The school curriculum can be defined as:

• A body of knowledge to be learned
• A set of skills to be acquired
• A series of outcomes to be achieved…

… or a combination of all of these, gained through a process of learning that is lived out through the positive interactions of pupils, staff and all members of the school community. At North Lakes School we are revising our curriculum in 2018-19, to reflect this approach.

INTENT

Our intent is to further develop our teaching and learning to create a deep, rich and more coherent curriculum which provides a joined-up progression of knowledge to be gained. Deep means there will be a range of opportunities to explore, think, understand and apply learning; rich means there is a quality and value to the curriculum through a wealth of real experiences.

Children will learn to be active readers, creative writers and artists, resourceful mathematicians, curious scientists, confident athletes, musicians and performers, inquisitive historians and geographers, and more. They will do this through acquiring and practising key skills, so that they are ready for the next stage of their learning in Key Stage 3.

When children are engaged through purposeful activities in meaningful contexts, motivation follows - and this creates the flow which enhances learning. The primary phase, taught well, will change lives for the better, and this is our aim.

North Lakes pupils will continue to build on their current reputation as learners who are curious, resilient, caring, reflective, collaborative and resourceful, with the attitudes to succeed and adapt in a changing world.

IMPLEMENTATION

We are implementing our revised curriculum as a team by identifying Key Performance Indicators, as the essential knowledge and skills within each subject. Subject Leaders will build the KPIs into a broad, structured 4 year plan, which specifies curriculum content and becomes the basis for assessment of progress across the key stage.

While managing content and monitoring and evaluating progress across the curriculum, we promote the “5Rs of Learning”, the “Secrets of Success”, and build our learning power, with activities and challenges underpinned by a growth mindset. We also encourage children to be curious, reflective thinkers using the building blocks of Philosophy for Children.

IMPACT

The impact of our work is measured through the individual progress of the children. “Frog Progress” tracks attainment across the curriculum, while a system of Assertive Mentoring provides detailed assessment in Reading, Writing and Maths.

In 2018 the progress of our leavers’ cohort was very strong indeed, which shows the impact of our approach to learning. But children only get one chance and we aim for our pupils to continue to exceed national expectations of progress – and to love to learn.

If you have any questions regarding the curriculum we teach please contact the school directly