Curriculum

Intent:

Governors and staff at Cockernhoe Endowed CofE Primary school believe the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour, a positive caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of their social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures. This is embedded throughout all aspects of school life through the use of our School’s Christian Values such as friendship, hope, understanding, cooperation, tolerance, responsibility, trust, respect, unity, humility and quality.

The school offers a broad, balanced, exciting and differentiated curriculum covering all areas of the National Curriculum through our 2-year curriculum cycle for all classes and our aim is to provide a curriculum that meets the needs, interests and abilities of all children.

Wherever possible lessons are related to the world outside of the classroom to build on children’s experiences and exposure to connecting their learning in different environments and contexts. This is achieved using our timetabled Forest Schools Sessions and with other subjects being linked to the great outdoors, where possible.

We do our utmost to maximise success for all children by giving them the best teaching and learning experiences. This is also achieved through the use of trips, visitors, outdoor learning days and themed days e.g. World Faiths Days, Understanding Christianity focus weeks, African Drumming Workshops, Adventure days.

Our curriculum intends:

• To provide children with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to be educated citizens across a broad range of subjects and experiences
• To include everyone: all children have equal access to the curriculum and be treated fairly regardless of race, religion or ability
• To promote high standards of achievement and progress
• To make connections across areas of learning through a highly practical, cross-curricular thematic approach
• To capture children’s interests through engaging and exciting opportunities linked to real life experiences wherever possible
• To promote social, moral, spiritual and cultural development and an understanding of themselves and others
• To develop caring and responsible citizens who respect one another, our planet and a range of values and beliefs
• To help children think creatively and to solve problems
• To develop children’s capacity to learn and work both independently and collaboratively

Implementation:

Over the past few years, the curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure the children get a broad and rich curriculum during their time at Cockernhoe. This has been designed to enable all children to acquire relevant subject knowledge, which underpins the application of skills. Knowledge, skills and understanding are carefully mapped across each key stage and subject areas using relevant milestones.

Knowledge is consolidated and built upon to support retention and recall. This ensures that by the time children leave our school they have learned, and are able to recall and apply the key information that we feel is important in order for them to be successful in the future.

Organisation of the Curriculum:

The curriculum is designed to promote enjoyment of learning and to be fun. We endeavour to ‘bring learning to life’ and make it ‘irresistible’ wherever possible through visits out, visitors, theme days and ‘wow’ events.  We consult the children regularly to involve them in planning and decision making and involve parents in their children’s learning at every opportunity.  Each curriculum topic starts with the children discussing what they already know and what they would like to find out about.

Assessment for Learning is used in every lesson to ensure skills, knowledge and understanding are built on from what children already know, at a pace and level that ensures good progression and achievement. 

 Long Term Planning:

The Curriculum is planned over a two year cycle, to ensure the children experience all the topic areas during their time in each class. For example, some children will experience the Stone Age topic in Year 3 and others will in Year 4.  The subject topics have been carefully plotted, to be taught alongside other specific topics to allow children to make links between subject areas.

Medium Term Planning:

Each class teacher plans their subject over a half term or term. These show more detail for the topic being planned, including the Learning Objective, learning activities and potential wow moments.

Impact:

Children leave Cockernhoe with the academic, personal, social, moral and cultural skills, knowledge and understanding that they need to be successful in the next stage of their education.  They know how to make a positive contribution to their local community and how to be the best they can be.  Children leave Cockernhoe as confident and respectful learners.

Ultimately, the impact of the curriculum is the sum total of the skills, knowledge and understanding the children have acquired, as well as the personal characteristics they have developed, during their time at school.

The impact of the curriculum is measured in a variety of ways, using data and ‘softer’ outcomes such as behaviours, attitudes, knowledge, skills, understanding and enjoyment.

Staff assess the impact of the lessons they teach using a range of methods. Formative assessment and feedback are on-going all the time in lessons.  Planning is adapted in the light of assessment so that learning activities best meet the children’s needs and enables progress to the next steps in learning.

Pupil voice interviews, pupil book studies, deep dives and lesson observations take place termly to assess the quality and impact of the curriculum.

Children’s achievements are celebrated regularly in school through discussion, marking and feedback, displays, certificates and stickers, parent events and Collective Worship.

Parents receive feedback on the impact of the curriculum via their children, Parents’ evenings, reports and discussions with staff.

If you would like to find out more about the school's Curriculum please check out the children's pages for each class. Alternatively, please contact your child's class teacher, via the school office. admin@cockernhoe.herts.sch.uk