Curriculum Intent

At Ranworth Square Primary School, we are committed to providing a curriculum which is broad and balanced, and provides our pupils with opportunities to gain essential knowledge, skills and understanding.  Our intent is to provide an overall education which prepares each pupil with the tools and strategies needed to cope with the ever- changing challenges occur in modern Britain.  We also aim to ensure that our pupils know how to make a positive contribution to their community and wider society.  Our curriculum will nurture curious minds, stretch the imagination and provide opportunities for every child to discover their particular talents.  We believe that education should take place in a fully inclusive environment with equal opportunities for all where children feel safe to try new things.

Curriculum Aims

Our curriculum reflects the ambition of the National Curriculum in developing knowledge and skills.  Its is particularly designed to:

• Enable pupils to develop knowledge, understand concepts and acquire skills, and the ability to choose and apply these in relevant situations,
• Raise personal ambition,
• Develop a positive sense of self and respect for others,
• Apply skills to solve problems and accurately articulate their thoughts and opinions through the proactive acquisition of technical and non-technical vocabulary,
• Develop speech, language and communication (SLC) skills and support those who may present with SLC needs (SLCN),
• Promote reflection, collaboration and respect,
• Support pupils’ physical development and responsibility for their own health, and enable them to be active.

A broad and balanced curriculum is not just the timetabled subjects; it is every student’s holistic experience of school.  This encompasses the ‘hidden curriculum’, such as: extracurricular activities, trips, how to behave, how to have tolerance of others and good mental health. Here at Ranworth Square Primary School, we aim to promote positive mental health for every member of our school community. 

The curriculum also includes experiences of ‘cultural capital’, which can be described as our children being given an awareness of the world around them, this includes Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural experiences and knowledge of democracy and the rule of law.

We also understand that having a wide vocabulary and good reading skills are crucial for our children to be able to access all aspects of the curriculum.  We believe that all pupils, regardless of their background, should have access to a wide, exciting and inspiring curriculum that prepares them for the society they live in and how to succeed in life and work.

Quality First Teaching

At Ranworth, this means high quality inclusive teaching together with continuous whole school processes for assessing, planning, implementing, tracking, monitoring and reviewing your child’s progress.

• Staff have high expectations of themselves and all of the children.
• Teachers are expected to impart knowledge accurately and with enthusiasm.
• Teachers are expected to take into account prior knowledge and experiences and to build upon this in a systematic way.
• Highly focused lesson design with sharp objectives.
• High demands of child engagement and interaction for all.
• Appropriate use of teacher questioning, modelling and explaining.
• An expectation that children will develop resilience and accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently.
• Regular use of encouragement and praise to motivate children.

Legislation and guidance

This policy reflects the requirements for schools to provide a broad and balanced curriculum as per the National Curriculum programmes of study which we follow.  It also reflects requirements for inclusion and equality as set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014 and Equality Act 2010.  In addition, the policy acknowledges the requirements for promoting the learning and development of children set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework.

Organisation and Planning

Staff in year groups, and subject leaders have created a curriculum that balances knowledge acquisition and skill application that builds upon prior learning. Teachers translate these plans into smaller units-medium term and then weekly plans where the specific needs and learners are addressed. 

Medium term plans are written to ensure coverage of the foundation subjects.  Weekly planning uses the learning objectives, skills and knowledge from the medium- term planning for each session.  The weekly plan identifies key resources, questions, and differentiation based upon prior learning and promoting challenge.

Teaching is carefully tailored to meet the needs of all the children and build upon prior learning to the end of KS2 ensuring consistency and progression across the whole school.

Subject leaders quality assure the sequencing linking to the knowledge and skills taught to ensure that prior knowledge is built upon and higher order skills such as problem solving and critical reasoning are developed.  Subject leaders ensure that learning meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and provide support in ways to expand its scope wherever possible.

Learning environment

Organisation of the classroom/learning environment is adapted to the children’s learning needs;

• The use of learning resources and technology is developed to allow children to work independently and successfully;
• Effective use of other spaces is made: hall space, library, garden, intervention room
• Displays are used to celebrate children’s work, supportive learning (working walls) and the knowledge that pupils have gained.

Inclusion

Teachers set high expectations for all pupils.  They 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 SEND
• 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, whenever possible, and ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.

Teachers 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’ access in all subjects. 

Intervention

Individuals and groups who are not making sufficient progress are identified:

• Provision for intervention is mapped according to need
• Detailed plans are put into place
• All interventions are time bonded and data driven.

Interventions are evaluated and relevant adjustments made;

• Pupil progress meetings take place regularly to discuss current and future interventions engaging in dialogue around the impact of interventions, potential barriers and further actions required.

Further information can be found in our SEND policy.

Monitoring arrangements

Senior leaders and governors monitor whether the school is teaching a “broad and balanced curriculum” which includes the required subjects, through:

• Governor ‘meet and greets’ with subject leaders
• Learning walks
• Curriculum Governor
• Governor meetings

Subject leaders provide a strategic lead and direction for their subject.  Subject leaders plan and monitor the way their subject is taught throughout the school to plan improvement by:

• Learning walks
• Planning ‘health checks’
• Pupil progress
• ‘Book looks’
• Pupil voice
• CPD/staff updates

Planning is monitored by the leadership team to ensure that planning is current and used as a working document.  They ensure that skills and knowledge are identified in planning, suiting the needs of all children and developmental feedback is provided in line with the school’s marking policy.  The leadership team and subject leader’s feedback to teachers about their monitoring so that strengths can be shared amongst staff and development points acted upon.

Implementation

Through clear strategic planning, our curriculum provides not only memorable experiences, but is rich in opportunities from which the children can learn and develop transferrable skills.  The acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills is carefully planned to create a purposeful and exciting learning journey. In order to ensure that progression and balanced is maintained, the programmes of study are developed into medium term plans which clearly highlight the learning objectives, key vocabulary and assessment opportunities.  Weekly planning is then differentiated to the needs of each class, linking to prior learning, resourced and includes questioning prompts to promote challenge as well to scaffold.  Teachers plan and tailor units of work and lessons to address the specific individual needs of pupils so that all are able to reach their full potential regardless of their starting point.  Quality first teaching is provided to ensure that consistent progress is promoted in each lesson.  Our marking policy is implemented consistently across all subjects and provide opportunities for children to reflect on their learning and think deeply and carefully about their tasks. 

Our Early Years setting follows the curriculum as outlined in the 2021 statutory framework of the EYFS.  The EYFS framework includes 7 areas of learning and development that are equally important and inter-connected.  However, 3 areas known as the prime areas are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and building children’s capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive (see Ranworth Square’s Early Years Foundation Stage Policy for further information).

The prime areas are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

The prime areas are strengthened and applied through 4 specific areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

For each National Curriculum subject, please see the ‘rationale’ document.

Vocabulary

Here at Ranworth Square we aim to develop pupil’s working vocabulary.  After continuous contextual analysis, we find that a large majority of pupils enter nursery with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).   We have secured the services of a specialist speech and language practitioner to overcome some of these difficulties and provide staff with support and insight into how strategies can be embedded into the classroom.  For this reason, alongside the teaching of knowledge and skills, we also teach pupils a range of higher tier vocabulary associated with their curriculum subjects and learning areas.  These words are taught, learnt and become part of their active working vocabulary. 

 Impact

Children will leave Ranworth Square Primary School ready for the next stage in their learning at secondary school and beyond.  The curriculum will have provided a range of knowledge and skills to support them in their future endeavours.  The children will be able to work collaboratively with their peers and independently as inquisitive learners who are motivated to excel and have a thirst for learning.  The children will have a strong desire to embrace challenge and to be resilient learners.  Our curriculum will also enable our pupils to become good citizens and demonstrate an appreciation for others.  Our children will be respectful and will show tolerance and acceptance to those from different faiths and backgrounds. Although these skills may not be assessed numerically or with a grade, being able to achieve these life skills will enable pupils to fully access life in modern day Britain.

Subject Overview

Our Intent

English

Maths

Science

Computing

History

Geography

Modern Foreign Languages

Art and Design

Design and Technology

PE

Religious Education

Music

Phonics

PSHE