We pride ourselves on the innovation and hunger to develop and fine tune a curriculum that is not only rigorous in providing all children with the knowledge they need to flourish but is also exciting, rich, broad and balanced. We want the children to experience the curriculum by learning new knowledge and develop a deep understanding of key concepts that give the children an understanding and colourful schema of the world around them.

Subjects follow well researched schemes of work which are knowledge rich. Our focus on world class learning begins in our use and interpretation of the Early Years Foundation Stage profile in our Reception classes. We have adopted the 'Little Wandle' phonics and literacy programme. We value and prioritise the importance of play in the learning experiences of our youngest learners using continuous and enhanced provision to create exploratory and curious learners. At the same time children’s phonics, early reading, writing and number sense is developed through more formal direct teaching; this combination of teaching and learning approaches provides the foundation for future success as children transition to the National Curriculum in Year 1. To support this transition, part of the Year 1 curriculum is delivered too through enhanced provision provocations and experiences.

Learning follows a sequential, progressive curriculum right through to Year 6. In Year 5 & Year 6 we are lucky to have the teaching of PE, Music and French provided by specialist teacher colleagues from Wymondham College. Our Pastoral and Academic Transition Programme for our Year 6s into Year 7 at Wymondham College is special with numerous opportunities for our pupils to feel confident, safe and ready for the big step to Senior School.

Our curriculum is an ever evolving entity, focused on the careful sequencing of knowledge developing pupils’ conceptual understanding. Each subject of the English National Curriculum has been carefully developed in the following way:

Core Knowledge

The Core Knowledge presented in the curriculum overviews for each subject presents what sits at the heart of a unit of work in a subject and what teachers aspire will move from pupils working memory into their long term memory as the unit progresses. If pupils can retain the core knowledge taught, they will have a comprehensive and solid understanding of each subject's curriculum content.

Hinterland Knowledge

The Hinterland Knowledge presented in the curriculum overviews for each subject presents learning opportunities that might arise as a result of exploring the Core Knowledge and the themes and content of each subject's curriculum. By displaying potential Hinterland avenues and themes in the curriculum overviews, we hope for the pupils’ schema and understanding of the world to be broadened, aiming for pupils’ curiosity to be provoked and challenged, inspiring them to develop new interests and understand a subject beyond the Core curriculum taught.

Skills

Vital Skills are also clearly displayed and are frequently revisited across subjects and year groups, helping ensure the children feel confident and can experience success as they progress term on term, year on year, using and applying the knowledge they are acquiring in a rich, variety of ways.

Experiences & Provocations

You'll notice that each subject's curriculum overview is also framed with ideas of potential Experiences & Provocation opportunities that support bringing the content of the subject's curriculum alive. Cognitive science frequently references the fact that if children live, breathe, see, hear and touch the curriculum taught, the knowledge explored becomes 'sticky', supporting the transference of key information from a child's short term memory to long term memory.

Wonder...

Each curriculum subject also displays a series of I wonder... rhetorical questions. These have been drafted with the aim of providing ways to grab the children's curiosity and provoke further questions about concepts and themes, helping broaden the children's schema and understanding of the subject and wider schema of the world.

Vocabulary

Each unit of work displays core Vocabulary linked to the content knowledge of a unit of work, supporting the children's learning and understanding of key concepts.