Intent

Our curriculum is with our children at its centre. We want our children to develop their:

Substantive Knowledge

• Broaden their knowledge across all curriculum areas.
• Build on prior knowledge.
• Develop vocabulary.
• Retain key knowledge.
• Develop knowledge, which is relevant to their lives and the wider world.

Disciplinary Knowledge

• Develop a set of subject-specific skills for each curriculum area, that are progressive throughout school.
• Demonstrate independence.
• Develop resilience.
• Be respectful.
• Take responsibility.
• Extend curiosity.

Implementation

At the heart of our learning are the skills and knowledge, we feel the children need to develop to play an important role in the rapidly changing world in which they live. This is the basis on which we plan and deliver learning experiences whether it be in subject specific lessons such as Maths and English or through our thematic approach.

Maths, Phonics, RE, Computing, PE, Music, Languages are taught as discrete subjects to build on specific subject knowledge. English, Science, History, Geography, Art and Design, Design & Technology, are usually taught through a thematic approach but when necessary are taught as discrete subjects. In Maths we deliver our maths mastery approach to learning across all age groups. In KS1 and 2 we use ‘White Rose Maths’ using guided, shared and independent learning to become better mathematicians and reflect on our learning to make us better students.

We use online resources and apps such as, Spelling Shed and Mathshed to further embed our knowledge of number facts and times tables and spellings.

English is delivered in well-planned units lasting two to three weeks using quality literature as a stimulus.

In our Foundation subjects skills, key knowledge and understanding are planned for through our learning challenge curriculum. This is led by a guiding question to inspire curiosity while gaining skills and knowledge through carefully planned sequences of work. Across school there is a two-year planning cycle in KS1 and four-year planning cycle for most subjects in KS2 to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum.  

Our Foundation subject planning identifies key disciplinary and substantive knowledge, which lead to understanding, using progression maps to identify progress across the different age ranges.

By going on educational visits including residential experiences, the children are provided with greater opportunities to learn more about themselves and the world in which they live.

Impact

The impact of our curriculum is that the vast majority of pupils have a sustained mastery of the content both in skills, knowledge and understanding. They will have developed a wide breadth of subject specific vocabulary and be able to talk about their learning.

We assess pupils to ensure they are on track to reach the expectations of our curriculum. In the Early Years Foundation Stage we use ongoing assessment as an integral part of the learning and development process which helps to shape teaching and learning experiences for each child.

For Key stage 1 and 2

Foundation subjects are assessed using the Clive Davies Learning Challenge curriculum skills and knowledge maps. We discuss prior knowledge and assess through post learning challenges to monitor the effectiveness of the learning. 

In Key Stage 1 and 2 we track progress using a range of formative and summative assessments to measure the impact of our learning.

Learning is also quality assured by subject leaders and members of SLT through our Quality Assurance calendar through staff meetings, work scrutinies, learning walks, observations and through talking to stakeholders who all play a part in measuring our impact and providing feedback in order for us to be able to continuously review and improve the provision of our curriculum for all.

Curriculum Long Term Planning

We plan our curriculum over a two-year cycle for Team Nightingale (EYFS) and Team Rosa (KS1)  and over a four-year cycle for Team Greta and Team Peake (KS2). Each term/half term has a new topic of learning linked to quality texts to support reading across the curriculum and enrich learning with 'books as hooks'. Each topic links to a foundation subject and we use the subjects of Science, Geography and History as our key links for each topic. Please see below for the long term planning for our classes: