pm - 8.00pm 📍 Location: Robert Barclay Academy 🎟️ Spaces are limited – please book your tickets here: robertbarclayacademy.co.uk/3…

27/08/25

Still thinking about your next steps? Places are still available at RBA 6th Form for Sept. Wide range of courses, supportive environment, excellent teaching+facilities and personalised guidance for university, apprenticeships and careers.  Apply below 👇 robertbarclayacademy.co.uk/7…

19/07/25

A brilliant end to the year at our final whole school assembly! 👏 Huge congrats to Curie House — our 2025 House Cup Champions! 🏆 See you all in September!

18/07/25

Final RBA Review headlines of the year from the Headteacher and special guest. piped.video/3ihFfZbx8HY?feature…

18/07/25

A brilliant night yesterday evening at our Sports Awards Evening – celebrating talent, teamwork & dedication! Well done to all our athletes and a big thank you to Micky Hazard for joining us.

16/07/25

A huge thank you to all the families who joined our Celebration Assemblies this week 🙌 When schools+families work together, great things happen. Hard work always pays off+success is even better when it’s shared. Proud of every student. Grateful for every parent. ❤️

11/07/25

LEAD Day 3 at RBA – a celebration of learning, creativity & courage. Together we grow stronger, braver, and more united. RBA is rising! 🌟

11/07/25

🎬 Our latest RBA Newsletter is out now! Hear from our headteacher as we celebrate the week’s highlights and share important updates. Tune in and stay in the loop! piped.video/yWjiN3bgnzw?si=hiVs…

10/07/25

It was lovely to meet our new Year 7s today. Know you are not just joining a school, you are joining something far more special - a family. piped.video/7zs-kZyqZZo

10/07/25

It was lovely to meet our new Year 7s today. Know you are not just joining a school, you are joining something far more special - a family. #Excellencehttps://t.co/GjdffS4ZMK

09/07/25

Huge thank you to everyone who made our Performing Arts Showcase & Awards Evening such an unforgettable success! Congratulations to all our performers and award winners — you inspired us all with your passion and dedication!

06/07/25

With high temperatures expected again this week, we’ve made some temporary changes to help keep students comfortable: Mon–Wed: Full school uniform without blazers and ties. Thurs & Fri: Students may wear their school-branded PE kit for the full day. Stay cool and hydrated! 💧😎

04/07/25

🚨 New Video Alert! 🚨 We just dropped our latest newsletter video, and it’s packed with updates, tips, and exciting news you won’t want to miss! 🎉 🎬 Watch it now and stay in the loop ➡️piped.video/watch?v=VP8td2S2…

03/07/25

Thank you to all the Yr 6 families who joined us for our Secondary Transfer Information Evening.  This is where it begins — new friendships, big dreams, and unforgettable memories. We can’t wait to welcome you in September . 💙

03/07/25

Thank you to all the Yr 6 families who joined us for our Transition Information Evening. This is where it begins — new friendships, big dreams, and unforgettable memories. We can’t wait to welcome you in September . 💙 pic.twitter.com/N0FnxNJNzu

01/07/25

Hot off the Hob🔥🔥 Student Masterchef Competition was back this evening and this year it was hotter than ever! We were thrilled to welcome back ⁦⁩ – MasterChef star, bestselling author, and our very own ex-student – as special guest judge!

30/06/25

Yr 9s turned up the heat with some epic DJing and beatbxing in today’s Year 9 Immersion Day

30/06/25

From coastal erosion to sea defences, Yr 10s got hands-on with real-world geography at Walton-on-the-Naze!

30/06/25

Thank you so much to for allowing the RBA JLT to be part of your lovely school for a day!

28/06/25

Due to the warm weather this week we want everyone to be as comfortable as possible.

27/06/25

RBA Video Newsletter from the Headteacher! Catch up on all the latest school news, updates, and upcoming events—straight from our Headteacher.— Robert Barclay Academy (RBA) () Jun 27, 2025

26/06/25

There’s still time to apply for our Sixth Form. Click this link: https://t.co/8Gf7hMCQ1O

Curriculum

Robert Barclay Academy offers a curriculum that is both broad and balanced. It is tailored to meet the needs of all our students and underpinned by the desire ensure students enjoy learning whilst ensuring they maximise their achievement. In addition to providing enrichment and excitement, our curriculum also allows us to provide extra support for those who need it.

The curriculum model at Robert Barclay Academy has been devised and shaped to ensure that we fully meet the needs of our students. Our intent is to provide an ambitious and inclusive learning environment for our students and to develop three areas of focus in response to the needs of our students:

1. Aspirations

Enabling students to achieve their personal best to meet these aspirations

2. Cultural Capital

Broadening students’ views and experiences

3. Literacy

To promote key terminology, reading, extended writing, speaking and listening

 

Underpinning this we have a common approach to school life:

Achievement through an ambitious curriculum.

Care through being respectful.

Excellence through taking pride.

 

To ensure the curriculum continues to be ambitious and inclusive for all year groups, we have developed a wide and rich variety of experiences: Learning Enrichment Activity Days, Focus Weeks (for example, ‘Wellbeing Week’) and extra-curricular clubs. All students have the opportunity to participate in sports and the vast majority choose an expressive or creative subject. These are further enhanced by our extra-curricular offer.

 

Key Stage 3 Curriculum

We operate a two-year Key Stage 3 curriculum (Year 7 and Year 8), which is where the foundations are laid for success at GCSE and A Level. As such, our curriculum includes a wide variety of subjects as well as the core building blocks. Subjects include: English, Maths, Science, Humanities, Languages, Arts, Technology, PE and Social Studies. The curriculum is designed with the intention of developing their skills and interests, in addition to the wider curriculum which includes staying safe, personal development, wellbeing and citizenship. Students are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of clubs in order to promote healthy lifestyles, social skills and specific interests. 

In Years 7 and 8, the curriculum is designed and assessed without reference to levels. This is to foster a love of the subject, and to deepen understanding of the knowledge and skills required in each area.

All students in Year 9 have access to the national curriculum through our Immersion Days, which are cross-curricular drop down days, allowing our students to still experience a wide variety of subjects. 

Key Stage 4 Curriculum

The Key Stage 4 is taught over three years in order to fulfil the increasing demands for content and skills development at GCSE level. The intention behind this is that it responds to our students’ needs by making the curriculum relevant and future focussed, enabling strong engagement through allowing students to select study paths whilst consolidating knowledge, skills and understanding in each subject. In year 9 students are introduced to the key concepts, skills and knowledge in each subject to give solid foundations for the rigours of the examination focus in Years 10 and 11.

All students follow a core offer which consists of:

  • English Literature and Language
  • Mathematics
  • Science (Double or Separate Sciences – Biology, Physics, Chemistry)
  • PE
  • RE
  • Social Studies

We guide students through the options process so that they can personalise their curriculum by choosing a number of academic, applied and vocational courses. For a complete list of subjects on offer visit our Options Process section to download the latest Year 9 Options booklet.

Key Stage 5 Curriculum

We offer a wide variety of academic and vocational subjects for year 12 and 13. This is supported by CORE skills lessons, which focuses on preparing students for a happy and successful life in an ever changing world, these include RE, PE, further education and social skills lessons). Our sixth form students are expected to support the school community through volunteering initiatives such as; paired readers, department ambassadors. Students go on to successfully study a range of courses at University (including the very best ‘Russell Group’ universities), Apprenticeships and employment, using the knowledge and skills they have gained through their years at RBA.

We offer a wide range of both academic A Levels and BTEC/Vocational courses in the Sixth Form according to the demands each year with a great deal of success.

 

Should you wish for more information on the curriculum please email admin@robertbarclayacademy.co.uk

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