...preparing children for LIFE in modern Britain. 

 

Intent:

We believe that every child should have the opportunity to be extraordinary and future ready through a curriculum which is creative, bold and courageous. This is achieved through our knowledge -engaged, enquiry approach that is rooted in the unique opportunities offered by our local community & expertise, local issues, and the historical and geographical context of our locality. Children have opportunities to look beyond themselves, ask ‘big questions’ and think globally about life and current issues. Our curriculum not only aims to provide children with the skills that they need now, but also the ability to think critically, be flexible, resourceful, reflective and resilient in an ever changing world.

 

'Big questions are a significant feature of lessons and enable pupils to develop a deep understanding of issues and inequalities in the world. This is evidenced in ‘let’s think’ lessons where pupils are encouraged to respect each other’s opinions by having opportunities to explore emotive and challenging themes... and, as a result, pupils’ spirituality is deepened.' (SIAMS Inspection Report 2022). 

 

All aspects of our curriculum are accessible to all children, irrespective of their ethnic background, gender, disability, religious or linguistic background. We strive hard to meet the needs of those pupils with special educational needs, those with disabilities, those with special talents and the children who are learning English as an additional language. We provide a rich, engaging curriculum, which challenges all of our children. 

 

'The curriculum and extra-curricular activities provide rich, exciting and engaging opportunities to develop strengths and talents in all pupils'. (SIAMS Inspection Report 2022)

 

If you have any further queries about our curriculum then please contact our school office.

 

Implementation:

The curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to facilitate the development of our pupils, their learning and personal growth and understanding of British values. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the range of enrichment and extra-curricular experiences planned in order to benefit the learning and development of all pupils. It includes the ‘hidden curriculum’, what children learn from the school’s values and ethos that guide choices and actions in everything that we do, the way they are treated and are expected to behave.

 

Our Knowledge Engaged Curriculum:

This approach is a balance between skills and knowledge. We use cross-curricular links to make the curriculum relevant and meaningful to children, whilst maintaining the integrity of each subject, putting knowledge into context and putting it into appropriate sequences of content. 

 

Following on from the curiosity led and child-initiated learning in Early Years, our curriculum is firmly rooted in a set of knowledge and skills which are progressive. It has been developed to allow all children to achieve and flourish in both their personal and academic development.

 

Each curriculum topic identifies enquiry questions that give our learners the opportunity to engage with the topic and gives them a wider context to explore and consider.  Wherever possible, learning is enriched with hands-on exciting learning experiences that bring learning to life and show the relevance to ‘real life’. This could be a visit, a visitor bringing in artefacts, a drama or immersion day. Throughout the topic, there are further careful links to high quality texts and real life maths experiences. We also stretch our learners in the wider curriculum with a big focus on drama, art, music, dance and sport. We provide children with planned opportunities to take on a variety of leadership roles, charitable work and local debates, as well as participation in local and national competitions and sporting events.

 

Please visit our Curriculum Page for additional information regarding each subject.

 

Impact:

Over time, our pupils achieve high academic standards (Please refer to our Performance Data pages). However, being prepared for the next step is much more than academic results: Over their time with us, children take on different roles and responsibilities, learning to take initiative and responsibility, helping themselves and others. Below is an extract from a letter from one of our parents which sums this up: 

 

‘Evie is leaving Four Marks Primary School today, having joined at the end of the Autumn Term in Year 5- a huge decision for us. She had many friends where she was. However, she was not learning and in the end not happy going to school either. After much deliberation and research on other schools, we made the decision to enrol her at Four Marks.

From her very first day everything changed for her. Her strengths and weaknesses were immediately identified and she was quickly encouraged and supported to work on those areas she was struggling with. She felt safe. She felt stretched, but she also felt she could keep asking and keep practising when she encountered aspects of learning that were difficult for her.  Evie’s confidence grew, she developed a sense of pride in her achievements and worked hard.

We have recently received Evie’s SATs results. I was overwhelmed by how well she had done.  I am absolutely clear that this would not have been the case had it not been for the dedication, inspiration and perseverance of the Year 5/6 team.

This School is not just about results though, and Evie has grown as a young person too, in a holistic way. She has represented the school netball team, raced Goblin cars, been a prefect, shone on stage in the Leaver’s Production and gone into school each and every day smiling and happy to see her friends and teachers. She will go to secondary school ready and prepared to learn and with the key skills she needs to be an effective student and a confident and considerate member of the school community’.

 

'Pupils engage positively with a variety of extra-curricular and leadership opportunities. Engagement in engineering projects, such as the Goblin Car Club, fosters teamwork and self-confidence. Mixed year groups on Fabulous Fridays enable pupils to develop relationships. In clubs and throughout the school, pupils feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them, developing their character and resilience.' (SIAMS Inspection Report 2022). 

 

How do we evaluate and monitor the impact of our curriculum?

High quality practice across the school provides a strong foundation for learning along with opportunities for children to collaborate and develop social skills both within and outside school. Our curriculum design also ensures that the needs of all individuals can be met within an environment of quality first teaching, supported by targeted interventions where appropriate.

Enjoyment of the curriculum promotes achievement, self-esteem and excellent behaviour. Children share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other year groups through assemblies, performances, exhibitions and events involving other schools and local community groups.

Subject leaders monitor their subjects through lesson drop ins, book scrutiny, learning walks, pupil and parent conferencing and discussion with staff about how improvements can be made. This is then shared with the Whole Governing Body who are also invited to share in the learning journey by attending or supporting events. Data analysis is an important and regular contributor to the final evaluation.

Areas for development are subsequently added to the School Improvement plan (SIP), to which all staff contribute. The SIP is reviewed termly by the SLT (Senior Leadership Team) and shared with Governors

 

The impact is monitored through:

• Improvement in core skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths, IT)
• Improvement in developing links within and across the wide curriculum
• Improvement in caring for themselves, each other, their belongings, and their world.
• Improvement in the engagement of all learners/ the re-engagement of children/ families that may struggle to engage.  

 

Focussed Themes

In helping to prepare children for life in our modern, cosmopolitan world, children across the whole school will sometimes learn about aspects of the same theme. Themes such as 'Equality' or 'Community' are examples.  At the end of this, children in each class present their learning to the rest of the school in a sharing assembly.

Our curriculum is the entire planned learning experience

•clubs

•hobbies and pastimes

•local opportunities

•charity work

• lessons, events, routines, clubs, responsibilities and leadership

'One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who

touched our human feelings.The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth

is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.'

We are all committed to the principles of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child, especially Article 28: Every child has the right to an education.

 

From September 2014, we have been teaching the new primary National Curriculum.

 

Our Early Years and Foundation Stage departments follow the Statutory Framework for the curriculum.

 

In preparation for the new 2014 Primary Curriculum, we have collaborated to make sure our curriculums:

 

• meet statutory requirements

• are broad and balanced

• offer first-hand experiences

• offer opportunities to explore spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences, ideas and issues.

• have clear skills progressions

• allow pupils to apply these skills

• encompass the arts

• support vulnerable groups and individual needs

• foster pride in our community

• promote health and well-being

• fulfill the requirement to promote British values

• support children’s place in a multicultural society

• provide opportunities for children to reflect on their spirituality, through experiencing moments of awe and wonder and a range of emotion.

 

We share high expectations of our pupils and our staff, our curriculum has a common approach to assessment for learning and we all aim for high standards in all areas.

The school has been awarded the Gold Sports Mark and the Schools Music Mark that recognises excellent provision in these aspects of the wider curriculum and our commitment to providing  broad and balanced experiences.