Curriculum
Curriculum Intent
Curry Mallet Church of England VC Primary School Curriculum is designed to be inclusive and engaging for all, constantly building on our children’s progression in knowledge, skills and understanding whilst developing their personal qualities, values and attitudes.
Our school aims to nurture happy, healthy, responsible global citizens who demonstrate social competence, are both knowledgeable and aspirational with a desire for learning and respect for themselves, each other and the world around them. Our curriculum aims to develop mental and physical well-being by providing opportunities that bring children into contact with and lead to an appreciation of the physical and natural world and their place in it.
Our curriculum is designed to provide multiple and varied learning opportunities within mixed year group classes and teaches the Early Learning Goals in EYFS and every National Curriculum objective across years 1-6. Our curriculum is closely aligned to the National Curriculum but distinct from it because of the additional content we choose to teach and the opportunities we provide.
The Curry Mallet curriculum is designed to teach knowledge and skills; is broad and balanced and built upon the principles of active and experiential learning. It provides relevant and meaningful opportunities presented in ways that encourage memory and recall. It is rooted within our school’s own context is designed specifically to develop the type of child we want to leave our school.
In every class, the Curry Mallet Curriculum will be taught via a rolling program of enquiry led projects carefully planned to ensure teaching of knowledge, vocabulary and skills that are progressive and planned over time sequentially in order to build progression.
Our curriculum has planned cross-curricular links and engaging experiences to bring richness and depth to each project. It is deliberately sequential so that children can make links and can logically build knowledge and understanding of the world and their place in it. Our curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of the school, our local context and each unique pupil.
Every learning opportunity will be appropriate for the interest levels and stage of the pupils, yet flexible enough to allow for the academic rigor needed to challenge the most-able and support those with additional learning needs.
Our expectations for every pupil are ambitious. We expect every pupil to achieve at least age-related expectations across the curriculum as well as in reading, writing and mathematics. If a pupil’s disabilities or learning needs mean that this is not possible, we ensure they make progress by providing targeted support. We expect every pupil to make good progress across the curriculum.
Curriculum Implementation
Our curriculum is planned sequentially using a rolling program to facilitate continuous learning in mixed year group classes. Each enquiry-based learning project is driven by a big question or end event, such as a WWI exhibition or a paleontological dig! Our curriculum is flexible and responds to pupil voice. Every project has been informed by pupil voice and will involve ‘hands-on’, often outdoor experiences, allowing our children to investigate, explore and take risks in their learning.
We carefully plan and develop links across the curriculum to enhance application of knowledge, skills and understanding at every stage. We embed opportunities to recap and recall prior learning to promote depth of learning and ensure progress for all children.
All subjects have been carefully planned and sequenced. Some subjects are bespoke to Curry Mallet school, whilst others use schemes of work which support the implementation of our planned intent. (See individual subjects for more detail).
Curriculum Impact
We deliver progressive subject knowledge and use purposeful assessment to ensure that learning is embedded in the children’s long-term memory. We believe our curriculum is broad, engaging and inspirational, fuelling a curiosity and love of learning. Our pupils achieve well, not only academically, but also as rounded, balanced individuals ready for the next steps in their life and learning when they leave our school.
Our School Context
The following have been considered when designing the Curry Mallet Curriculum:
- Pupil voice.
- Our school structure of three classes incorporating both mixed year group and some mixed Key Stage classes.
- Our rural community and outstanding, local, outdoor environment.
- Our committed and supportive parent body, church links and local community.
- A wide range of financial circumstances to consider when paying for educational trips, visits and experiences.
- The wellbeing and workload of every member of our staff.
Statutory considerations
National Curriculum 2014
We teach the programmes of study and subject content as set out in the National Curriculum 2014 https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum The National Curriculum 2014 provides the core content and starting point of our school’s curriculum. However, our curriculum offers more than the National Curriculum 2014 because of the content we choose and opportunities we provide.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Religious Education
We teach Religious Education using Understanding Christianity and Somerset-Awareness, Mystery and Values. As a Church school we have chosen to use the Understanding Christianity resource, which has been recommended by the Diocese of Bath & Wells. It offers a broad and in-depth approach to teaching Christianity, alongside the study of different religions from the AMV teaching scheme.
We teach PSCHE, SRE and British Values using JIGSAW- the mindful approach to PSCHE and Forest School outdoor learning. We use the No Outsiders project books and assembly resources to add depth, diversity and inclusion to our curriculum.
Providing additional learning opportunities
Our curriculum offers many wider opportunities for children to experience life and learning:
- A varied Collective Worship rota which includes visiting speakers, our local ‘Open the Book’ bible story-telling team, celebration assemblies and singing assemblies.
- A wide range of after school clubs, led by coaches, specialists and teachers; e.g. archery, gymnastics, French, recorders, gardening, table tennis, science club and more!
- Forest School outdoor learning for children in EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
- Yoga and mindfulness.
- Engagement in charitable fundraising events for both local, national and international charities.
- Participation promoted in the wide range of CLP sporting events and taster sessions at Huish Academy.
- Participation in community events, such as Remembrance Services and Carol Services..
- Performances, including our Christmas productions and local music events.
- Opportunities to develop a student voice, such as the School Council and House Captaincy.
- Opportunities to develop responsibility such as librarians and playground leaders.
- Residential educational visits for Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.
- Visits to inspire and educate; such as local museums and The Houses of Parliament.
