Curriculum Overview

Everything that happens in school is the curriculum. The children, and adults, are always learning, whether this is the academic curriculum, how to share, or how to be good citizens. We never forget that most situations children meet are new to them and they need to be taught how to deal with them.

Our academic curriculum is designed with knowledge at its heart to ensure that children develop a strong vocabulary base and understanding of the world.  It aims to empower children with the knowledge and cultural inheritance they are entitled to: knowledge that will nourish both them and the society of which they are members. We aim to equip children to become interested and interesting adults, able to contribute positively to the well-being of their community and to wider society.

We believe that progress means knowing more and remembering more. We have built a curriculum that promotes long term learning, based on current research regarding how memory works, to ensure that children not only have access to 'the best that has been thought and said' but are taught this in a way that ensures they can remember the curriculum content in future years.  We make use of knowledge organisers (which are sent home regularly) to ensure children and their families know exactly which information is expected to be learned over the course of their study in a particular subject.  We understand that knowledge is 'sticky', in other words, the more pupils know the easier it is for them to know more.  We use this principle to build understanding in all subject areas through constant recall of previous learning.

Children need to learn the skills needed to apply their knowledge in new situations to enable them to be creative thinkers. These skills are built systematically along side the knowledge.

Children with SEND have access to our full curriculum, unless specified on an EHCP. We know that the most important factor in their success is good quality teaching that meets their specific needs. For many SEND children simple adaptations to learning, whether that be careful scaffolding of tasks, providing support materials, or allowing them to record their learning in a different way, will enable them to make good progress and experience the same learning opportunities as their peers. For some, a more tailored, bespoke approach will be required.