Our Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum has been designed  to be ‘connected’ - based upon the knowledge outlined in the National Curriculum.  Being ‘connected’ ensures that children not only build on previous knowledge and experiences but are able to make links within and across subjects to deepen their learning.  It is sequenced to ensure breadth and depth of learning, following the principles of mastery.    It provides a broad range of experiences for our children and takes into consideration our knowledge of childrens' backgrounds, diversity and our unique community.  We are committed to delivering a broad, balanced and knowledge rich curriculum which will inspire and enthuse our children. We want our children to be knowledgeable, analytical, and resilient with the skills to solve problems and the confidence to take risks.  

Our aim has been to devise a knowledge rich curriculum that links across different units and different subjects across the whole primary phase so that teachers know what learning has come before and what will come after, helping children retrieve from and commit to long term memory. We organise our school curriculum by mapping objectives through each stage of learning. In this way we ensure that ‘knowledge builds on knowledge’, helping children to know more and remember more.

Woven through our curriculum are three key drivers

The curriculum drivers are Wellbeing, Diversity and Change.   These themes recur across year groups and in and across all subject areas. This means the children can link between their current, previous and future learning and become experts within these global issues. 

These drivers also link directly to our core Darwin Values and drive our key curriculum concepts

Whilst we have worked to achieve a curriculum that is well connected, we also appreciate that some subjects stand alone and need to be taught discretely.   Links are made where they are contextually meaningful.  For example, RE, PE,  Music and French.

Our connected curriculum will: 

• place a high priority on children’s physical and mental well-being to ensure a holistic approach to development  (wellbeing)

• promote British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs throughout the school. It is designed to open their eyes to different cultures and different ways of life and being a member of a global community (diversity).

• encourage children to develop the knowledge that enables them to become resilient reflective learners and grow to be well rounded adults who are prepared for life. (change)

• identify the key knowledge that children require, be progressive and ambitious and ensure the successful transition through the different phases of their educational journey 

• provide opportunities to check that children have acquired and retained ‘sticky’ knowledge through carefully planned retrieval.

• will be organised and delivered in a way that achieves the best outcomes for learning. For example sometimes subjects will be taught in blocks

• support all of our children to be able to read at an age-appropriate stage. Our reading journey starts when children first join the school in Reception. 

• ensure children acquire a broad range of knowledge that builds over time. 

• ensure appropriate continuity and progression for children and their learning.

• encourage children to be invested in their learning, in order to develop their independence

• provide opportunities for children to fulfil their potential across all subjects.

How our curriculum is implemented

Our curriculum is organised into units which are delivered in phases.  Planning teams across all three schools have worked together to develop ‘medium term plans’ from the Unit Plans. This has involved mapping out the learning into individual lessons ensuring the sequencing and coverage of key knowledge in small steps. Teachers then plan their sequence of lessons, always beginning with revisiting prior knowledge before moving on. Subjects are taught in blocks which are spaced out to ensure that children are able to retrieve their learning in order to develop their memory and access the knowledge taught. Knowledge transfer tasks have been put in place to help children demonstrate what they have learnt. We have also planned ‘Passion Projects’, which are cross-curricular projects eg. art and history which support children to show what they have learnt and develop links across subjects. Children are encouraged to use specific vocabulary and to ‘talk as a historian/geographer/artist’.

How we know that our curriculum is having impact

The impact of the curriculum is closely monitored through a range of strategies, including Curriculum Impact discussions, where subject leaders evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Subject Leaders play a vital role by using their in-depth knowledge to lead discussions and analyse their findings. Learning walks and observations provide opportunities for leaders to see firsthand how the curriculum is being implemented, while Subject Reviews (360’s) and Book Scrutiny offer insights into the quality of pupils' work and engagement. Pupil conferencing further informs the assessment of the curriculum by giving a voice to pupils about their learning experiences. 

Assessment is continuous through observation, marking, and feedback. Core subjects include standardised tests that help support and moderate teachers' assessment judgments. Ongoing assessment occurs in every subject, where retrieval practice is implemented to ensure pupils have retained prior knowledge. This approach enables them to know more and remember more effectively.

A range of data, including attendance, wellbeing, progress and attainment, is regularly analyzed as part of the School Development Plan (SDP) to identify trends and inform targeted interventions. In addition, the Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) is used to reflect on curriculum effectiveness, ensuring continuous improvement. Through these combined efforts, schools can gain a comprehensive understanding of their curriculum's impact on student achievement and well-being.