Intent

Our curriculum content and delivery:

• provide a broad and balanced education, incorporating the full range of National Curriculum subjects;
• provide opportunities for deep learning leading to high quality outcomes;
• enable pupils to develop knowledge, understand concepts and acquire skills that will enable and inspire them to succeed in life, particularly in the next stage of their education;
• ensure that there are ambitious expectations for all learners, irrespective of background and additional needs, enabling them to fulfil their potential;
• promote our school values in order to support pupils’ personal and social development, putting respect at the core of their conduct and relationships;
• nurture pupils’ physical and mental health, particularly their resilience, equipping  them with the skills and knowledge to maintain good health throughout their lives;
• enable pupils’ creativity to flourish through a wide range of learning opportunities and teaching methods;
• promote a love of learning, encouraging pupils to become curious, inquiring and independent learners with ‘broader horizons’ and high aspirations for their futures:
• promote the development of pupils’ individual interests, strengths and hobbies and effectively utilise the expertise and special interests of members of staff and the wider community.

Implementation

• Our curriculum is based on the subjects and content of the National Curriculum.
• Some of the content is specifically designed/modified to reflect the local context.
• Our curriculum content is used as the vehicle for learning both substantive and disciplinary knowledge.
• The curriculum progression document for each subject ensures that the teaching of knowledge and skills is appropriately sequenced from Pre-school through to Y6.
• The teaching of knowledge and skills is carefully sequenced within each unit of work. Each unit of work starts with the activation and recap of prior knowledge. The teaching of knowledge and skills is sequenced to move from more simple and concrete concepts to more complex and abstract ones. Knowledge that has been previously taught is systematically recapped at the beginning of every lesson (Nothing New, Just Review). Knowledge is also revisited and reinforced through the regular use of ‘low stakes testing’, such as quizzes.
• Key concepts for each wider curriculum subject have been identified and are used as another way of enabling the children to learn more effectively by making connections between their learning from lesson to lesson, topic to topic, and year to year. It is made clear to children which key concepts they are learning within every lesson.
• Every term, Y2 – Y6 study a science unit of work and a geography or history unit of work. Many of the history units also include relevant geography objectives. Some science units include geography objectives. Y1 have three topics per year, each of which incorporate science, geography and history objectives.
• All opportunities to exploit meaningful cross-curriculum links are taken. Therefore, wherever possible, the content of termly units of work for other subjects aims to complement the science and/or geography/history units.
• The majority of ‘Talk for Writing’ units are derived from the termly topic and there is a strong emphasis on consolidating literacy skills in other subjects, particularly in ‘topic’ lessons. See our English policy for information on our English curriculum.
• The mathematics curriculum is more independent, following the ‘White Rose’ scheme. However, maths skills are consolidated through other subjects, particularly science and geography. See our mathematics policy for information on our mathematics curriculum.
• Subjects are generally taught as discrete lessons. However, where there are very close links, for example, between an ‘Animals and Humans’ science topic and a ‘Healthy Eating’ PSHE unit of work, the PSHE content is taught as part of the topic. These subject cross-overs ensure a meaningful context for learning and maximise the amount of time available for other learning.
• There are opportunities for creative and practical curriculum delivery: craft, modelling, drama, debates, music, film and storytelling.
• A variety of methods for recording learning are used: artwork, models, photographs, mind-maps, charts, tables, graphs, writing in role, presentations, comic strips, films, animations etc.
• At the end of each topic, classes partner with a class from a different year group in order to share and celebrate their learning. This gives the children an audience for their work, increasing motivation; and consolidates their learning, through explaining it orally to their partner.
• Many units of work are enriched with a relevant trip or visitor to school.
• Parental engagement is maximised through termly ‘Come and See’ events, the weekly blog and termly home learning projects.
• See our EYFS policy for information on how our early years’ curriculum is delivered.

Impact

      The impact of the curriculum is monitored in a number of ways:

• The schemes of work for each unit of work provide the framework for curriculum delivery but the formative assessment carried out by teachers informs precise teaching of individual groups of children to ensure that their needs are being effectively met.
• Quality Assurance is undertaken by year group leaders and senior leaders three times a year. This involves lesson observations, learning walks, book and planning scrutiny and pupil voice interviews. SLT also monitors books from across the curriculum on a regular basis. This enables school leaders to evaluate whether the curriculum is fit for purpose and whether it is being delivered in a way that matches our curriculum intent.
• Termly pupil progress interviews and year team data reviews identify pupils who are making accelerated progress and those who have made insufficient progress (based on teacher assessment and PUMA and PIRA test data). This gives staff an opportunity to review and modify curriculum content, if necessary, in order to meet the needs of all pupils effectively.
• Data analysis by YGL and SLT at the end of seasonal terms tracks the progress of different groups of children, including PP and FSM pupils, pupils with SEN and EAL and gender groups. This also informs curriculum review.
• Governors monitor whether the school is complying with its funding agreement and teaching a “broad and balanced curriculum” which includes the required subjects, through monitoring visits in conjunction with school leaders and receiving reports from curriculum leads at governors’ meetings.

For more information regarding the curriculum offer, please see Mrs Spackman (Assistant Head teacher - Curriculum).

 Alternatively you may wish to speak to the Year group Leader for the respective year group.