Our Approach to the Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to meet the ever-changing needs of our pupils in becoming successful learners who are prepared for modern life and able to achieve success in the future.

Our curriculum is underpinned by high expectations, commitment to excellence with opportunities for every child to excel - as set out in our vision and values statement. Research plays an important part in our school planning and improvement cycle.

Curriculum Intent

The curriculum is designed around what we intend the children to learn, and the skills we intend the children to develop. The focus is on planning an ambitious, coherently planned and sequenced, broad and balanced, and inclusive curriculum.

Ambitious

• Children are inspired and excited through creative topics, experiential and outdoor opportunities, all based on a clear sense of purpose for their learning.
• A love of learning is developed, encouraging enquiring and curious minds in order to set the children on the path of becoming ‘life-long learners’.

Coherently planned and sequenced

• The youngest children in the school develop a clear sense of themselves in relation to others and the immediate world around them.   In each successive year, children are taught through a range of creative topics that build a solid foundation while also expanding their awareness of themselves, others and their place in the world.
• Key knowledge and skills are progressively developed ensuring a depth of understanding.

Broad and balanced

• All areas of the National Curriculum are taught with additional enrichment activities designed to inspire and extend the children’s cultural experiences.
• There is a strong focus on oracy and vocabulary development in all subject areas.

Inclusion and SEND

Children from all backgrounds, nationalities and needs are welcomed and opportunities are provided for all to excel. Through our first-quality teaching, planning and provision we:

• Ensure that needs are identified as early as possible and appropriate support is put into place.
• Ensure that children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is appropriately differentiated to enable children to succeed
• Provide an accessible learning environment which is tailored to the needs of all pupils 
• Develop children’s independence and life skills
• Regularly monitor the progress of children with SEND, using a child-centered approach
• Provide good quality and relevant training for all staff members supporting children with SEND.
• Work in partnership with parents and carers
• Work closely with external agencies and other professionals to ensure that there is a collaborative approach to support children with SEND.
• The teaching of PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and RE (Religious Education) ensures that the school is compliant with it's duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010. 
• Personal Development strands are woven throughout the curriculum to ensure the promotion of British Values and recognition and understanding of protected characteristics.
• The diversity within the school and wider community provide enrichment experiences and an appreciation of difference.

You can find further information about our SEND provision in the SEND section of this website. The PSHE, RSE and RE curriculums can be found on our curriculum maps.

Curriculum Implementation

We take a cross curricular approach which means that we maximise links between subjects and help the children see how interrelated their learning is. Some subjects such as Maths, RE and PE are taught as discrete subjects.

• Each topic is introduced through an engaging ‘launch’ activity to stimulate the children’s interest and motivation to find out more.
• Teachers identify the children’s prior learning and starting point in each subject and work is set to teach the next steps.
• Children are supported to be able to articulate what they are learning and what they can do to improve and move their learning forward.
• Lessons follow a review, teach, practise, apply and recap approach to teaching and learning.
• Lessons begin with a short review activity to recap what has been taught so far and to support children to develop fluency and to secure long-term understanding.
• Teachers explicitly model new skills and learning to demonstrate the learning journey and steps to success.
• The classroom environment plays an integral part in curriculum implementation with working walls for Maths and English, vocabulary displays and resources readily available to support learning.
• Children are supported to be ‘active learners’. They are helped to build independence, to be active listeners and to use their natural curiosity to develop knowledge and expertise.
• We use a growth mindset approach that teaches the importance of learning from our mistakes, persevering and embracing challenge.

Curriculum Impact

Throughout lessons, teachers assess children’s understanding through the skilful use of questioning and observation. This helps the teacher to plan the next steps that need to be taught and to quickly address any misunderstanding. We use some standardised tests in KS1 and KS2 to measure progress and attainment in Literacy and Maths.

• We set high expectations and hold regular reviews to provide opportunities for the teachers, TAs, SENCo, phase leaders and headteacher to meet to discuss each child and identify any individual support that may be needed.
• Subject leaders play an important part in monitoring the impact of the curriculum. They identify and celebrate good practice; plan CPD opportunities for staff; keep up to date with developments and research in their subject area and lead on school improvement.

To find out more about our curriculum see our curriculum overviews which detail the objectives for each subject being covered in each year group or contact Mrs Marsden our Curriculum Lead via the school office: office@wolvercoteprimary.org