Curriculum Implementation

Subject Planning

Our curriculum is designed to help pupils form subject-specific schema within their long-term memories.

Each subject is taught, following our school plans so that key knowledge is identified in each subject area so learning can progress sequentially as children grow and learn through the school.

The ley learning is clear for teachers and is clear for our children as we have invested heavily into a personalised curriculum, designed by us, for our children.

The learning plans ensure that knowledge has been planned in a meaningful way; so, our children develop an appreciation of how facts are connected and the ways in which they are connected.  It is distinct from information, which is just isolated facts that have no organisational basis or links

Curriculum Leaders have created and developed each subject scheme, unique to our school, to ensure our curriculum helps our children make progress in all areas of the curriculum.

What does teaching look like?

Please refer to our school’s pedagogy section on our website

Curriculum Knowledge Planning

Curriculum Leaders have created subject plans for each area outlining the key knowledge pupils will be taught in and when this knowledge will be taught.

These support teachers to maximise opportunities to make links across topics and subjects, helping to deepen understanding.

Curriculum Progress

Each subject’s curriculum planning documents help pupils meet the requirements by providing:

• clearly defined topics to study which ensure curriculum breadth
• the knowledge needed to build understanding
• the vocabulary needed to articulate an understanding of the subject

How is our curriculum delivered?

We know that learning is most effective with spaced repetition, which is why throughout the year and throughout topics we revisit previous learning.

We ensure previously taught knowledge is retrieved regularly, which increases both storage and retrieval strength.

How do we support teaching staff to deliver the curriculum?

Each Curriculum Leader is an experienced practitioner and, with the support of the SLT is responsible for devising subject plans. Within these plans subject leads have identified progressive knowledge, skills and vocabulary to ensure learning is progressive across the school.

CPD is provided through curriculum planning meetings between Curriculum Leaders and teachers to help to build subject knowledge and to adapt subject topic planning suitably for each cohort. We work across the schools in Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick to enable us to share expertise and to moderate standards. As a result, the curriculum can be successfully modified, designed or developed to be ambitious and meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

The teaching of subjects is monitored and feedback from lesson observations, learning walks and work scrutinies etc, as well as pupil voice feedback, informs future planning refinements and developments – under the guidance of the Curriculum Leader and Senior Leaders this ensures coherence and cohesion.

Does the curriculum remain as broad as possible for as long as possible?

The full curriculum is taught throughout the school. Subjects have been carefully timetabled to ensure coverage and progression. Each year group has a simple, standardised class timetable to maximise the use of learning time so that:

• All subjects have quality space in the timetable
• Opportunities for deep learning are maximised
• Teachers and pupils can become immersed in specific topics and the learning journey does not become disjointed and fragmented
• Workload is manageable and teachers have the time and space to focus on the topic
• Curriculum Leaders can support with planning and teaching and monitor the impact of the curriculum more effectively
• Cognitive load on pupils is balanced and opportunities for transference of learning into long term memory are increased

Professional Development

Whole school CPD is closely aligned to SDP priorities and impact in practice is then carefully monitored. Planning, pedagogy and practice are adapted to incorporate findings from research, e.g. concepts from cognitive load theory or central role of timely feedback. Monitoring feedback informs further support and CPD. Bespoke and individualised CPD is provided through planning meetings and mentoring.

How do leaders know if pupils ‘learn the curriculum’ and how do they track achievements?

A range of assessment measures are used as outlined in the Teaching and Learning Policy and Assessment Policy. Opportunities to capture pupil voice are built into the planning. The school has devised meaningful systems to track progress.

How does your curriculum reflect the culture and climate of your school?

The school offers a bespoke curriculum, designed carefully with our children in mind and also with our vision of what education should be. In creating and developing our offer, we considered:

• Inclusion and bias- maximising opportunities for raising cultural awareness. We are an accredited International School with the British Council. Planning within our academic subjects enables our children to develop personal values so they would challenge any form of discrimination. British values are woven through our approach to PSHE.
• Social and moral rights and responsibilities are taught in context through the academic curriculum as well as through assemblies and PSHE
• Rich experiences – international, local and curriculum visits, visitors, theme days and weeks to not only support particular curriculum topics but also to provide wider life experiences to all and to support social mobility
• Strong SEND provision
• Strong personal development and character development (please see our website

How does the curriculum provide for physical and mental wellbeing?

We believe that well-being needs to be taught and explored explicitly through lessons in the curriculum such as Healthy Living in Science, Cookery and PE and implicitly through the way all members of the school respect each other, listen to each other and care for each other. Our approach to behaviour encourages pupils to develop their emotional literacy and to discuss and acknowledge their feelings and emotions.

Bespoke packages of support are developed for vulnerable pupils.

What is it like to be a pupil at this school? Here’s what the pupils say…

 The good things about my school are my teachers, friends and lessons.

I like going on the school trips, especially our trip to Saltburn.

Everything

The new playground and after school clubs.

All my friends are here. I get to see my teachers

I get to see my friends and teachers all do work

Sports

Art

I like playing with my friends in the new playground. I like my teachers because they show me new things.

It’s very clean and makes me feel safe.

It’s very spotless and huge.

That it is clean, that I am encouraged by the teachers

playtimes, lunch, football and art.

The good things I like about my school are the kind people and the lovely things my teachers do

nice teachers, kind friends and lovely dinners

I like all of the teachers and the kids.

I like school we do good work.

That I always learn about different things about the great fire of London

my friends, teachers and classroom

I get to do work and play outside with my friends and eat my lunch and behave

the school takes care of me when my mum is at work

The teachers keep us safe. And they are caring

The teachers take care of me. Teachers never make a fuss if I am late or make me feel different. Teachers are kind and I have nice friends.

I love learning I want to be smart

My school is very organised