Our Curriculum Intent

We have developed our curriculum so that throughout their time with us, our children are gaining and building the essential knowledge that they need to prepare them for their future success (Cultural Capital). In each subject area, our curriculum aims to provide the children with the knowledge and skills to do more, know more and remember more in the concepts discreet to the subjects being taught and within the planned, wider opportunities that will enrich their daily experiences.

In consultation with staff and feedback from Ofsted our curriculum is based around stage not age with a key focus in every session on support for all pupils. With the challenges faced by all schools but especially a small school, we recognise that a curriculum is never finished and that there will always be improvements to make to content choice, the sequencing of lessons and fidelity to the discipline of each subject.

We are completely invested in reading and a core belief is that reading is the key to the door for a child in later life.  Above all else, we want to ensure children are skilled readers with excellent background knowledge when they leave NSPS.

We teach most subjects as discreet subjects with an aim of preserving the unique nature of each subject and allowing children to see that nature clearly, giving them a better understanding of each. The risk, however, is children seeing subjects as disconnected silos. We therefore aim to adopt a measured approach that retains subject disciplines but makes connections where they are appropriate. These can be at the same time of year (for example studying Egyptian history and Egyptian art at the same time of year) which has led to some of our teaching and learning to be through a topic based, enquiry question model, which supports our pupils to make links and build their knowledge.

SUBSTANTIVE OR DISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE?

We also give a great deal of thought to the difference between substantive and disciplinary knowledge. There is more to a subject than the information, facts and concepts that are taught and learned. These things are substantive knowledge. Disciplinary knowledge focuses on what it is that historians / scientists / geographers / French speakers / programmers actually do in order to preserve the discipline in each subject and make it about more than substantive knowledge. By following the national curriculum this helps us clarify the disciplinary aspect of each curriculum subject.

Our school seeks to ensure all pupils flourish and find success through challenge, support and opportunities designed within a curriculum that is rooted in shared values and high expectations.

Our three curriculum drivers have given our curriculum a clear and cohesive intent:

Metacognition – Ensuring children know more and remember more

5. Sequencing curriculum for progression (breadth and milestones)
5. Revisiting subject concepts
5. Retrieval practise
5. Continuous provision
5. Learning environment
5. Cognitive load

Enrichment -

5. Community
5. Enterprise
5. Diversity
5. Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural development (inc Mental health and wellbeing)
5. Nature/exploration in the environment
5. Experiences to develop character

Success – everyone is capable of Success and making the choice to be successful

5. Secrets to success – Our Core Values
5. Achievement for all (unlocking potential)
5. Our Golden Rules
5. Being a North Scarle Learner
5. ALL children are capable of Success and are ‘Choosing to be Successful’

Through our vision, values and curriculum, it is our intention that North Scarle Children WILL:

Become Lifelong Learners and through their learning be:	Be Good Citizens, have a strong sense of identity and in life be:	Have experienced opportunities (including but not limited) to:
Resilient Curious Confident Independent Collaborative Attentive Reflective Proud Safe Risk takers Successful	Happy Honest Fair Respectful Considerate Understanding Empathetic Open minded Inclusive Realistic Optimistic	Compete in sports and competitions Go to the theatre Take part in a residential Visit places locally and nationally Go swimming Play an instrument Explore the outdoors Experience different cultures and communities