The curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote children’s learning, personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the national curriculum but also the range of extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the experience of the children. It also includes the ‘hidden curriculum’ or what the children learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave.

The main aim of our curriculum is to organise children’s learning to promote independence, excellence, perseverance, self-discipline, and a lifelong love of learning. We believe it is vital that the learning within the curriculum supports the development of self-confidence, inter-dependence, co-operation and high self-esteem.

We aim to help each child develop as a successful learner, confident individual and responsible citizen, develop their capabilities to the full, learning to respect others, express themselves with fluency and confidence, and understand the world in which they live. To maximise each child’s learning potential we provide appropriate motivation, challenge and support through the highest quality of teaching.

Foundation Stage

The curriculum that we teach in the reception classes meets the requirements set out in the revised national curriculum at Foundation Stage. Our curriculum planning focuses on the Early Years Development criteria and on developing children’s skills and experiences, as set out in this document. This can be found on this link.

Our school fully supports the principle that young children learn through play and by engaging in well-planned structured activities. Teaching in the Foundation Stage builds on the experiences of the children in their pre-school learning. We do all we can to build positive partnerships with the pre-school providers in the area.

Key Stages One and Two

From Year 1 to Year 6 we follow the Programmes of Study for each subject area in the 2014 National Curriculum. The curriculum is taught through discrete subjects and linked topic areas where relevant.

Organisation and Planning

To ensure full coverage and planned progression we plan the curriculum carefully in Year groups, based on the requirements of the National Curriculum 2014. These can be found on the gov.uk website:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-framework-for-key-stages-1-to-4

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/425601/PRIMARY_national_curriculum.pdf

Equal Opportunities

At Holbrook Primary School, we believe all children should have equal access to the curriculum regardless of background, ability, gender or race. We recognise the fact that in all classes, there are children of widely different abilities and therefore, in planning the curriculum it is important that we provide opportunities for learning that offer each child challenge, enjoyment and success.

For more information, please see our Equality duty and Accessibility policy.