Curriculum Overview
Our Curriculum at Meadowside is designed to nurture children’s curiosity, support them in becoming courageous and ambitious learners and promote our values of relationships, kindness and respect to one another, in our community and the wider world.
Our Curriculum Intent
At Meadowside, our vision is for all of our children to feel safe, happy and supported. They will enjoy a creative and captivating curriculum that inspires them to reach their full potential.
We nurture children’s curiosity; support them in becoming courageous and ambitious learners; and promote our values of relationships and respect to one another. Our curriculum changes and adapts with our community and the wider world, ensuring our children are prepared for the next stage in their journey of development.
We intend to:
- Create a curriculum where staff have the highest expectations for all learners, supporting and challenging them at their individual starting points, while also not putting a ceiling on their progress. Children are given every opportunity to keep up with their year group’s curriculum (KUNCU).
- Ensure all children are ready to learn by nurturing positive relationships between pupils and staff members, supporting children through pastoral interventions if needed. Children’s personal development is emphasised and valued in our curriculum.
- Put the community at the heart of our curriculum. We nurture home-school links and community partnerships, and support our children in regularly giving back to our local community. We facilitate powerful parent partnerships, ensuring children are supported with learning at home as well as school.
- Create an accessible curriculum that is fully inclusive. Our curriculum allows for equality of opportunity and a sense of belonging, bridging the gap for our vulnerable children, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND. We tailor teaching to suit the individual needs of our children, supporting and challenging them.
- Ensure our curriculum is progressive and well-sequenced, building on prior learning and knowledge. The progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary is mapped out for each subject. Children are encouraged to make connections across their learning and answer questions about the world.
- Prepare children to be good citizens, living their life in a global society. Our curriculum celebrates and promotes diversity, and builds on our children’s cultural capital. Pupil voice is heard and valued, and children feel that they have a say in their school and their learning.
- Use high quality texts and a passion for reading as integral parts of all areas of our curriculum.
- Maximise opportunities to use our exceptional outdoor spaces and skilled Forest School staff member using valuable resources from our school environment and local area.
Our Values and Curriculum drivers- 5Rs
Our Curriculum has been designed with our 5Rs at the heart of everything we do. Our values, relationships and respect, and our curriculum drivers, being resourceful, resilient and reflective, are represented by animal mascots. All children and staff know these and work together to include them in all that we do.
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Our Values Relationships ( Elephant) Respect ( Bee) |
Our Curriculum Drivers Reflection ( Penguin) Resourcefulness ( Squirrel) Resilience ( Rhino) |
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Implementation
At Meadowside we implement our curriculum through single-subject topics, enhanced by our wider termly Big Ideas. We have created a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum, with a clear model for progression in vocabulary, knowledge and skills.
In EYFS we use the Early Learning Goals with progress towards these tracked using Development Matters which prepares learners for their next transition. Our curriculum follows the Primary National Curriculum programmes of study for Years 1-6, supported in some subjects by the Elevate Trust Curriculum. The Elevate Trust Curriculum is organised into single subject progression documents, which outline the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary for each year group. Each subject’s curriculum design has fidelity to the wider overall purpose and aims of the national curriculum, as well as disciplinary fidelity. Explicit links are made within subjects to prior learning, and across subjects, which helps children to make connections in their learning across the curriculum. Our curriculum has been carefully chosen to avoid ‘over-stuffing’ of subjects,, allowing topics to be taught in depth.
Beyond the Elevate Trust Curriculum, our wider curriculum offer takes into account our children and our community. Our Big Idea learning journeys allow for us to inspire curiosity, ‘hook’ interests and encourage whole school collaboration. Our Big Ideas encourage our children to think deeply, engage with topical current events and global learning, and understand our SMSC education and British Values in practical ways. Big Ideas are launched through exciting, creative, often whole-school events, and end with a landing activity, where learning is shared and celebrated with our wider community.
Our Curriculum Flow Chart
The flow chart document below provides a summary of how all the components of our curriculum link together and the connections between all its components.
Core Subjects – Maths, English and Science
Our Maths curriculum uses a mastery approach, based on the White Rose scheme of learning. Early Bird Maths across the school helps to ensure that our children have a strong understanding of mathematical concepts, and retain their previous learning. All children access a balance of fluency, reasoning and problem-solving style questions. Manipulatives are used across the school to support children in their conceptual understanding.
High Quality Texts are at the heart of our curriculum. Writing lessons are inspired by these high-quality texts, and follows a collect, connect, create cycle. The texts chosen often link to our science, humanities or Big Idea topics. In the Collect phase, children enjoy reading the high-quality text, collecting vocabulary, and picking out features of the text type. In the Connect phase, the children discover and practice the key grammar, punctuation and literary devices they will need for their own piece of work. In the Create phase, children plan, draft, edit and publish their own piece of writing, inspired by the high-quality text.
We use the Little Wandle phonics scheme in KS1, as well as the Big Cat reading scheme, which is phonetically decodable. Children in KS2 who are still struggling with literacy are able to access rapid catch-up phonics interventions. Word Power spelling sessions occur daily in KS2, using the Purple Mash spelling scheme.
Reading for Pleasure is highly important to us at Meadowside. Children are given the opportunity to read books daily, and visit the school library regularly. Book Club in KS2 means that all children read and discuss high quality, interesting texts regularly. All teachers read to their classes at the end of the school day.
We use the Elevate Trust Curriculum progression documents for Science to guide our learning., as well as the White Rose scheme of work. Children are regularly given practical investigative opportunities, and taught how to plan, evaluate and report on an investigation. Wherever possible, cross curricular and outdoor learning opportunities are maximised. Science is taught weekly.
The Elevate Trust Curriculum
We use the Elevate Trust Curriculum documents for the following subjects; Science, History, Geography, Art, DT, Music, French, Computing and PE. These give us clearly sequenced progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary. Our subject leaders have taken these progression documents and used them to create our exciting curriculum, as found in the Long-Term Plan.
As well as the Elevate Curriculum, teachers are also supported by the use of high-quality resources and schemes. These are not used ‘off-the-shelf’, but instead adapted by subject leads and teachers to best suit the children being taught.
We use the following schemes:
- Music – Charanga
- DT – Kapow
- Art – Access Art
- Computing – Purple Mash
- French – North Yorkshire Scheme
- PE – supported by specialist coaches.
Religious Education
Religious education is taught in week long blocks at the beginning of each half-term. We follow the North Yorkshire RE scheme. RE themes are linked across year groups, and RE weeks start with their own launches and landings. We have close links with our local churches, and children are able to visit other places of worship during their time at Meadowside.
PSHE and RSE
We follow the Jigsaw scheme for our PSHE and RSE lessons. Jigsaw learning is strengthened through whole school assemblies and celebrations. Learning in PSHE is shared with parents termly through class newsletters.
Forest School and Outdoor Learning
We are very lucky to have a wonderful outdoor space. Outdoor learning opportunities are maximised in all subjects. Each year, all children experience a half-term block of Forest School, led by a specialist teacher. Children in Year 5 and 6 also experience outdoor activities on their residentials.
Assessment
Ongoing comprehensive teacher assessment of children’s learning in all subjects ensure key milestones are reached. Teacher assessment is used to inform planning and the implementation of KUNCU strategies. In Maths and Reading, PUMA and PIRA assessments are used from Year 1 to give teachers a clear and accurate picture of strengths and areas to develop. Writing, science and foundation subjects are assessed through teacher assessment, kept on the data tracking system INSIGHT. For some children who are working below key stage level, PIVATS and pre key-stage standards are used to track progress. Teachers work hard to adapt their lessons so that every child can access the curriculum, and be supported and challenged in their learning.
How will we know whether we have been successful? (Impact)
The impact of our curriculum ensures children enjoy learning and have a sense of achievement. They know their strengths and work hard to overcome challenges. They are ready for the next stage in their learning journey and prepared for the world around them.
Children are confident at talking to others and can solve problems in teams and by themselves. They are resilient when faced with a challenge and can reflect on prior learning to help them achieve. Children at Meadowside care about the environment and are proud of their school and their community. They tolerate one another and respect each other and want to make the world a better place for their future and the lives that depend on it.
Children at Meadowside feel included in all aspects of school life and they celebrate difference and stand up to bullying and abuse. They know how to keep safe online and in the community and beyond. They feel ‘heard’ and are empowered to change the world and make a difference.
Children leave Meadowside academically secure and emotionally ready so they can navigate the world with these skills. They feel confident and supported to achieve their aspirations and follow their dreams
