Intent:
Our Curriculum has been designed to ‘unlock every child’s potential’ by offering stimulating and awe-inspiring learning experiences with our Christian values at its heart.
Our Curriculum is bespoke to the needs of the pupils at Rawdon St. Peter’s, not only by focussing on appropriate subject-specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum, but also by developing individual and collaborative learning experiences, a positive growth mind-set, a sense of responsibility and challenges that take them beyond the classroom.
We are a semi-rural school with a constantly-evolving curriculum explored through our Big Question approach: this allows children to lead their own learning, following their interests as well as providing challenge. We nourish our pupils’ appreciation of difference and diversity, allowing them to demonstrate empathy and inclusion for all, particularly through our work with Orchard class. Pupils enjoy learning how to be caring and take responsibility through their work with our school dog, Merlyn.
Our curriculum responds to the needs of learners and their interests by providing a wide range of learning experiences and by expanding children’s understanding from the local area to national and global arenas. Our class Eco-Warriors lead our developing focus on linking our learning in science and geography to help make sustainability an integral part of school life. Thus, we will develop outward-looking pupils who are able to engage in learning about themselves and have an understanding of the wider world and its complex cultures: our strong links with a school in Uganda and our charitable Christian approach play a key part in this.
Implement:
Through quality teaching of knowledge, skills and vocabulary across core and foundation subjects, all children will be challenged to be inquisitive, compassionate, courageous and creative learners. They will have opportunities to influence their own learning through age-appropriate and relevant themes and topics. Effective learning characteristics including being ambitious, reflective and imaginative will drive teaching and learning. Through our staff research teams, we continually develop our practice to ensure it is relevant to the cohorts of learners in school at any one time.
Impact:
Our children have a confident set of skills, knowledge and Christian values which can be used to get ahead in education and life more generally. In short, they learn more; remember more; enjoy more and develop more spiritually, socially and emotionally. This enables them to be ready for their next stage in education.
Our curriculum is based around “The Big Question”. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions and to think of ways to answer smaller questions that in turn build up to answer the big question. This approach encourages the natural inquisitiveness and curiosity of children and enables them to ask questions, research ideas and to problem solve; it is designed to encourage and develop independent learning.
The Recovery Curriculum
Click here for more information about changes to our curriculum from September 2020
Following the full return of pupils to school after the lockdown of 2020, we have developed a Recovery Curriculum to support children.
The main strands of our Recovery Curriculum are:
· Mental health and wellbeing
· Reading
All classes will have a focus on these two strands for the whole year, and they will take precedence over other curriculum areas. Each band has also written a Recovery Curriculum Action Plan, detailing provision for their band on a term-by-term basis, and including changes made to the curriculum to promote ‘catch-up’. Although there is no way we can repeat every bit of learning missed during lockdown, as a school we are focusing on ‘threshold’ concepts – those ideas which help children to understand lots of other concepts. Some topics which have been missed will be taught this year, especially if there is a topic later this year which builds upon the knowledge and skills which would have been covered. Some curriculum areas will simply take a little longer to cover this year, as teachers adapt their lessons to include any key concepts missed last year, inserting additional lessons as needed.
Reading will continue to be a focus as we believe it is the vehicle through which children access all other learning. This includes early reading and phonics.
There is no requirement to return fully to the usual curriculum until Summer 2021. There will be an increased focus on basic skills in the first half of the year, as teachers make ongoing assessments about the gaps children have, and plan accordingly. We believe there will need to be a much greater emphasis on nurture, mental wellbeing and growth mindsets throughout the year. Despite this, as a school we aim to continue to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum to all year groups, as far as is possible, and as soon as possible.