Curriculum

ASPIRE Curriculum

Curriculum intent -  ‘To unlock academic and personal potential’

At Manor Way,  we believe that all of our pupils need to feel empowered through our curriculum to be happy and successful learners in order to achieve their academic and personal potential.  We believe that each of our pupils can be the best that they can be, which is driven by our Trust-wide Aspire virtues and learner skills which underpin our teaching and learning in the classroom.

Our Approach to Curriculum

Our curriculum exists to ensure all pupils, regardless of background and ability, can aspire to 'unlock their academic and personal potential'.  It empowers and equips pupils with the knowledge, character virtues and learning skills required to thrive in learning and in life and has been designed to provide access to a broad and ambitious range of subject experiences, anchored by high challenge for all. 

Its primary purpose is to enable our pupils to know more and remember more and be able to do more. 

Our curriculum is underpinned by the National Curriculum objectives which act as the foundations for our curriculum. Our subject leaders have then been empowered to take ownership of their subjects and lead with the support of the Curriculum Lead to create a fulfilling, ambitious, and challenging curriculum for our pupils. A curriculum, where we aim to inspire our pupils and immerse them in their subject content so that they are able to become meta-cognitive learners.

Our curriculum exceeds the minimum requirements set out in the National Curriculum and The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils have access to the following areas of learning / subject areas:

Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage
Prime Areas	Personal, Social and Emotional Development Physical Development Communication and Language
Specific Areas	Literacy Mathematics Understanding the World Expressive Arts and Design

 

KS1 and KS2
Core Subjects	English Mathematics Science
Foundation Subjects and Wider Curriculum	Art and Design Computing Design and technology Languages Geography History Music Physical Education Religious Education Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) inc. Relationships and Health Education (RSE)

 

Curriculum design 

In order for our children to gain extensive knowledge in all curriculum areas, we teach all curriculum subjects discreetly. We feel that this also allows each subject to keep its integrity and enables subjects to be taught rigorously with a sharp focus upon the subject-specific knowledge and skills required. 

Subject	Implementation
Maths	Ark Curriculum - Maths Mastery
Writing	Jane Considine
Handwriting	Kinetic Letters
Reading	Whole class reading approach and domain focus lessons
Phonics	Little Wandle
Science	WAT 5Es Planning
History	WAT Planning Half-termly
Geography	WAT Planning Half-termly
PE	Get Set 4 PE
MFL	Language Angels
DT	Kapow
Art	Access Art
Computing	Purple Mash
Music	Kapow
RE	Discovery RE

 

How do we deliver our Curriculum?

Our lessons are planned and delivered with the intention of ‘engaging and enthusing every day.’ This is identified as part of the sunshine model below, which is grounded in research in cognitive science to help underpin our approach. Our curriculum subjects are progressive in order to support our pupils to know more and remember more so that they can become lifelong learners. Within each lesson, teachers engage pupils through connecting and engaging with their prior learning. Throughout the lesson, higher level vocabulary is introduced and reinforced whilst deeper thinking is promoted through the key questions posed and regular learning checks. 

Within our trust, subject leaders have been given time to work with other leaders to identify the key progression of skills for their subject areas and have opportunities to work with lead practitioners and meet regularly to continue to monitor their curricular content. 

There is a strong emphasis on planning for, teaching and using tier 3 vocabulary throughout our curriculum. Pupils are expected to know and understand the vocabulary needed to access their learning. The vocabulary that each pupil is exposed to can be found on the individual subject overview and is shared with the children within their lessons. The expectation is then that all pupils use this vocabulary within the classroom to support their understanding and retention of knowledge. 

How do we assess our Curriculum?

The curriculum is our progression model which sets out the knowledge that we expect children to gain in each subject at each stage.  We deliver the curriculum in ways that ensure that pupils acquire and build knowledge that they need, to move on to the next stage of the curriculum.

We use both summative and formative assessment.

Formative

Our lessons are structured and built in such a way that we are using formative assessment, continually checking whether children are learning the knowledge we intend them to. We use a range of strategies to formatively assess such as; AFL learning checks, smart starts, low stakes quizzes. For example, within our Science, History and Geography Curriculum we assess through quizzes at the start of each lesson (a thinking three) which involves recalling knowledge from the previous lesson, a previous unit and a previous year group objective. At the end of each lesson, there is an opportunity to allow the pupils to recall the key components of knowledge that they have learnt through quiz questions.

Summative 

Summative assessments are planned half termly and termly depending on the subject. These assessments support us to check how well knowledge is embedded and how well pupils can apply it.

Year	Assessment	Frequency
Reception	Phonic Assessments	half termly
Year 1 - 2	Phonic Assessments Headstart reading assessment Ark maths assessment Post learning assessment History and Geography Key Assessment Task’s - Science   No More marking writing assessment	half termly         Annually - comparative judgement
Year 3	Headstart reading assessment Ark maths assessment Multiplication Times Table Check Post learning assessment History and Geography Key Assessment Task’s - Science	half termly
	No More marking writing assessment	Annually - comparative judgement
Year 4	Headstart reading assessment Ark maths assessment Multiplication Times Table Check Post learning assessment History and Geography Key Assessment Task’s - Science	half termly
	No More marking writing assessment	Annually - comparative judgement
Year 5	Headstart reading assessment Ark maths assessment Multiplication Times Table Check Post learning assessment History and Geography Key Assessment Task’s - Science	half termly
	No More marking writing assessment	Annually - comparative judgement
Year 6	Headstart reading assessment Ark maths assessment Post learning assessment History and Geography Key Assessment Task’s - Science	half termly
	No More marking writing assessment	Annually - comparative judgement

 

Pupils in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 also complete a range of national assessment, as listed below:

Reception	Early Year Baseline Assessment
	Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
Year 1	Phonic Screening Check
Year 2	Key Stage 1 Sats (optional 2024)
Year 4	Multiplication Check
Year 6	Key Stage 2 Sat

 

Downloads

• Early years foundation stage statutory framework
• The national curriculum in England Key stages 1 and 2 framework document

Our Approach to Learning Environments and Resources

A high-quality learning environment has the potential to shift possibilities, raise aspirations, and it demands a deep commitment to learning.  We believe that the environments that we create at Manor Way Primary are:

• an enabler;
• a model for greater depth thinking;
• a carefully planned reference point for pupils to help free working memory slots by building long term memory associations;
• a silent teacher;
• inspiring to pupils and staff alike.

To achieve this, staff are responsible for ensuring classrooms are an exciting, stimulating and welcoming place to be. They do this by ensuring our Brilliant Basics are in place and :

• Arranging furniture and space to create a safe, flexible learning environment, including a carpet focus area if appropriate;
• Creating areas that stimulate interest in current learning and provide a useful reference point in the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding;
• Making sure that equipment is labelled and accessible to promote independent learning;
• Creating a personal and purposeful space for each student to complete their work;
• Teaching children to respect and care for their environment, and expecting them to do just that;
• Ensuring classrooms are inviting and all areas are clear and clutter free;
• Providing access to high quality texts