At Nishkam High School Birmingham, our curriculum is underpinned by our Faith-Inspired, Virtues-Led approach, which centres on academic excellence. Our fundamental belief is that all children can and will achieve at Nishkam High School. By providing a rigorous, academic curriculum that is ambitious, rich in knowledge and meticulously sequenced, we enable pupils to leave us with both academic and spiritual excellence. 

At Nishkam we offer a broad and balanced curriculum with a focus on academic subjects, enriched with the arts and a variety of sporting activities.  The curriculum is enhanced by our language of virtues and golden threads.  Developing students’ self-awareness and ability to be reflective are important components of our curriculum; all students have a passport in which they reflect on their spiritual and personal development, as well as starting and ending the day with reflection. 

Our extended school hours allow us to ensure that all pupils have mastered the basic knowledge and skills, as well as having a wide variety of subjects on offer. Our Quality First teaching, delivered by subject specialist, ensures that every child is supported on their learning journey, especially those with Special Educational Needs and disadvantaged pupils.  

The high expectations for our curriculum are based around the EBacc. A study by the UCL Institute of Education shows that studying subjects included in the EBacc provides students with greater opportunities in further education and increases the likelihood that a pupil will stay on in full-time education. Sutton Trust research reveals that studying the EBacc can help improve a young person’s performance in English and maths. In key stage three we dedicate 65% of our curriculum to the Ebacc subjects and at GCSE, the vast majority of our students are entered for, and perform well above the national in, EBacc subjects.  

In 2023, 86% of year 11 students were entered for the EBacc; 66% achieved a standard pass and 53% a strong pass. The table below shows the 2023 outcomes for our EBacc subjects at GCSE:

By ensuring broad coverage of EBacc subjects whilst also recognising the importance of other subjects such as music, STEAM, PE and the arts for every child, we ensure all our pupils are not only prepared for GCSEs but for life afterwards, including the knowledge and skills for a variety of careers beyond the age of 16.