RL HUGHES PRIMARY SCHOOL

Curriculum 

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today" - Malcom X

CURRICULUM INTENT:

At RL Hughes Primary School, we want to give children a curriculum that promotes a passion and curiosity for learning where they are “Exploring, learning and growing together”. It is our vision that each child fulfils their potential, regardless of their background or circumstances, in a safe, stimulating and caring environment. We aim to develop a love of learning inspired by quality teaching, foster high aspirations and encourage positive self esteem.

Our curriculum is built around the National Curriculum, however this is enhanced and enriched to reflect the children and community we teach in. At RL Hughes our broad and balanced curriculum aims for our children to:

• be confident, independent and resilient; displaying a thirst for learning
• be kind; showing empathy and compassion whilst valuing diversity
• achieve academically across the entire curriculum, meeting at least the national expectation by the end
• of their primary education
• be culturally knowledgeable about our country and our world
• have aspirations for the future and know that these can be reached through hard work and determination
• be well prepared for the challenges of the secondary school curriculum.

Ultimately, we want all of our children, to be the best they can be, making a positive contribution to the world they live in.

Underpinning our curriculum at RL Hughes, we have an ethos to nurture each child to become:

CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION:

Our curriculum is implemented with the Curriculum Intent at the centre of all we do at RL Hughes. Our “Exploring, learning, growing together” curriculum incorporates the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science alongside our wider curriculum, covering all other National Curriculum subjects, as well as a focus on the whole child.

We deliver a coherently planned curriculum showing progression and an understanding of key knowledge, skills and concepts. More detailed Curriculum Overviews, including objectives for each subject, have been developed to ensure that the coverage and requirements of the National Curriculum are met

The wider curriculum is organised into discrete subjects to ensure that children can be immersed in the subject specific vocabulary, knowledge, skills and understanding. Where meaningful links can be made with other subjects that help secure prior learning or develop learning further, ‘cross-curricular’ learning takes place.

Children revisit learning through regular warm-ups consisting of targeting questioning and retrieval practice as well as ‘End of Topic Quizzes’. These give children the opportunity to recall key knowledge, allowing children to commit new information to their long-term memory, and make learning stick, supporting the theory that ‘Progress means knowing more and remembering more’. Where possible, learning will be supported by carefully selected enrichment opportunities such as trips, visits, workshops, artefact boxes, role-play and practical resources. We feel these are key to providing all pupils rich memorable experiences to enhance their learning. Alongside this, we build in inspiring and exciting themed days and events which immerse the children in a variety of current and relevant themes.

As a school, we place importance on children developing the skills they need to succeed in life, along with all children achieving their potential socially, emotionally and academically.

We provide children with the opportunity to develop and support their learning to succeed in life. Whether it be learning to use a knife and fork or tying shoe laces, or learning to sew on a button or making a cup of tea, the children will be given the opportunity to develop these lifelong skills. We focus on developing the whole child through the promotion of sports, the arts, personal, social and emotional development and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

At RL Hughes Primary School, we promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Our CORE Curriculum

Our Core Curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills we need to succeed in life. We aim to implement the core areas of the curriculum by:

• Learning more about our own faith and the faiths of others whilst exploring our own individuality
• Providing the opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills they need to read and to be able to access a range of reading materials independently
• Enabling children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others in written and spoken form, in a nurturing environment
• Developing skills in writing, including punctuation, grammar, spellings and handwriting by providing enriching , challenging activities
• Equipping children with the tools to solve problems and reason about maths whilst demonstrating the resilience and perseverance needed to succeed
• Giving children opportunities to learn to calculate efficiently using a range of mental and formal methods through engaging and well-planned lessons
• Stimulate and excite curiosity about the world around them in science.

Our WIDER Curriculum

Our Wider Curriculum focuses on understanding the past, the world and our unique

culture and setting. We aim to implement the wider areas of the curriculum by:

• Providing a broad and balanced curriculum
• Guaranteeing there are opportunities to explore ideas by experimenting, inventing and creating

• Encouraging curiosity and fascination about Britain’s past and that of the wider world

• Inspiring and challenging all children to reach their full potential
• Developing knowledge, skills and understanding across a range of subject areas and topics to encourage independent learning

• Stimulating interests in children’s own surroundings and that of others so they are equipped for life in an ever-growing, technological world fit for the 21st Century

• Making links to local, national and international issues that affect us to encourage empathy through thoughtful care and compassion

• Giving children exciting and imaginative learning experiences including first hand experiences to create memories

• Ensuring a balance between skills, knowledge and pupils interests and needs.

WHOLE CHILD Curriculum

Our Whole Child Curriculum focuses on developing the skills children need to

succeed in life. We aim to implement the whole child areas of the curriculum by:

• Having children’s happiness at the core of all we do
• Providing memories that will last a lifetime
• Developing social and emotional learning so that our pupils are self-aware, foster positive relationships built on love of/with others and achieve personal well-being

• Providing enrichment opportunities where learning and teaching can take place beyond the classroom and at times involves the wider community

• Giving opportunities for children to have their voices heard through our School Council, Eco Council, Debate Club, Reading Council and Pupil questionnaires

• Encouraging understanding of the value and reasons behind laws and rules and the consequences of these being broken through PHSE lessons (Jigsaw curriculum) and Key Stage Assemblies

• Enabling children to make choices, knowing that they are in a loving, safe and supportive environment where mistakes are ok

• Enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity

• Creating opportunities where children are able to empathise and be thankful for what they have

CURRICULUM IMPACT:

At RL Hughes, rigorous triangulated monitoring throughout the year is used to gauge

the impact of the curriculum design. Curriculum subject leaders monitor individual

subjects, reviewing learning, evaluating pupil voice and providing individual feedback. Good practice is shared and areas for improvement identified and swift action is taken. Action plans for each subject, within the School Improvement Plan, drive the continual refinement of the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of all children at RL Hughes and maintains high expectations.

The progress of all children is carefully tracked and the impact of the curriculum for all groups of children in school is closely monitored. We use both formative and

summative assessment information every day, in every lesson. Staff use this

information to inform their short-term planning and short-term interventions – including in the foundation subjects. This helps us provide the best possible support for all of our pupils, including the more able.

Assessment information is analysed by Subject Leads, the SEND Lead and

Headteacher as part of our monitoring cycle. Pupil progress reviews are conducted

termly. We set out our monitoring cycle at the beginning of each academic year. This identifies when monitoring for all year groups is undertaken in all subject areas. Monitoring includes: scrutiny of work/books, lesson drop ins and/or learning walks, pupil/parent and/or staff voice.

All of this information is gathered and reviewed. It is used to inform further curriculum

developments and provision is adapted accordingly.

The impact of our curriculum will reflect in the following statements:

• The children will be positive members of their community and act as role models for other to follow. They will understand other cultures and religions, treating everyone as an equal.

• The children will be literate and numerate and ready for their next step in life. They will set high standards for themselves.

• The children will lead a safe, healthy and happy life. They will go out into the world and be good citizens.

• The children will give their best and aim to always work hard and reach their potential.

• The children will feel successful and love learning across all the core areas. They will be aspirational in life, looking to their future and where and what they want to be.

• The children can confidently recall key knowledge and skills from current and previous areas of learning and can confidently apply knowledge to their learning.

• The children are articulate and confident to talk about a wide range of topics and knowledge is retained in children’s long-term memories.

• The children will be creative thinkers and collaborative learners. They will connect their experiences to those of others in school and around the world.

• The children will have a growth mindset and know they can achieve anything. They will know the value of arts and culture to themselves, people and the world.

• The children will become lifelong learners equipped with knowledge and skills for a successful future.

If you would like to find out any more information about our curriculum, please contact the school office.