Curriculum aims

Our Curriculum aims are taken from the National Curriculum. They are important to consider when we are planning how we are going to deliver the curriculum in order to ensure that the children are being taught the key skills that are critical to each subject area.

To achieve this,
we have built our curriculum around 3 key pillars:
 

Developing the very best learners:

“We are curious and critical learners with creative minds, we are resilient… we never give up!”

Developing the very best communities:

“We use first hand experiences to learn about life – we learn about respect, empathy and good communication.”

Developing the very best knowledge:

“We take pride in building our vocabulary, skills and knowledge so that we learn more and remember more.”

Curriculum intent by subject:

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences 
  • Become proficient in a range of art, craft and design techniques 
  • Evaluate and analyse creative works 
  • Know about great artists, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms. 

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding
  • Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
  • Become equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Understand the history of Britain as a chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world .
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: 
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
  • Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed. 
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales. 

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
  • Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
  • Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places; 
  • Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time 

Are competent in the geographical skills needed to: 

  • Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork 
  • Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) 
  • Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length. 

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Read easily, fluently and with good understanding and develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.                
  • Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
  • Use discussion in order to learn; and elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas both formally and informally.

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. 
  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
  • Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others. 
  • Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook. 

 

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. 
  • Analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems.
  • Evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems. 
  • Become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology. 

Children will develop the skills to: 

  • Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities 
  • Are physically active for sustained periods of time engaging in competitive sports and activities and lead healthy, active lives. 

‘ A well-developed
programme for relationships education helps pupils to understand the importance of tolerance and respect for others.’…

OFSTED comments

‘From the earliest stages in Reception, adults skilfully support pupils to explain their mathematical thinking.’…

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‘Teachers use
rigorous assessments to make sure that all pupils make good progress.’…

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‘Children make a good start in the early years because of good teaching’…

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‘Pupils demonstrate outstanding levels of tolerance and respect for other pupils and adults’…

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‘The multi-academy trust has provided teachers with detailed suggestions for how to adapt every aspect of the curriculum.’…

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‘Pupils contribute significantly to the successes of the school through their outstanding behaviour and readiness to learn’…

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‘Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to share experiences of their cultural beliefs and celebrations.’…

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‘Relationships between adults and pupils are extremely positive.’…

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‘Pupils are happy and they feel safe.’…

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‘The highly successful promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the heart of the school’s work’…

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‘There is a very strong focus on checking on how well different groups of pupils are learning, so that any falling behind can be immediately helped to make better progress’…

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‘Parents are overwhelmingly supportive, commenting very positively on the school’s many strong features’…

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‘Staff morale is high, team spirit is very strong, and all are committed to continued improvement. This helps to explain why the school is continuing to improve’…

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‘Leaders help pupils to develop resilience and self-confidence in their learning.’…

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‘Leaders ensure that pupils can develop essential life skills through activities such as learning to dress independently and simple food preparation’…

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‘Teaching and learning are consistently good. As a result most pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from often significantly below-average starting points’…

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‘The range of enrichment activities the school provides is excellent and contributes a great deal to pupils’ learning’…

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‘Teachers ensure that they enrich the curriculum through an extensive range of visits and experiences’…

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‘The Clifton ‘Good Citizen’ programme helps pupils to develop the communication and interaction skills they need for
later life.’…

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‘Leaders have high expectations of behaviour for all pupils.’…

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‘Pupils with highly complex special educational needs receive outstanding levels of support.’…

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‘The excellent relationships between teachers and their pupils ensure lessons are purposeful and enjoyable’…

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‘In religious
education lessons, teachers provide opportunities for pupils to understand and appreciate the different life experiences of their friends.’…

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‘Pupils feel very safe in school because of the school’s rigorous approach to keeping them safe’…

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‘The harmonious relationships among all groups, from a wide variety of backgrounds, are a strength of the school’…

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‘There is a strong sense of community in this school.’…

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‘Comprehensive subject plans identify the essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn over time.’…

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‘Leaders have embedded a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum from the early years through to Year 6.’…

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‘The introduction of a comprehensively sequenced phonics programme is helping children to establish successful early reading skills from the very start of Reception.’…

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‘Leaders leave no stone unturned to ensure that the very diverse school population is treated equally and that there is a relentless focus on driving up pupil performance’…

OFSTED comments