Holmer Lake Primary School
Curriculum Statement
Intent, Implementation and Impact
Our Curriculum Intent:
How do we ensure children gain the correct knowledge and skills at each stage of their education?
At Holmer Lake Primary School, we feel passionate about learning at every level. Every child, who attends our school, is given every opportunity to succeed and pupil progress and achievement is at the heart of our curriculum.
Our curriculum has three key drivers:
Wellness: How can I be happy, safe and healthy?
World: What is important in our world and how should we look after it?
Work: What are my career aspirations?
These drivers are interwoven into our wider curriculum through:
- Whole school events and celebrations
- Assemblies
- Charity and community days
- A range of intervention programmes
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced towards building knowledge so that children know more and remember more, supporting future learning and employment.
All foundation subjects are underpinned by golden threads, these are key knowledge concepts which our pupils will first encounter in EYFS and then re-visit in KS1, lower KS2 and upper KS2. This will enable children to make links with previous learning, whilst over time, build their subject knowledge with increasing complexity and retain it in their long-term memory.
Reading and language development is at the heart of our curriculum. We aim to instil a love of reading in all our children. We believe that a secure knowledge and understanding of the English language is crucial to a high-quality education and will equip our children with the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society.
Across all key stages, sequences of lessons contribute effectively to delivering the curriculum intent. Our children are taught to understand that learning is a lifelong skill; one that makes a difference to their lives now and in the future. Ensuring that our children are active and engaged in their learning, enables them to achieve their highest potential, not only in academic work but also as artists, sportsmen and women, scientists, writers, orators, decision makers, creative thinkers and responsible citizens.
Through the promotion of British Values and diversity within our curriculum, we aim for our children to be tolerant and responsible individuals, who are resilient, independent and resourceful. We set high expectations for achievement in that our children will leave Holmer Lake as model British citizens, reaching age–related expectations, identifying their aspirations for the future and being ‘secondary school ready’.
Our Curriculum Implementation:
How is our curriculum sequenced, taught and assessed? How do we support pupils to remember in the long- term, the content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts?
Our vibrant and rich curriculum consists of planned experiences in school and out: carefully sequenced lessons, topic days, outdoor learning, school council, assemblies, clubs, sports, trips and visits, workshops, residential visits, fund raising, and community work. Outcomes are designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but also to develop the knowledge and attributes needed for future learning and beyond.
In order to ensure that progression and balance is maintained in mixed year group and non-mixed classes, we follow a two-year curriculum cycle and have clear, planning overviews for every subject which indicate how we ensure complete coverage of the National Curriculum. These planning documents are succinct and indicate how learning is built on prior knowledge and paves the way for future learning , through the carefully considered teaching of key concepts (our golden threads). In addition to these overview documents, intent documents guide teachers in their planning with clearly identified ‘end points’ for each subject. These documents show how knowledge, key concepts and vocabulary are progressive and developed over time.
A continuous peer coaching approach, using Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction as a base, supports teachers in creating learning environments in which all children are focussed on learning. Children are encouraged to engage in discussions that agree with, build on or challenge each other’s ideas. Teachers present and model new information clearly, with a focus on understanding any new vocabulary and provide appropriate scaffolds to allow all learners to access the lesson and achieve the identified end points. Checking for understanding using key questions allows teachers to identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback.
Our reading curriculum is designed to support and add depth of knowledge across all foundation subjects. Teachers support children to use books to research and gather new knowledge to broaden their learning across all subjects. All pupils are exposed daily to a variety of quality books and shorter texts that are both fiction and non-fiction.
Curriculum Monitoring and Reviewing
Evaluation is essential for the planning and development of the curriculum. The Senior Leadership Team is responsible for the overall school curriculum. Senior leaders, middle leaders and subject leaders monitor and review by:
- moderating pupil work
- conducting learning walks and pupil voice
- providing CPD and training
- supporting colleagues
- identifying next steps for improvement
Our governing body is responsible for monitoring the way the school curriculum is implemented. Delegated governors for specific subjects liaise with the subject leader to monitor their identified actions and impact of these on the quality of learning, teaching and provision in the subject. Termly committee meetings take place so that governors can monitor and review the school curriculum.
Our Curriculum Impact: What are the outcomes that pupils achieve as a result of the education they have received?
Our staff and governors work tirelessly to ensure our curriculum impact is significant for all children.
- Our children are academically and physically prepared for the next phase of their education, in Britain and the world.
- Our children are taught age-appropriate objectives to support them in achieving age-related expectations. If they are not working at this level, they are well supported to ensure they are making progress from their starting point.
- Our learners are able to recall knowledge across all areas of the curriculum.
- Our learners have developed a love of reading.
- Our learners are taught how to read fluently and have sound comprehension skills.
- Our learners are fully rounded characters with a clear understanding of complex values like equality, friendship, trust, tolerance and many others.
- Our learners are highly motivated to succeed and achieve and are equipped with all the personal skills to do so.
- Our learners are motivated by a strong personal sense of morality. They make decisions for the right reasons and in the best interests of their community.
- Our learners can reflect on their learning and identify their next steps.
- Our learners demonstrate resilience and the ability to persevere when they encounter a challenge.
- Our learners know ways to keep themselves safe and know channels to follow if they need help and support.
- Our learners’ knowledge, understanding and skills are secure and embedded to ensure they are secondary ready.
- Our learners have aspirations for their future.
