- Knowledge – a rich base of factual knowledge helps pupils to make connections and exponentially leads to further learning. The framework for each year group details explicitly the knowledge that will be learnt and more importantly how this knowledge develops cumulatively throughout the unit and over time.
- Skills – Once pupils have a broad knowledge base, they have the opportunity to explore, practise and master skills to allow them to apply this knowledge in a meaningful way. When writing our curriculum we ensured that knowledge can be applied through the skills taught and how these are applicable in real life contexts and experiences. It is crucial that pupils are clear on how content relates to real life.
- Experiences – Experiences provide the context to the learning. It makes the learning ‘sticky’ and gives pupils something to pin their developing understanding to. Our curriculum details experiences that enrich and complement each unit. There are linked educational experiences too (trips, visitors into school or virtually) that serve to embed knowledge and provide opportunities for developing skills.
- Holistic Approach and Connections – Sequential learning maximises the opportunity for pupils to make connections in content both across topics/units and across year groups, but ensuring the integrity of the subject. This is important to ensure that learning acts as a catalyst for further learning. Pupils are essentially able to hit the ground running by hooking new learning onto old learning.
AND…encompassing and living the vision – Aiming High, achieving our best!
As part of our curriculum development we identify four additional areas of focus: What we do to enhance the learning experience, Why we do it now (this point in the curriculum and time of year), Any potential misconceptions to tackle and Personal Development (More than school). See our Curriculum Enhancement document below.
See below for our long-term curriculum mapping overviews.
There is a strong focus on looking after our planet across our curriculum with topic themes such as Earth Matters , There is No Planet B and Super Humans.
In a mixed age school, depending on the year they join, children will follow our curriculum in a different order sequence. If they join us in a ‘Year A’ year they will complete the curriculum from Reception to Year 6 following the Year A topics followed by the Year B topics.. However if they join in a ‘Year B’ year, they will complete the Year B topics before the Year A topics. Our curriculum is designed around taught sequenced concepts, so children will always build on the skills and knowledge from the previous year. The thematic topics are the vehicle in which to teach the skills and knowledge. See the 'Thematic Topics Coverage – A journey through Penponds' below.
Our approach to the curriculum complies with our duties in the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 to ensure the curriculum is accessible for those with disabilities or special educational needs. See our SEN Information and Supporting SEND subject specific strategies for accessing the curriculum.
