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Secondary Curriculum

The United Curriculum is tried, tested, and trusted by some of the  country's most successful schools. It provides a consistent foundation that empowers all teachers to deliver high-quality lessons with confidence.

At United Learning, our commitment to improving student outcomes is at the heart of everything we do. The United Curriculum, designed by experienced teachers, reflects our dedication to supporting outstanding teaching.

Grounded in evidence-based practices, our curriculum offers a thoughtfully structured progression for secondary students and equips all teachers – including those teaching  outside their specialism - with comprehensive subject knowledge, adaptable resources, and robust assessments.

Trusted by schools across England, the United Curriculum can be tailored to meet the needs of every class and every school, whether you’re an outstanding institution or at the start of your improvement journey.

We offer formal written assessments for our Year 7 and Year 8 curriculum, with nationally-benchmarked reporting and analysis. 

Our Specification Documents set out all the knowledge and skills in the curriculum, so you can see exactly what is covered by our assessments - find out more about assessments here.  

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English

English
Maths

Maths
Science

Science
History

History
Geography

Geography
Religious Studies

Religious Studies

What's included for Secondary

Curriculum Document
Schemes of Work
Subject Knowledge for Teachers
Adaptable Teaching Resources
Support for Literacy and Oracy
Formative Assessment Tools
Summative Assessment
Curriculum Document

Curriculum Document

The KS3 Curriculum Document contains an overview of the units in the curriculum, and a summary of how substantive and disciplinary themes are built from KS2 through KS3 and beyond.

 

Schemes of Work

Schemes of Work

For each unit, the Scheme of Work sets out the detailed knowledge that should be taught in each unit, the prerequisite knowledge for this, and a suggested sequence of lessons. Where appropriate, it includes a list of resources required.

 

Subject Knowledge for Teachers

Subject Knowledge for Teachers

For each unit, Subject Knowledge is provided for teachers, which is particularly useful for new teachers, those teaching outside their specialism, or those teaching a new topic for the first time. 

 

Adaptable Teaching Resources

Adaptable Teaching Resources

Every unit contains PowerPoint slides for each lesson, which should be adapted to reflect the  class’s needs. Printable resources, such as reading booklets, are provided where they are necessary for the learning.

 

Support for Literacy and Oracy

Support for Literacy and Oracy

The teaching resources include opportunities for students to gradually develop reading, writing and oracy, across the curriculum. 

 

Formative Assessment Tools

Formative Assessment Tools

Pre-Learning Checks help teachers identify gaps in prerequisite knowledge, so they can plan to fill these gaps before teaching a unit.

Post-Learning Checks help teachers know that students are keeping up with new learning.

 

Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment

Our Specification Documents set out all the knowledge and skills in the curriculum, so you can see exactly what is covered by our assessments - find out more about assessments here. 

There is so much guidance which is perfect for non-specialists and less experienced teachers – or a reminder for the more experienced!

Maths Teacher (United Learning)

I’ve been teaching Year 7 using the United Learning science curriculum for the past 16 lessons and have been genuinely impressed. The quality of the resources, the embedded pedagogical principles, and the impact on student outcomes—both in terms of understanding and retention—have been outstanding. The work students are producing is of a much higher standard, and they are remembering significantly more. 

Headteacher, external school

Coming from outside of United Learning I think they are really helpful and some of the best shared resources I have used.

Maths Teacher (United Learning)

Frequently asked questions

Can I trial the United Curriculum?

Many complete units are available to try for free here.

If you’d like to see different units, please get in touch with us here and we can arrange a bespoke trial for your school.

What year groups are available in the United Curriculum?

While the United Curriculum has been used in United Learning schools for almost a decade, we are in the process of refining it and preparing it for use outside of the group. 

Year 7 and Year 8 are available for teaching from September 2025; Year 9 will follow in 2026. 

We recommend that schools signing up for the United Curriculum gradually roll up the curriculum through the school, starting with Year 7. 

Are the lessons designed to be a particular length?

All our lessons are designed to fit approximately 50-60 minutes; teachers should adapt the resources to reflect their classes and lesson length. 

Our new resources are also available broken down by learning outcome, allowing teachers to assemble lessons from one or more outcomes to perfectly suit the needs of their class, if preferred. 

How many lessons do you need to teach the United Curriculum?

The United Curriculum is based on approximately 32 weeks of teaching per year. This allows 7 weeks for inset days; gap filling and consolidation; revision and assessments; and miscellaneous activities such as sports days and extended assemblies.

Each subject assumes a number of 50-60 minute lessons per week:

Maths 4
English 4
Science 4
History 2
Geography 2
Reading & Writing 1
What is the pedagogical approach of the United Curriculum?

The United Curriculum is based on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction.

From designing the curriculum, delivering knowledge in small steps, regularly reviewing and building on content, ensuring that there are prompts for teacher modelling, providing scaffolds for guided practice – the curriculum is built entirely on research.

Formative assessment tools - questions in lesson resources and pre- and post-learning checks – are included in the curriculum package.

Summative assessments - mid- and end-of-year assessments, analysis and cohort-benchmarked standardised reporting - are available separately.

Click here for more information about the assessment package.

What assessment is included in the curriculum package?

Formative assessment tools - questions in lesson resources and pre- and post-learning checks - are included in the curriculum package.

Summative assessments - mid- and end-of-year assessments, analysis and cohort-benchmarked standardised reporting - are available separately.  

Click here for more information about the assessment package.

Who has developed the United Curriculum for secondary?

The curriculum has been developed over several years in partnership with United Learning schools across the country, led by experienced subject specialists who have a wealth of experience in teaching and leading their subject in schools.

Click here to meet the team.

Still have a question?

Get in touch

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