Curriculum Intent

Intent:

We will have a well-planned and sequenced curriculum which allows children to connect their knowledge across subjects and link learning to over-arching themes and concepts. We will bring learning to life and encourage curiosity through hands-on and memorable experiences. Our curriculum will ensure that pupils understand, accept and celebrate differences including beliefs, cultures, ethnicities and disabilities. Our broad and balanced curriculum will also increase knowledge and understanding of healthy living, the environment, cultural understanding, respect of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. and therefore, prepare our children for life in modern Britain and as global citizens. We aim for children to see themselves reflected in our curriculum provision and to feel appropriately supported yet challenged.

Implementation:

• We have built a personalised curriculum which meets the needs of our pupils and will adapt it accordingly each year.  
• Learning across the school will be well-planned so that children build on previous learning, make meaningful connections and are given opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways.
• Subjects will be taught discreetly but linked, where applicable, to over-arching themes and concepts.
• All children will be suitably challenged and will have opportunities to research, explore, discuss, debate and question learning content and wider themes.
• We will develop children’s understanding and use of ambitious and subject specific vocabulary.
• All children will develop their knowledge and understanding of the world across the curriculum through reading high quality books and texts.
• Pupils will take part in practical and memorable experiences across the curriculum to bring learning to life, encourage curiosity and deepen understanding.
• Key concepts and knowledge will be built upon and revisited at spaced intervals so that knowledge is embedded in long-term memory during lessons.
• Pupils will learn about significant people and events in each subject and understand the impact they have had.
• Enrichment opportunities will be built into the curriculum for all pupils: trips and visitors are linked to the planned curriculum and are designed to hook interest, deepen understanding and to reinforce and stimulate learning.
• We will actively challenge stereotypes and discrimination and reinforce tolerance and respect through our curriculum.
• Fundamental British values and Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural development will be at the heart of our school curriculum to develop acceptance and to celebrate our differences and uniqueness.

Impact:

• Pupils are happy and make a positive contribution to the well-being of those around them.
• Pupils are able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of healthy living, the environment, cultural understanding and respect of others.
• All pupils are able to recall key knowledge from the subjects they are learning and explain their understanding and opinions.
• All pupils are able to make links with the curriculum and their lives or the lives of others.
• All pupils develop the confidence to access the next stage in their education and are positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.

Intent:

We aim for all teaching to be engaging, rigorous and impact positively on pupil learning and behaviour in the context of our rich, relevant, broad and balanced curriculum.

Implementation:

• All lessons are built on the foundations of our agreed ten principles of effective learning at EJS (See our T&L Framework) which are: Making Connections; Effective Questioning; Quality Pupil Talk; Modelling and Guided Practice; Scaffolding and Support; Independent Practice; Feedback; Regular Review & Reflection; Pace and High Expectations.
• All lessons will include process driven ‘Success Points’, that are referenced during lessons, so that children know what they need to do to be successful and which aspects they need to develop.
• Behaviour will be positively-managed in order to eliminate disruption.
• Pupils will be taught to select and use resources and scaffolds independently within a well-organised classroom and will receive targeted support from an adult when appropriate.
• Information and instructions are given in small chunks to avoid cognitive overload.
• Teachers will use their strong subject knowledge to ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of their learning and how it fits within the broader context of the subject and wider curriculum.
• Professional expertise of the teacher is developed through regular work scrutiny, planning reviews, lesson observations/learning walks and discussion with pupils.
• Effective and targeted questioning will be used to engage pupils and to challenge and deepen their learning and understanding.
• Question stems and varied levels of questioning (e.g. using Bloom’s Taxonomy) to allow pupils to deepen their thinking.
• Appropriate use of hands down questioning and ‘Think-Pair-Share’ will encourage participation and allow access for all.
• Disadvantaged and other vulnerable pupils will benefit from additional targeted questioning, support and intervention based upon their specific needs.

Impact:

• Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and demonstrate at least expected progress towards the Learning Objective.
• Pupils are able to communicate the intended learning; say what they need to do to achieve it; evaluate their progress and identify next steps.
• Pupils can access the intended learning, maintaining active engagement and motivation throughout each lesson.
• Leaders have a clear understanding of how effective teaching and learning is. 
• Pupils are prepared to have a go and learn from their successes and failures.
• Quality first teaching and assessment for learning is exemplary.

Intent:

We aim for all pupils to make at least expected progress in line with their starting point in all subjects. Good teaching will be based upon purposeful and accurate formative and summative assessment that identifies and addresses the pupil’s learning needs. By the end of Year 6, we want all pupils to be Secondary-ready and have the knowledge and skills to access the next stage in their education. Our curriculum will support all pupils to read accurately and fluently to ensure that they can access all areas of the curriculum at a depth appropriate to their ability.

Implementation:

• Feedback (verbal & written) is in line with the whole school feedback policy and will be structured around the intended learning outcomes and towards individual pupils and their needs.
• Each lesson builds in opportunities for children to receive instant feedback through self-marking, peer assessment and live marking.
• We will use low-stakes quizzes and opportunities to apply learning in new contexts to support retrieval and demonstrate understanding.
• Pupils will self-evaluate their progress against the learning objective by reviewing their performance against ‘success points’ during and at the end of the lesson.
• Teachers will use both formative and summative assessment to regularly track and review each pupil’s needs, identifying appropriate support or challenge.
• Robust formative assessment and rigorous question-level analysis allows misconceptions to be identified and addressed (either at an individual, class or cohort level) and teaching adjusted accordingly.
• There will be clarity over ARE and GD expectations for each year group.
• At key points in the year, there are opportunities for in-school and intra-school moderation to ensure valid and robust assessment judgements.
• Outcomes achieved in summative assessments will be shared with pupils and parents, allowing them to develop a shared understanding of their attainment and next steps in relation to year group expectations.
• At termly Pupil Progress Meetings, Senior Leaders and Teachers have discussions on individual pupil’s progress; draw up a list of Pupils on Watch and agree strategies to support learning.

Impact:

• Progress in all subjects will be demonstrated in work pupils produce and through data.
• Lessons are planned to ensure pupils master the content of the National Curriculum.
• Increasing numbers of pupils achieve and exceed expectations in national assessments. Internal data reflects this trend too.
• All pupils read confidently with accuracy and fluency so that they can access all areas of the curriculum.
• Work produced shows progress across all subjects.

Intent:

Our curriculum is designed to be accessible for all children and give them the knowledge and cultural capital that they need to succeed in life. Learning opportunities are built to reflect the intersectionality of our pupils and school community. We aim to give all our pupils: “Roots to grow; Wings to fly” regardless of their barriers to learning, starting point or background.

Implementation:

• Teachers consider the needs, backgrounds and starting points of all pupils when planning and delivering lessons.
• Pupils’ ideas about race, gender, religion and disability are explored and discussed and discrimination will be challenged.
• All pupils will have regular access to support and guidance from the class teacher through whole class teaching, guided groups or live marking.
• Adults will provide both generic and personalised scaffolds, resources and manipulatives (which are easily accessible) for children to select and use to enable them to achieve.
• Individual support from a TA will be used appropriately to ensure children develop independence.
• Pupils of the Hearing Resource Base (HRB) are appropriately integrated in mainstream classes, participating in group and paired work and learning experiences as well as receiving a bespoke curriculum tailored to meet their individual needs.
• British Sign Language will be embedded in the culture of our school so that all pupils can sign key subject vocabulary.
• For further information on curriculum accessibility, please refer to our Accessibility Plan and our Equality Objectives, both of which can be found on our website.

Impact:

• Pupils understand that they are active members of our school community and have a sense of belonging within the school.
• All pupils have access to a wide and varied curriculum within an inclusive classroom environment.
• Pupils will see others like them reflected within the curriculum.

Intent:

Our aim is to design a curriculum which will develop life-long learning skills in our pupils, prepare them for the next stage of their education and foster a growth mindset. Our curriculum will support pupils in becoming confident and proficient communicators and helps develop a wide vocabulary.

Implementation:

• All children will use the 5Bs (Brain, Book, Board, Buddy, Boss) to develop self-help and independence skills.
• Oracy will be a key aspect of classroom practice and provide pupils with opportunities to deepen their understanding and vocabulary acquisition through dialogue with teachers and peers and develop speaking, listening and questioning skills.
• We will teach our pupils that they all have a right to be listened to, provide them with opportunities to debate and discuss and support them in becoming confident and proficient communicators.
• We will promote inquisitiveness and collaboration through interactive lessons, innovates and memorable experiences.
• We will use metacognition and self-regulation approaches to help children think about their own learning more explicitly, give them a repertoire of strategies to choose from and teach them specific strategies for planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning.
• We promote the importance of having a Growth Mindset through our high expectations, encouraging resilience, celebrating mistakes, constructive use of praise and using inspirational role models.

Impact:

• All pupils are able to demonstrate their knowledge of the world through dialogue and discussion using a wide vocabulary to confidently communicate their understanding.
• Pupils are confident in asking questions to extend their own thinking with a balance of talk, listening, exploring and observing.
• Our high expectations show children that we believe they can do it, which in turn has a positive impact on their own beliefs, behaviour and outcomes.