Implementation of our curriculum

We have taken steps to ensure that our curriculum is engaging, broad and balanced. See ‘Curriculum Design’ document for a visual representation of our curriculum.

How did we design our curriculum?

• ·         We carried out research on curriculum design, and decided to use aspects of the Cornerstones Curriculum PRO. We have adapted this to create a bespoke curriculum, using a hybrid approach. We included specific lessons and teaching points that suit our intent, relevant to the children of Ibstock (such as the Davy Lamp Unit) whilst also excluding other content that we felt was irrelevant and that would overload children and our timetable. Cornerstones provide a wide bank of resources which help to support teachers and their workload.
• ·         Where subjects or an area of the curriculum does not fit into a block title, they are taught discretely e.g. computing, music PSHE, RSE and RE as this often doesn’t fit under the umbrella of the topic focus.
• ·         We involved staff in reviewing the curriculum, ensuring it reflects the school’s priorities.
• ·         We use specialist human resources, such as PE, French and music staff, who provide CPD for staff and deliver high quality teaching.
• ·         We spent a lot of time considering the latest cognitive science research, and produced our own learning document ‘Learning and Retrieval Practice at Ibstock Junior School’'. This provides a clear approach for staff, and is shared with all stakeholders – including children and parents. Our aim is for children to retain relevant information in their long-term memories, via retrieval practise and connecting learning across the curriculum. Subjects have been planned progressively through our Curriculum.
• ·         Knowledge Organisers are used, as a tool to help children learn facts and retain knowledge in the long term.
• ·         We have trained subject leaders to lead and monitor areas of the curriculum.
• ·         Maths, reading and writing are planned carefully to ensure they are progressive from Year 3 to Year 6. Reading and writing lessons are linked in to ‘topic’ learning where possible, to strengthen the learning and application of vocabulary. This was seen as a strength in our recent writing moderation (June 2024).
• ·         We have a key focus on Inspirational People which is displayed in the Hall. Pupils have been given the opportunity to learn about a range of significant diverse people, such as, Stephen Hawking, Maya Angelou and Thomas Cook during whole school assemblies. Pupils learn about their lives and achievements in depth and reflect on how these support school ACE values of Achieve, Collaborate and Enjoy. These Inspirational People then support a value (s) for the rest of the teaching block e.g. resilience, empathy and kindness, respecting the environment.

How has cognitive science research influenced our approach to teaching and learning?

• ·         Retrieval practise is an important learning tool. The research suggests that retrieval practise strengthens memory; this is why it is used across all subject areas in our school.
• ·         Retrieval helps to identify gaps in knowledge; to make connections with previous learning; to strengthen connections and makes it easier to learn new things. Our children take part in a range of retrieval activities, games and quizzes so that they can strengthen their learning.
• ·         We have shared the key principles of retrieval practise with staff, pupils and parents in documents and through school visits for parents.
• ·         The principles are applied across all curriculum areas, including mathematics and English
• ·         We use ‘dual coding’ to present new vocabulary to pupils. In dual coding, we present written vocabulary alongside a sensory image, so that when a child retrieves the definition of the word, they can recall it via two different channels.
• ·         We have reviewed how information is presented to children and used suggestions from research to help to make information clear and reduce cognitive overload. This is useful for all pupils, but is in an important consideration for adapting information for pupils with SEND.
• ·         We use ‘Flip Chart Summaries’ as a tool for reviewing pupils’ learning over time.
• ·         When designing our curriculum, we ensured that new learning builds on prior learning. When pupils learn a new topic, class teachers show pupils how new learning builds directly on other areas they have learned before (Prior Learning Summaries). This helps to strengthen prior learning and provides a relevant context for new learning.
• ·         Our skills progression for each subject is documented through a ‘snake’ design to ensure skills are revisited, increased and honed over time. Our planning carefully outlines where knowledge has been previously taught and ensure pupils are well prepared for future learning.
• ·         To improve pupils’ long-term retention, all subject planning incorporates spaced retrieval and sequential revisiting of knowledge and outcomes which inform future adaptations to planning.

What are our Key aspects of teaching and learning?

• ·         We place vocabulary at the heart of learning: children learn key vocabulary from reading instruction, Knowledge Organisers and our Word Aware program. Key vocabulary and specific knowledge for all subjects is taught.
• ·         We review the delivery of teaching. We have reduced the time pupils read from interactive whiteboards and encourage all pupils to engage in more practical learning, with less time passively listening.  We aim to involve all pupils in discussion; the use of ‘Cold Calling’ ensures pupils listen well and participate.
• ·         Our Medium-Term Plans are carefully constructed to include the key information that pupils need to retain. Our ACE Drivers of Achieve, Collaborate and Enjoy are explored in each teaching unit along-side the desired ACE outcomes.
• ·         We place an emphasis on the importance of both knowledge and skills for learning.
• ·         We provide opportunities for pupils to apply their learning, skills and knowledge across the curriculum.
• ·         Our curriculum is inclusive of all pupils; some learning content is adapted or differentiated so that all pupils can still access learning. A more active learning style benefits many pupils with additional needs, as the lessons can be adapted as required to ensure full inclusivity in learning (recognised in our Peer review, 2024).
• ·         Opportunities to explore aspects of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are being addressed in our curriculum. It is planned that every year group read a variation of quality texts to allow coverage of protected characteristics with a diversity of authors, characters and stories.

What enrichment activities do we offer to our pupils?

• ·         We provide competitions and festivals for pupils to participate in, both sporting and academic.
• ·         Opportunities are provided for extra-curricular activities for all pupils
• ·         We offer homework support for pupils during the school day.
• ·         Educational visits, residential visits and enrichment activities are carefully planned to enhance the curriculum (see Educational Visits and school experiences 24 – 25). Our trips and visits inspire children and connect their learning with real world events and applications. Pupils reflect on the past and prepare for the future.

Developing and implementing the content of our curriculum.

Our curriculum is exciting and offers engaging themes and projects. We have designed our curriculum so we can deliver on our curriculum principles and entitlement, while ensuring coverage of the statutory requirements of the national curriculum. We ensure lessons are accurately differentiated in challenge and depth in order to achieve both breadth and balance. We believe that our pupils are entitled to a broad range of learning, enriched with stimulating educational and cultural visits and extra-curricular activities. A residential stay is offered and encouraged for year 4 and Year 6 pupils each year.

Curriculum leaders produce a long-term plan (see example) for each year group and teachers use this to plan lessons in the medium and short term. The long-term plan is reviewed annually by teachers, ensuring they incorporate the school’s priorities. Curriculum resources are carefully chosen and reviewed to enhance the curriculum. This includes human resources, educational visits and visitors to school.

For each year group, curriculum content is delivered via a variety of interesting ‘topics’, which connect elements of learning across different subject domains. Each of the six topics per year group is studied in a 6 week ‘block’ of time, ensuring that there is a fair and relevant amount of time to study each topic. Within each block, a variety of curriculum subjects are taught and explicit subjects. Careful planning has ensured that there is full coverage of the curriculum and that there is adequate progress within each individual subject – our curriculum ‘snakes’ help to demonstrate these points. 

Impact: review and evaluate

After establishing the design of our curriculum, we regularly review its impact on teaching and learning and make any adaptations or changes. This helps us to consider the original curriculum principles and purposes when reviewing, and focus on particular areas for development in school. For example, how well the curriculum is helping children to progress in writing.

The Senior Leadership Team review the curriculum regularly; subject leaders monitor progress in their subjects and governors monitor the delivery of subject leader action plans. We ensure that external practitioners are involved in the review and evaluation of our curriculum: we will make adaptations based on feedback we receive.