Curriculum

Giving our best, achieving success!

Curriculum Statement

Intent

At New Brighton Primary Primary School, we have a distinct vision and set of core values that underpin the passion we share as a school community and which drive the development of the whole child. Through our core values we have fostered an environment where the emotional, physical, academic, social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of each child is considered. Our core values underpin the school motto of ‘Giving Our Best, Achieving Success!’

Children at New Brighton Primary School experience this vision through the embodiment of our school values. We use the Owl award system to help embed these core values within the school community and the curriculum, pupils earn weekly certificates for demonstrating each of our core values and eventually they will attain a rainbow (EYFS), bronze (KS1), silver (LKS2) or gold (UKS2) Owl award badge. These values ensure that our school ethos is woven through all aspects of our curriculum and school community.

Our curriculum has been designed to include full coverage of the National Curriculum and provides children with opportunities to develop as independent, confident, aspirational learners and to succeed in later life. Throughout their time at New Brighton Primary Primary School, pupils will engage with a curriculum that offers opportunities which foster curiosity and develop a love of learning. Alongside academic success, development of the self, physically and emotionally is a key outcome of our strong curriculum provision. Resilience is key to pupil success, our pupils are creative and resilient learners who embrace new challenges and are equipped with the tools to tackle any challenges hey may face. 

Self-worth, general well-being and mental health are all key aspects of our school provision. We use a  ‘trauma informed’ approach  the children’s robust mental health and wellbeing is a priority; the curriculum and its delivery reflects this. We understand that all children have a range of social, emotional and mental health needs and ensure that quality first teaching alongside additional tailored support from our pastoral team allow all pupils to engage with the curriculum. We know that in order to learn, a child must first feel safe and valued.

At New Brighton Primary Primary School we will:

Provide a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum

Promote diversity, well-being and self-esteem

Meet the needs of all children across the whole curriculum

Develop language and communication skills in all aspects of school life

Our children will become responsible citizens, demonstrating each of our core values and feeling fully prepared for the next steps in their journey through school. 

Implementation

Our curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum 2014, as well as all other statutory requirements including those relating to PSHE and Religious Education. We use a subject-specific project approach with foundation subjects being delivered through the Cornerstones curriculum programme. This has been adapted to meet and respond to the needs of the children and families within our community. 

Using the mastery approach for teaching 

Across the curriculum we have adopted a mastery approach to teaching. Using Pathways to Write in English lessons and White Rose Maths for maths, ensures the curriculum is delivered in small steps with opportunities for interleaving and repetition- in both subject we supplement and give additional consolidation opportunities through the use of LbQ, Sumdog and regular ‘Flashback’ activities. We teach to ARE and provide challenge for those who grasp concepts quickly. Our Interventions are closely linked to the content that is being taught in the classroom ensuring that those who may struggle have pre-teaching and the opportunity to practice and become fluent outside the lessons.

Reading

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. The direct teaching of reading starts with oracy and phonics. We currently follow the Letters and Sounds programme, with this being complemented by purposeful talk and the use of shared reading experiences that expose pupils to a wider range of vocabulary, syntax and sentence structure. As part of Letters and Sounds, the children have a daily phonics lesson in which they participate in speaking, listening and spelling activities that are matched to their developmental needs. The teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are stretched, challenged and to identify those children who may need additional support.

By KS2, we aim for all children to be ready for the whole class reading lessons that are undertaken five times a week. The focus here is on vocabulary development, the development of specific reading comprehension skills and the immersion in a wide range of texts. These lessons use class novels where appropriate as a stimulus for deeper thinking and link a range of fiction and non-fiction texts to these in order to further develop contextual knowledge and understanding. In addition, geography and history lessons from the Cornerstones curriculum incorporate knowledge organisers and information leaflets which form part of our reading curriculum. 

All children are encouraged and expected to read regularly at home, we believe that a love of reading is key to success across the curriculum. Pupils in YR2 to YR6 all take part in the Accelerated Reader programme which ensures they engage with books that are pitched at the correct level and that teachers can support them in progressing to more complex/challenging texts. Additionally, this programme allows teachers to know their children as readers, to offer tailored support where necessary and motivates children to engage fully with their reading.

Cornerstones Curriculum

We have adopted the Cornerstone Maestro curriculum to ensure coverage and progression in a number of curriculum areas. Whilst ensuring a clear path of progression for skills and knowledge in Art and DT, Humanities and Science, a key principal of this curriculum is to also to provide children with memorable experiences. These memorable experiences are often drawn from children’ own community, its heritage and traditions are frequently used as a starting point for engaging interest. 

The curriculum’s content is delivered through a range of subject-specific projects, which last either a full or half term. Each project follows the Cornerstones pedagogy of Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express.

A varied timetable for extra-curricular activities is offered by the school, with clubs that support the core curriculum offer, as well as those which develop specialist skills.  

The school takes pride in providing a highly inclusive environment, where learners demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education make very good progress in most subjects and areas of learning. Children at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. Those who are most able are challenged and supported through being offered tasks which provide opportunities for greater depth and those who struggle are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace or simply to learn in a style that best suits their individual needs.

Supported by SLT, the school’s new subject leaders will play an important part in the success of the curriculum by leading a regular programme of monitoring, evaluation and review and the celebration of good practice contributes to the ongoing commitment to evolve and improve further.

All subject leaders are given training and the opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding, so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school.

Impact

Pupils’ progress is measured through ongoing assessment (supported through the Balance programme) and through three key formal assessment points during the year. Work is planned to address misconceptions and gaps in learning are identified to ensure that the curriculum effectively meets the needs of all pupils.

We measure impact through learning walks, book looks, formative and summative data and pupil, parent and teacher voice.

This curriculum design ensures that the needs of individual and small groups of children can be met within the environment of high quality first wave teaching, supported by targeted, proven interventions where appropriate. In this way it can be seen to impact in a very positive way on children’s outcomes.

The impact of the school’s curriculum can be seen in the books they produce and the outcomes for all groups of pupils within the school. Everything we do is with the child at mind, and strong relationships are built between pupils and staff which create an atmosphere for learning which is conducive to success.