Our Curriculum Intent: How we ensure children gain the correct knowledge and skills at each stage of their education

At Griffin Park we feel passionate about learning at every level. We recognise every child’s uniqueness, but we are determined to make sure that every child in Griffin Park is given the opportunity to succeed and pupil achievement is at the heart of all that we do.

Early Reading is given a high priority at Griffin Park School, as we believe that the ability to read fluently with good understanding will open up learning for children.

We aim to create resilience and independence in all of our pupils.

Our curriculum is designed to support children with retention of subject knowledge and to develop long term memory skills.  Lessons are designed in every class to contribute to delivering the curriculum intent. Ensuring that our children are active and involved in their learning, enables them to achieve to their highest potential.

We intend to enrich our children by building in experiences which many of our children would not get if we were unable to provide them.

We set high expectations aiming for children to leave us ‘secondary ready’.

Our Curriculum Implementation: How our curriculum is sequenced, taught and assessed. How we support pupils with being able to build on their knowledge and as a result, being able to apply that knowledge through taught skills.

Our vibrant and rich curriculum is designed so that children are not only taught the knowledge appropriate to their year group, but also the skills to enable them to be successful across the curriculum. The curriculum consists of planned experiences in school and out: lessons, topic days, outdoor learning, school council, assemblies, clubs, sports, trips and visits, workshops, residential, fund raising, and community work.  Outcomes are designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and EYFS Statutory Framework, but also developed further in order to meet the local needs of our varied and diverse school community.  

The curriculum is mapped out for the year for each year group and each year group has clear ‘non-negotiables’ which we aim for every child to meet before they move on the next year group.  This ensures that children are ready for each stage of their learning and transition is easier between key stages but also between classes.

Our focus is on building our long term memories, and in order to do this, we have planned our curriculum in a way that we revisit themes and topics over and over again across the year and sometimes over two or more years. We believe that by spacing their learning out, asking them to remember regularly what we have learned, will ensure the learning goes from short term memory into our long term memories and strengthen learning.

In order to ensure that progression and balance is maintained, we have clear, progressive planning overviews, for every subject. These planning documents are succinct and allow learning to be built on each year. In addition to these progressive documents, intent documents have been devised, which clearly identify ‘end goals’ for each subject, from a year group level, key stage and then through to end of the primary phase.

Curriculum Monitoring and Review

Evaluation is essential for the planning and development of the curriculum. The Headteacher is responsible for the overall school curriculum. The subject leaders monitor lesson plans, moderate pupil work, conduct learning walks in order to support their self-evaluation of their subject, provide training, support to colleagues and to identify next steps for improvement.

Our Governing body is responsible for monitoring the way the school curriculum is implemented. Delegated governors for specific subjects liaise with the subject leader to monitor their identified actions and impact of these on the quality of learning, teaching and provision in the subject. Termly Curriculum and Assessment committee meetings take place so that governors can monitor and review the school curriculum.  Subject leaders also take it in turns to present information about their subject, developments at school, local and national levels and the work they are doing in school, to Full Governing Body meetings. 

Our Curriculum Impact: The outcomes that pupils achieve as a result of the education they have received.

Our staff and Governors work tirelessly to ensure our curriculum impact is significant for all children.  We aim for our children to

• Be academically and physically prepared for the next phase of their education, in Britain and the world.
• Be taught age appropriate objectives to support them in achieving age expected standards. If they are not working at this level, they are well supported to ensure they are making progress from their starting point.
• Be able to recall knowledge across all areas of the curriculum.
• Have developed a love of reading.
• Be able to read fluently and have sound comprehension skills.
• Be fully rounded characters with a clear understanding of values like equality, friendship, trust, tolerance and many others.
• Be motivated to succeed and achieve and to be equipped with all the personal skills to do this.
• Be motivated by a strong personal sense of morality. They make decisions for the right reasons and in the best interests of their community.
• Reflect on their learning and identify their next steps.
• Demonstrate resilience and the ability to persevere, when they encounter a challenge.
• Know ways to keep themselves safe and know channels to follow if they need help and support.
• Have aspirations for their future.

More information can be requested from school through our curriculum leader.  Please contact the school office to speak to them.