The Curriculum at Broadoak
Intent
Our broad and balanced curriculum aims to develop in children a curiosity and fascination of the world around us. It is our intention that our children will be inquisitive about the world- locally, nationally and globally; to have a sense of awe and wonder about the physical and natural world: places, people, processes, times, changes and development.
Our curriculum is focused on the development of children’s knowledge and skills across all curriculum subjects. We know learning is defined as changes in long term memory, so we ensure children build upon and recall previous learning to enable them to know more and remember more in the long term. We aim for our children to become happy, resilient and determined life-long learners who are great thinkers, problem solvers and who are fully prepared for further learning and life events ahead of them.
We prioritise the personal development of our children through our curriculum. They will learn how to take care of themselves, and be healthy -physically, emotionally and mentally, knowledge which will stay with them throughout their life. Our Broadoak Backpack character values encourage them to celebrate differences, be respectful, have empathy, to be tolerant and kind. They learn and appreciate Fundamental British Values and the Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural dimensions of the world as part of our curriculum, to ensure they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
Our curriculum aspires to develop a ‘Backpack’ for life for each Broadoak child, filled with knowledge, skills, experiences, personal attributes and ultimately, an understanding about the world around them which will enable them to thrive and have the confidence and courage to achieve their best in all they do- whilst at Broadoak and beyond.
Implementation
We have made connections in our curriculum between a range of subjects such as Science, Geography and Forest School. Connections are also made between English, foundations subjects and science through engaging, high-quality texts, placing reading at the heart of the curriculum, which supports and enhances learning of key concepts, vocabulary and depth of knowledge. We have also made connections within subjects which are revisited and overlearned overtime.
Lessons are broken down into specific skills and knowledge that will enable children to achieve the desired outcome. Children are clear on what they are learning and how to achieve this through clear learning objectives and success criteria. These are shared at the start of the lesson and referred to throughout.
Modelling at Broadoak is of a high standard with the teacher verbalising their thought process to the children, supported by visuals and explaining how and why they are doing what they are doing. Models are displayed on working walls in every classroom, which allow the children to refer to them during the lesson or future lessons to support their understanding.
To ensure children have a full understanding of what they are learning, specific vocabulary is taught to enable children to access their learning fully. Vocabulary is identified on subject unit cover sheets and a glossary is provided for each unit to support the children during lessons. These key words are also displayed on working walls.
A range of different question types are used to assess knowledge and understanding and to extend the thinking of our children or to check if there are any misconceptions that need to be addressed.
The curriculum consists of many planned experiences in school and out to further enhance children’s cultural capital beyond the academic curriculum such as: sporting tournaments, educational visits and visitors linked to the curriculum, fundraising events, residentials and a range of experiences and life skills in each year group.
Subject Details
Impact
Measuring the impact and effectiveness of our curriculum can be categorised into learning, character and behaviour.
Learning
We are able to evaluate how effectively our children are learning and the success of our curriculum when we assess the acquisition of key knowledge and skills. Ultimately, we know our curriculum is successful and learning has taken place when children remember knowledge and skills previously taught and can apply them.
The impact of the curriculum will be evident in the children’s discussions about their learning, showing that they know more and remember more of their learning and by the way they capture and demonstrate this in their books. They will leave us fully prepared for the next stage of their education.
Character
The impact of this aspect of our curriculum will ensure our children will gain a clear understanding of values like honesty, courage, resilience and enable children to have and maintain positive relationships. They will celebrate equality, and diversity and be happy, kind and tolerant. This will be evident in the behaviours and interactions we see every day in all children in the classroom, on the playground, in the corridors, and in their contributions to the school community.
Behaviours
The behaviour of children will demonstrate that they are motivated by a strong personal sense of morality. They will make decisions for the right reasons and in the best interests of their community. They will know what is right and what is wrong and will be resilient to the influence of others. They will go out into the world and make a difference in their own life and to that of others.
