Curriculum

The Curriculum at Parklands

Welcome to our section about the curriculum at Parklands Primary School.  Please use the links to access the pages.


 

 

Parklands Primary School
Curriculum Intent

At Parklands Primary School, our vision is to create a culture of high academic ambition, resilience and independence for all pupils. Our curriculum is continuous: it is carefully planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on prior learning and towards clearly defined end points. Planning and teaching covers the principles of the National Curriculum, as well as providing authentic and unique learning experiences. Our curriculum reflects the richness of the world in which we live as well as our local context. It is designed to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills in order to give all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have SEND, the knowledge and cultural capital they require to succeed in life. Our strong emphasis on children’s personal development, including promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, ensures that all children are well prepared global citizens for life in modern Britain. ​

 

Curriculum Aims:

Our curriculum aims to:

• Provide a broad and balanced education for all pupils. The curriculum isprogressive, coherently planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.
• Enable pupils to develop a deep knowledge, understand concepts and acquire skills. It enables pupils to be able to choose and apply these in relevant situations.
• Support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Support pupils’ physical development and responsibility for their own health, including promoting good mental health, and enable them to be physicallyactive.
• Promote a positive attitude towards pupils’ learning and demonstrate outstanding behaviour for learning.
• Ensure equal access to learning for all pupils, with high expectations for every pupil and appropriate levels of challenge and support.
• Have high ambitions for all pupils.
• Equip pupils with the skills, knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
• Promote the learning and development of pupils in EYFS, and ensure they are suitably prepared for Key Stage 1.

Legislation and Guidance:

This policy reflects the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study, which all maintained schools in England must teach.

It reflects the requirements for inclusion and equality as set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014) and the Equality Act (2010). It refers to curriculum-related expectations of governing boards set out in the Department for Education’s Governance Handbook.

In addition, this policy acknowledges the requirements for promoting the learning and development of children set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Governing Board:

The governing board will monitor the effectiveness of this policy and hold the headteacher to account for its implementation.

The governing board will also ensure that:

• A robust framework is in place for setting curriculum priorities and aspirational targets.
• Sufficient teaching time is provided for pupils to cover the National Curriculum and other statutory requirements.
• Appropriate provision is made for pupils with different abilities and needs, including children with special educational needs (SEN).
• The school implements the relevant statutory assessment arrangements.
• The school participates actively in decision-making about the breadth and balance of the curriculum.
• The school fulfils its role in processes to disapply pupils from all or part of the National Curriculum, where appropriate, and in any subsequent appeals.

Headteacher:

The headteacher is responsible for ensuring that this policy is adhered to, and that:

• All required elements of the curriculum have aims and objectives which reflect the aims of the school and indicate how the needs of individual pupils will be met.
• The amount of time provided for teaching the required elements of the curriculum is adequate and is reviewed by the governing board.
• Where appropriate, the individual needs of some pupils are met by permanent or temporary disapplication from all or part of the National Curriculum.
• They manage requests to withdraw children from curriculum subjects, where appropriate.
• The school’s procedures for assessment meet all legal requirements.
• The governing board is fully involved in decision-making processes that relate to the breadth and balance of the curriculum.
• The governing board is advised on whole-school targets in order to make informed decisions.
• Appropriate provision is in place for pupils with different abilities and needs, including children with SEN.

 

Subject Leaders:

Subject Leaders are responsible for the strategic direction of their subject area. This includes:

• Develop and implement policies for their subject area
• Promote the subject, its importance, and the value that it brings across the school
• Have a good understanding of how well the subject is being delivered and the impact it has on pupil achievement
• Use this understanding to feed into the school development plan and produce an action plan for the subject
• Promote pupils’ SMSC development alongside British values in the teaching of the subject
• Consult pupils, parents and staff about the subject
• Work with the SENDCO to ensure the curriculum matches the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Work with the EYFS leader and KS1 and KS2 Phase Leaders to understand how the subject is developed
• Liaise with the local authority within subject groups on subject-related events, projects and activities

 

Subject Leaders are responsible for leading their curriculum area. This includes:

• Develop and review regularly the vision, aims and purpose for the subject area
• Oversee the planning of the curriculum content, ensuring it is well sequenced to promote pupil progress
• Ensure the planned curriculum is effectively and consistently implemented across the school
• Make sure there is an effective system of assessment that oversees the progress of pupils to ensure the curriculum has a positive impact on pupils’ learning
• Have an overarching responsibility for pupils’ achievement and standards in the subject area

 

Subject Leaders hold staff meetings on the subject to keep staff informed of any developments or changes. They provide support to staff regarding teaching and learning, resources, and planning in the subject area. Teaching and learning is monitored by visiting lessons, scrutinising books, and talking with pupils to assess how well the subject area is being implemented and how well it is delivered across the school. Subject Leaders will also support teachers to make accurate assessments, manage internal and external moderation, and complete external moderation exercises.

 

Class Teachers:

Class teachers ensure that the school curriculum is implemented in accordance with this policy.

 

Organisation and planning

The curriculum at Parklands Primary School is carefully planned and sequenced. New knowledge and skills build upon prior learning and towards clearly defined end points. It enables all pupils to make progress; they are able to know more, remember more and do more. The curriculum reflects the school’s local context by identifying and addressing any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. All pupils study the basic curriculum, which includes the national curriculum, religious education and age-appropriate relationships and sex education. Pupils at Parklands Primary School are taught the following subjects:

• Reading
• Writing
• Maths
• Science
• History
• Geography
• Art and Design
• Computing
• Design and Technology
• MFL (French)
• Religious Education
• Relationships and Sex Education
• PSHE
• PE
• Music

The curriculum in Key Stage One is taught thematically. National curriculum subjects are taught discretely through themes. In Key Stage Two, subjects are taught explicitly. Where possible, cross curricular links are made, allowing for opportunities to deepen pupils’ knowledge and skills. Retrieval starters are embedded in lessons, providing opportunities for children to recall prior knowledge. Reading is prioritised to ensure that pupils are able to access the full curriculum.

Long-term and medium-term plans are created by subject leaders. These detail the knowledge and skills that pupils are to be taught at each stage of their learning journey. Planning includes statutory and non-statutory guidance, and provides opportunities to recall prior learning.

Class teachers use formative and summative assessment in order to inform planning and teaching. Gap analysis lessons are embedded which address any misconceptions and/or areas for development within learning.

See our EYFS policy for information on how our early years curriculum is delivered.

 

Inclusion:

At Parklands Primary School, we endeavour to ensure that all pupils have equality of opportunity across the curriculum and in all aspects of school life.

Teachers set high expectations for all pupils. They will use appropriate assessment to set ambitious targets and plan challenging work for all groups, including:

• More able pupils
• Pupils with low prior attainment
• Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Pupils with SEN
• Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL)

Teachers plan lessons so that pupils with SEN and/or disabilities can study every National Curriculum subject, wherever possible, and ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.

Teachers will also take account of the needs of pupils whose first language is not English. Lessons will be planned so that teaching opportunities help pupils to develop their English, and to support pupils to take part in all subjects.

Further information can be found in our statement of equality information and objectives, and in our SEN policy and information report.

Challenge

More able pupils

Monitoring Arrangements:

Governors monitor coverage of National Curriculum subjects and compliance with other statutory requirements through:

• School visits, including learning walks
• Data reviews

Subject Leaders monitor the way that their subject is taught throughout the schoolby:

• Lesson observations
• Planning reviews
• Book monitoring
• Learning walks
• Pupil interviews
• Data analysis

Subject Leaders also hold responsibility for monitoring the way in which resources are stored and managed.

 

Links with other policies:

This policy links to the following policies and procedures:

• EYFS policy
• Assessment policy
• SEN policy and information report
• Equality information and objectives
• RSE Policy

 

This policy will be reviewed annually by the headteacher. At every review, the policy will be shared with the full governing board.