Maynards Green Community Primary School

Intent

Our intention is to develop confident, capable and considerate children, who grow into adults with independent minds, shared values and a sense of responsibility. Our skills focused curriculum will empower young people to succeed in this competitive and changing world. 

The curriculum is delivered through a clear progression of subject knowledge, skills and purposeful and memorable experiences. This offers pupils effective preparation for the opportunities and experiences of life in British society.

We understand that to be successful learners, children need to be emotionally secure. Therefore, we place a high priority on children’s physical and mental wellbeing and encourage them to aim high and work towards their lifegoals and dreams. 

Implementation

Topics are to relate (as much as possible) to our children’s life experiences and their surrounding area, as well as their place in a global society (wider cultures, diversity, financial, social, moral, cultural, spiritual etc.). Oracy is embedded within our classroom practice, in order to help pupils' knowledge intake and their social development. 

Pre-Learning Task:

• Teachers plan a task that assesses children’s prior knowledge of the new topic in order to inform planning.  
• It should be very practical, e.g. photos, artifacts, debate, newspaper article, interview, diary etc.

Big Question

• Topics have been collaboratively chosen to engage the children's interests 
• The ‘Big Question’ of the topic is introduced in the first lesson
• At least 10 hours over the course of the topic is spent on teaching the skills and knowledge required to answer the ‘Big Question’ 
• Areas of the curriculum can be taught in blocks if this is of benefit to the children.
• The sequence of lessons will include a range of teaching approaches, to include all of the following:

○ information gathering and sharing from the internet and books 

○ a range of practical experiences and physical resources (secondary and primary sources) 

○ visits

○ visitors 

• All subjects are taught discreetly, although relevant links between subjects are made
• Each week has subsidiary focus question that feeds into the learning for that week, teasing out the skills and knowledge that children are required to learn
• Medium term plans should be based on the National Curriculum (2014) knowledge and skills and taught through the subject. Some key knowledge from the medium term plans form the basis of the Knowledge Organisers which are sent to parents at the beginning of a topic
• At least one homework activity is based on the topic for that term
• Lessons follow this sequence (see below for more details):
• Pre-Learning – Big Question – Implementation – Impact (Assessment piece)
• There will be quality recording of the learning from each lesson, this can take the form of photographs, graphs, extended writing etc.
• Every lesson will consider all children’s needs and end with the children returning to their Big Question page, where they will make notes about their learning for that lesson

Impact

• At the end of the topic there is an assessed piece Using the children’s Big Question page which they have added to throughout the topic, the children will summarise their learning by answering the ‘Big Question’.  This can be done in a variety of ways, for example a debate, letter, recording 
• The knowledge and skills that the children have acquired throughout the topic will provide a soild foundation for them to make links between prior and future learning
• Children leave Maynards Green equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for the next stage of their learning journey