Curriculum

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Curriculum

We believe that an inspiring, well-sequenced curriculum provides the foundation for all children to develop as individuals and to reach their full potential. We are passionate about enabling all children to be empowered to achieve their dreams and to be extraordinary.

In order to achieve this, we follow our Five-Step Curriculum Strategy.

Five-Step Curriculum Strategy

Step 1 - Principles and purpose

Annually, the staff at Brington collectively review and establish our school’s curriculum principles in the form of a Curriculum Statement. Our Curriculum Statement is closely aligned to our school’s values, context and needs. It is also the catalyst for our individual Subject Visions.

Step 2 - Breadth and balance

We hold regular curriculum planning meetings where we make strategic decisions (using the National Curriculum Programmes of Study) about what we teach and when. Teaching staff consider the needs and interests of their children whilst also considering prior learning. Our collective planning approach ensures that our curriculum has coverage and is well sequenced throughout all primary phases. Topics and units of study are then added to our Curriculum Road Maps which form our long-term curriculum plans.

Our Curriculum Road Maps incorporate progressive steps and subject endpoints. It is our aim is to help children build a deep body of knowledge that enables them to perform increasingly complex skills.

Step 3: Teaching narrative

After creating long-term plans, the teaching staff plan the context for the delivery of the curriculum subjects in the form of Medium Term Plans. These plans provide the narrative for the teaching of each subject. They set out how and when the learning will be delivered, making sure that the learning journey is sequenced and cohesive.

At Brington, we have created Progression of Knowledge, Skills and Vocabulary Maps for every subject. These maps are used by the teaching staff when creating their medium term plans; they enable the teachers to sequence and pitch the plans at the right level for their children. The Progression of Knowledge, Skills and Vocabulary Maps are used as an assessment tool throughout and at the end of the units of work.

It is also at this stage when the teachers create topic Knowledge Organiser wall displays. The Organisers help teachers work out both the overarching themes of a topic and the essential knowledge they want children to learn. They also provide children with the ‘bigger picture’ of a topic or subject area. The children and teachers use the Organisers as a point of reference throughout the course of the topic; this helps the children to make links between different subject areas and also with their memory retrieval skills. The Knowledge Organisers are used as an additional assessment tool throughout and at the end of each unit of work and are updated regularly throughout each unit of work.

Step 4: Source high-quality resources and deliver the curriculum

At Brington, we strive to deliver a curriculum which is engaging and ambitious. The teaching staff source high-quality resources and practical equipment which enhance the teaching and learning experience. Short-term lesson plans are then used to deliver the subject content each day.

Step 5: Review and evaluate

At Brington, we do not employ a revolving one or two-year cycle curriculum; every year, our curriculum is collectively planned and renewed, specifically based on the needs of the children, the world we currently live in and the children’s prior learning. This offers us the flexibility to continually develop our curriculum whilst keeping it relevant and engaging. The teaching staff at Brington carry out this curriculum development at planned meetings throughout each academic year. This is also when Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs for staff are identified alongside staff researched based projects.