Our Outstanding Curriculum
Our curriculum design is based on the National Curriculum programmes of study. This is used to inform the aquisition of knowledge and the progression of skills that are taught across our primary school. Likewise, we have developed our whole school curriculum drivers that determine our focus so that we are confident that our curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of our children. In developing a curriculum that is unique to our school, we have made the very best use of our beautiful surroundings and natural resources, not only in our immediate school grounds but also in the town of Shoreham and the county of West Sussex and beyond. We believe that our outstanding curriculum enriches the lives of our children and contributes to their emotional well-being.
Intent
At Buckingham Park Primary School our intent is to provide a knowledge led curriculum that is both rigourous and creative, whilst developing a broad range of skills. As educators, we wish to adopt a creative approach to teaching and learning itself, providing learning experiences that are engaging, exciting and enjoyable, whilst fulfilling our statutory requirement to follow the National Curriculum. We believe that through the provision of our curriculum, we also foster creativity by enabling children to become independent thinkers and learners and sow the seeds for a lifelong love of learning.
As a result, their pace of learning, levels of achievement and self-esteem increase. We believe that our curriculum enables children to make good progress with their learning and raise achievement in our school. Our curriculum is designed to develop the following key qualities in our children-
Empathy: I am kind and respectful to everyone
Perseverance: I try my best when tasks are challenging
Independence: I am bold and try new learning on my own
Collaboration: I can work together and support others
Creativity: I am curious about the world and will question ideas
Our curriculum enables our children to demonstrate these values in their learning. We believe that these values form the basis of our wider school ethos: Learning Together, Learning for Life. We develop children who are able to meet the challenges of primary school life and are equipped with the knowledge and skills and personal qualities they will need for the next steps in their learning journey.
The National Curriculum sets out what pupils should be taught and the expected standards of pupils’ attainment for each year group. Our curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and enriches it with first hand experiences, trips and visitors. In addition to the National Curriculum, we also provide children with a range of extra-curricular experiences and learning opportunities. Above and beyond this, our curriculum offers unique learning opportunities which enhance and enrich the children's learning; these range from Forest School to theatre, field and museum trips. We make a promise to our children that they will experience at least one hundred further opportunities that will enrich their learning and broaden their experiences at school.
Reading is at the core of our curriculum. It is a life skill that enables children to transform their lives. We passionately promote the love of reading by resourcing our curriculum with quality books. We actively promote book fairs, book week, author visits, Shoreham Library and our 'Millionnaires Readers Club'.
How we implement our curriculum
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Our curriculum has been carefully designed and organised to ensure breadth, balance and depth for every learner in our school. By tailoring and personalising our curriculum, we intend for every child to be excited, engaged, curious and challenged. We believe that all children should feel that they can succeed and have high aspirations in a wide range of areas. Our curriculum is highly inclusive, has a balance of academic and personal development; and places equal importance on core and foundation subjects. Within our curriculum the physical and emotional needs of our pupils are valued, understood and met. We carefully balance the requirements for pupils to reach national expectations in core subjects with our wider curriculum aims of providing a full spectrum of thoughtful and enriching experiences. As a result our pupils are fulfilled, they flourish and thrive.
Balance
Our carefully crafted curriculum is adapted from the Cornerstones Curriculum and meticulously balances the national expectations and an all-encompassing range of experiences allowing our children to flourish. Clear strategic planning allows the curriculum to be dynamic and adapt to the context of the school and children’s needs. Age related expectations combine the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills to create a purposeful and exciting learning journey for every child. Our curriculum has high expectations to combine transferable skills, demonstrate a breadth of vocabulary and develop strong cross-curricular links. Outstanding classroom environments stimulate and engage quality thinking and reasoning.
At Buckingham Park it is our underlying belief that every child should feel valued and experience the feeling of success in a wide range of curriculum areas. In practice our curriculum places equal importance on core and foundation subjects ensuring that every child has the opportunity to shine and flourish. Children’s physical and mental wellbeing are as valued and important as academic development. We understand that children will only be successful learners if they are emotionally secure. Our integrated approach to SMSC and PSHE ensures that every child is well cared for and supported.
Our long term planning ensures that over the course of a year children cover a range of topics with a different curriculum focus. For example, classes may cover two science-based topics, or an art and design and a history or geography based topic.
Each topic is enriched with interesting first-hand experiences, trips and visitors. Medium term planning ensures that delivery is creative and meets the needs of the class. Explicit weekly and medium term planning is responsive to children’s interests, taking into account pupil voice as well as their needs; incorporating holistic approaches to teaching and learning.
Not all subjects naturally ‘fit’ within a learning project and so these subjects are taught discretely. For example, not everything in science links effectively with a particular learning project and so this runs alongside and links are made whenever possible. Religious Education at Buckingham Park Primary is delivered through a selection of units and lessons in addition to whole school assemblies. Religious Education is not taught as part of another subject, although may, on occasion, be used as a stimulus for writing in an English lesson linked to the class project.
Parents receive curriculum information at the start of every new project explaining what their children will be learning at school. This document also includes ideas for opportunities that could support children learning at home. You can find the curriculum webs for the current year below. A more detailed overview of learning objectives for each project is also available.
Depth
At Buckingham Park our definition of progress is the widening and deepening of essential knowledge, skills, concepts and learning behaviours. We design, organise and plan our curriculum to ensure that children are not merely covering content but achieving a depth to their learning, which enables them to use their skills, and understanding in all areas of the curriculum.
Our carefully designed design and planning ensures that opportunities for repetition and practise for essential knowledge, skills and understanding occur in every subject. Children take part in mini quizzes and retrieval practice to strengthen memory. This means that children are able to revisit previous learning, which allows them to gradually develop a deeper understanding of skills and processes within subjects, at their own pace and in the best possible way for each individual child.
Curriculum Long Term Plans
The impact of our curriculum
Assessing our children’s learning within the curriculum
Children are regularly assessed against the relevant frameworks across the breadth of the curriculum. There is a regular termly cycle of teacher assessment which provides data; this is collected, analysed and utilized for providing interventions, support and a reviewing of planning. Class teachers, leaders, senior leaders, and governors all look at the outcomes of this data analysis and this informs the next steps for our school at a variety of levels. In addition to this, the teachers meet with members of the leadership team to discuss pupil’s progress and any barriers to their learning.
Teachers formatively assess children every lesson in preparation for the next learning opportunity. Teachers adapt planned activities to take account of the needs and abilities of the children they teach. In reading, writing, spelling, and maths, formal assessments are conducted regularly to enable children to show their progress. Teachers also use this information to assess any gaps in the knowledge or skills of each child.