Intent

 

At All Saints National Academy we want our curriculum to be aspirational so that our children aim high and challenge themselves.

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The intent has been created from an understanding of the context and needs of the local area that we serve.

 

We use the National Curriculum guidelines supported by Chris Quigley, in order to develop the knowledge content but our aim is to make the curriculum relevant and exciting to the children, with purposeful outcomes.

 

Through the use of our academy values, we develop our children to be aspirational citizens that show respect for, and understanding of, other people, the environment, and wider world. This ensures that our children are prepared for life in modern Britain.

 

Our focus is on the learning experiences of the children whereby they can share their learning with each other, their families, and wider community, and leave our academy confident, happy, resilient, and enthusiastic lifelong learners. We continually focus on closing the learning gaps, particularly for the most vulnerable, including the lowest 20%. 

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Implementation

 

Our curriculum is delivered through topics that include and make links between learning from different subject areas, providing meaningful learning opportunities for children. The topics begin with a KWI activity. This enables the children to show what knowledge they already have, what they would like to learn, and at the end – what they have learnt. Moreover, children engage with ‘Repeat and Rewind’ which enables children to make links to prior learning and provides a ‘hook’ for subsequent learning. It also excites the children about the learning to come; sparks curiosity and encourages children to ask questions.

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Through the learning journey, children with deepen their understanding of a subject, whilst also applying skills, exploring and testing their own ideas. By adopting various forms of assessment, these allow a reflection on all the knowledge and skills the children have gained and a celebration of their learning. Children’s learning is further enhanced by educational visits and themed days that promote a love of learning.

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Knowledge underpins and enables the application of skill. We strive for children to learn new skills alongside knowledge, ensuring that both are explicitly developed.  Recognising that knowledge and skills are intertwined, we take a cross-curricular approach to maximise links across subjects and to ensure teaching and learning is relevant and meaningful.

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Our vibrant and rich curriculum is designed so that the subject specific skills are scaffolded within a cross-curricular topic each term.  Topics are delivered on an annual basis and are carefully designed to capture the interests and imaginations of our children. In order to ensure that progression and balance is maintained, the programmes of study are developed into medium-term plans which clearly highlight previous learning, the learning objectives covered (skills and knowledge), assessment opportunities, key vocabulary as well as links to other subjects. We use every opportunity to capitalise on connections between subjects and develop and apply all important reading, writing, speaking and listening, and maths skills in a purposeful context.  RE, PE, PSHE which includes PSHE/RSE are often taught as discreet subjects to ensure coverage of the main objectives and age-appropriate knowledge and skill development.

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Every term, teachers will send home a Knowledge Organiser. This outlines the key subject knowledge and vocabulary that will be covered within the term’s topic and enables parents to both be involved with and support their children’s learning.

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Impact

 

Our curriculum promotes and sustains a thirst for knowledge and understanding and a love of learning, evidenced by pupil engagement and feedback.

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Our curriculum ensures that the needs of individual and small groups of children can be met within the environment of quality-first teaching, supported by targeted interventions where appropriate. Enjoyment of the curriculum promotes achievement, confidence and positive behaviours.

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We ensure quality-first teaching enables our children to develop their long-term memories and define their progress as knowing and remembering more.  Teachers and colleagues work hard to plan a broad and balanced curriculum which is delivered to ensure a child’s entire school experience enables them to develop a deep body of knowledge which will see them through to further study.

To enable deep knowledge to be acquired within our children, we ensure that teachers revisit and build upon previous learning opportunities. Through the use of "Learning Check" questions, whereby our pupils revise past and present learning through discussion,  by making notes or drawing or creating mind maps to prove they have developed a secure understanding of their learning.  Part of the learning check process is to revisit learning from previous years. This is supported through the use of subject knowledge organisers, quizzes and through ongoing assessments.

 

Subject leaders conduct regular monitoring, in line with the Academy Improvement Plan and calendar. The monitoring cycle includes pupil voice, staff voice, book scrutiny, looking at learning and reviewing assessments. The results of this, for the subject leader, demonstrates the impact each subject is having within our broad and balanced curriculum.