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Curriculum

We follow the Early Years Statutory Framework and the National Curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 

Overview

The national curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.

Follow this link to the Department of Education website.

Please use the links below to find out what our children will be taught.

Our Curriculum

Happy, Healthy and Productive

Our vision is for all of our children to be happy, healthy and productive in a supportive environment which allows them to achieve their full potential. Through a deep and rich curriculum, pupils will gain knowledge, develop skills and build resilience for the future. We are determined that every child will succeed.

Curriculum Intent:

  • Provide a deep, rich and challenging curriculum for every pupil
  • Prioritise reading and mathematics so that every pupil can access the full curriculum 
  • Develop resilience, independence and a growth mindset
  • Embrace diversity through positive, caring and tolerant attitudes towards everyone regardless of background
  • Prepare children for their lives beyond primary education 

Why?

When our pupils start school in Reception, their attainment on entry is generally in line with the national average; we are unwavering in our drive to ensure that they develop and master the key skills of reading and mathematics. This allows them to access a full curriculum which offers appropriate challenge for all. We have identified resilience and independence as important characteristics that our pupils require in order to be successful; as such, we work hard to instil in our pupils a growth mindset so that they can develop these qualities. The school’s demographic is predominantly white British and a significant proportion of pupils come from agricultural families. Our curriculum embraces this context whilst also recognising a lack of diversity; we therefore aim to provide culturally diverse learning opportunities that promote tolerance and respect. Through an effective curriculum, our pupils will be happy, healthy and productive, and they will be prepared for each stage of their education.                                                    

Implementation:

The school’s curriculum is coherently sequenced and ensures that every child is given appropriate opportunities to learn the necessary skills and knowledge in every subject.

In Reception, we follow the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The children learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate understanding through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum that are equally important and inter-connected. These are the prime areas of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and Language; and the specific areas of Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. The EYFS curriculum is designed to develop key characteristics of effective learning. These are: Creating and Thinking Critically (allowing children to develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things); Active Learning (allowing children to keep trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy their achievements); and Playing and Exploring (allowing children to investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’). Our EYFS curriculum is implemented through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. The children’s own interests and experiences are used to engage them in higher-level thinking and deeper learning. Child-initiated learning is valued and encouraged to ensure children are motivated and interested. Through observation and discussion, areas of need and next steps are identified for all children. We collaborate closely with parents to ensure our pupils’ transition into school and learning throughout Reception are successful. This is achieved through transition activities, school events, home/school learning journeys, reading records, written reports, parent consultations and our open door policy.

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, we have developed a two-year long term plan which clearly maps out the National Curriculum objectives that will be learned. Our curriculum is implemented through cross-curricular themes which inspire and excite children about new learning opportunities. The themes are organised so that children start from a secure base of what they know and what is familiar and can confidently contribute to learning in the classroom. Themes are developed to look at our locality and beyond, including the wider world. Incorporated throughout our curriculum are Fundamental British Values (FBV), Social Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) and Personal, Social, Health, Economic Education and Citizenship (PSHE & C), all of which are covered during whole school assemblies and in the classroom. There are also opportunities for children to develop these skills through roles such as e-safety officers, playtime friends and the School Council.  Whole class texts and novels are included in the long term plan and these link to the pupils’ learning. Educational visits, which enhance the pupils’ learning, are planned throughout the year for all pupils. We understand the importance of teacher knowledge and ensure that our staff receive effective training in specific curriculum subjects. Across the curriculum, we have staff who have expert knowledge and relevant experience in specific areas. For instance, pupils in Key Stage 2 receive weekly French lessons from a member of staff who is a languages specialist. Religious Education is taught discretely by a higher level teaching assistant and through cross-curricular links where possible. Pupils in Reception and Year 1 attend weekly Forest School Sessions, and our wildlife area is used throughout the year by all year groups for outdoor learning. All pupils in Year 5/6 receive weekly music lessons from a specialist teacher and learn to play an instrument. We also employ a sports specialist who delivers PE lessons and coaches the staff in order to develop their subject knowledge. Through effective teaching and learning, we embed key concepts in pupils’ long-term memories so that they can apply them fluently. In developing our curriculum, we have considered skills and knowledge retention and how these build over time.

Pupils are assessed in all subjects and parents receive a written report twice a year, identifying their attainment and attitude in all areas.

Impact:

  • The School Games Platinum Award has been achieved. This demonstrates outstanding participation in inter-school sport, high levels of participation in physical activity during the school day and a high number of young leaders.
  • Our qualified Forest School Leader delivers a high quality curriculum which has impacted positively on our pupils’ confidence, social skills, language and communication, motivation and concentration, physical skills and knowledge and understanding.
  • We are a member of Music Mark and every pupil in Year 5/6 learns to play a musical instrument. This aids their ability to retain skills and knowledge and ensures that we have high quality music which has a positive impact on pupils’ experiences and future opportunities.
  • Modern Languages is a strength of the school in Key Stage 2 and every pupil applies their oral French learning to written tasks.   
  • Science receives a high profile as a core subject and pupils receive a full curriculum through timetabled weekly lessons. There is a broad range of exciting, dynamic and practical activities linked to the five types of scientific enquiry. Our pupils particularly enjoy this subject which is further enhanced by the school’s wildlife area.
  • Children in EYFS get the best possible start to school life. The curriculum engages all children and ensures that they make good progress from their starting points. Ongoing assessment is integral to the learning process and observations inform next steps for children to develop into well-rounded individuals. EYFS pupils are ready for Key Stage 1 and have our school values embedded by the time they leave Reception, preparing them for future learning.
  • Investment in high quality phonics training, teaching, learning and resources has impacted on our pupils’ language development, motivation and reading ability. Stimulating resources, including phonically decodable texts which are closely matched to ability, have enabled all learners to access phonics and become independent readers, allowing them to access the whole curriculum.
  • In writing tasks, our differentiated success criteria grids have ensured appropriate challenge for all abilities and high quality written work which is celebrated in weekly assemblies.
  • In mathematics, pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills are systematically deepened and built-upon year after year. Through strong curriculum planning towards mastery, pupils use mathematical language with confidence, are able to solve problems using a range of strategies and develop their independent learning.  
  • We ensure that our pupils, including our most vulnerable learners, are closely tracked and monitored so that they achieve well and make good progress.
  • Our pupils learn to be valued citizens and important members of the local and wider community.