Curriculum Rationale

Intent: what are we trying to achieve with our curriculum?

At D’Eyncourt, through our curriculum, we foster an ethos of high expectations and aspirations to ensure all children achieve their full potential. We challenge all children to strive for academic, creative, sporting and personal accomplishment within a broad, vibrant and enriched curriculum.

Through our curriculum, we offer a coherently planned sequence of lessons to help teachers ensure they have progressively covered the requirements of the National Curriculum. The programme of work ensures that the children have a varied and carefully mapped out foundation to their learning, which provides opportunity for progression across the full breadth of the National Curriculum for KS1 and KS2. This progression is clearly identified through detailed MTPs and a progression of skills document and each lesson has been carefully planned to match these. All lessons are carefully differentiated which helps to ensure that learning is as tailored and inclusive as possible.

During KS1, the focus of the curriculum is on the development of the fundamental skills that will be built up in KS2 when they are applied in additional units of work. Our pupils are given time to explore subjects and develop a deeper understanding. We celebrate perseverance; resilience and risk taking, ensuring children welcome challenge and are not afraid to make mistakes. We aim to help develop a positive and healthy physical and mental outlook in the future and develop essential skills like leadership and teamwork.

We encourage children to take ownership of and responsibility for their learning, so they have the confidence and curiosity to ask questions, solve problems and respond to quality feedback. Children are praised for hard work, determination and having a positive attitude. The curriculum celebrates diversity and utilises the skills, knowledge and cultural wealth of the community while supporting the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

The aim of our curriculum is for pupils to have the requisite skills to be successful, independent and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of education. We want all children to leave D’Eyncourt as independent learners with self-belief and an abiding respect for others. We aim to instil a life-long love for learning and a strong grounding for future success.

Implementation: how do we deliver our curriculum?

At D’Eyncourt Primary School, we offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced and which builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all children, whatever their starting points, as they progress through each Key Stage. The curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the pupils in our school.

Pupils work on the Early Learning Goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum as they enter Year 1. There is a period in the Autumn Term, where the majority of children progress to the National Curriculum. Throughout this period and beyond, all children are still developing their phonic knowledge through the Read, Write Inc. Programme and developing their fluency in reading.

Our detailed medium term plans ensure that all teachers are equipped with the secure subject knowledge required to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities. Our over-reaching aim is for teachers to have the knowledge and skills they need to feel confident in teaching all areas, regardless of their main areas of expertise. Lessons are planned alongside subject-specific progression of skills to ensure that children are given the opportunity to practise existing skills and also build on these to develop new or more advance skills. There is a structure to the lesson sequence whereby prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision and practise are built into the lessons. Interwoven into the teaching sequence are key assessment questions which are identified in red. These allow teachers to assess the different levels of understanding at various points in the lesson and also allow time to recap concepts where necessary, helping to embed learning.

Regular monitoring by Subject Leaders ensures coverage and progression throughout the school. The more able are challenged further in their learning and children who find aspects of their learning more difficult are appropriately supported so that they too are enabled to experience success. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our society are woven through the curriculum, including through assemblies.

The English and maths curriculum are taught in mixed age classes through the school (Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6). In all year groups there are small group interventions in order to support pupils in gaining the key skills to become successful readers, writers and mathematicians.

Specialist instructors support physical education lessons and all subject leaders are given training and opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school. Themed weeks and days, whole school activities and opportunities within and outside school all enrich and develop the children’s learning. After school clubs and events extend these opportunities further. Additional whole school programmes and approaches support quality teaching and learning and the school is well resourced in terms of learning materials, books and technology.

The outdoor environment and the local community are considered an opportunity for active learning for all our pupils. The school grounds have been developed so they can enrich different curriculum areas, such as Science and Forest School.

Impact: what difference is our curriculum making to pupils?

Children achieve and progress well at D’Eyncourt. Through our curriculum, we embed key skills ready for our children’s development into the world. Each unit is mapped against the progression of skills to ensure that learners develop detailed knowledge and skills across the full breadth of the curriculum through engaging and age—appropriate curriculum content. Teachers are responsible for ensuring that key subject knowledge is taught at the appropriate time and skills are consolidated before moving on to the next topic. Assessment across the key stages allows teachers to see how children perform and in what areas they need extra support. Interventions and boosters are implemented to ensure all children (whatever their ability) can access their learning.

Our units have a cross-curricular theme making links with English, Maths and Science. This helps to make learning memorable, allowing links to be made and ultimately creating a higher level of engagement and understanding. Attainment and progress can be measured using our progression of skills and assessment spreadsheets. The high quality and consistent approach in teaching demonstrates our commitment to attainment and skills learned.

In upper KS2, a period of transition (led by year 5 and 6 staff) allows children to discuss any concerns and worries about moving on to higher education. Lessons are embedded within PSHE to ensure children have knowledge of wider social issues, which can affect them in their lives outside of school. We aim to support and prepare children for their new challenges, instilling resilience and promoting good choices. We have also fostered good relationships with local secondary schools to help bridge that transition gap.

At D’Eyncourt, we have high expectations for all of our children. We expect children to achieve the best they can using the tools and support we provide. All children should have high aspirations and we want to encourage them to become resilient pupils. Children at D’Eyncourt have a love for learning and development and they work well with teachers and support staff to achieve their full potential