Curriculum Overview
Every moment matters
At Ashurst Wood Primary our broad, knowledge-rich and well sequenced curriculum develops from when the children first start school in Reception. The scaffolding is put into place from the very beginning, as they learn through discovery and play. Foundations are built upon to develop the children in all areas of the curriculum and links are continually made throughout the child's journey with us.
Following school closures in 2020 and 2021, we are committed to continuing to plan and deliver a broad and balanced, knowledge rich curriculum, but one which also focuses on what is necessary to ensure:
- Our pupils are safe and feel safe
- Positive mental health and well-being of our pupils is promoted and supported
- Our pupils are engaged and motivated to learn
- Any significant learning gaps are identified with specific learning sequences and catch-up opportunities provided to address them
- Our curriculum content is prioritised and re-visited where necessary
Curriculum leaders are clear on the ‘invaluable knowledge’ that they want their pupils to know: these form the basis of long-term planning for progression and include the ‘big ideas’ in subjects such as perspective in art; locations in geography; the dates and names of events in history; the names of and types of joins in technology.
The curriculum is the progress measure; not excessive internal assessment data. We determine progress as 'knowing more and remembering more'. The long-term planning of each subject involves carefully chosen year group components, to ensure the basics are stored in pupils' long term memory, before the crucial subsequent learning takes place: if nothing has altered in long term memory, nothing has been learned.
We believe that when new knowledge and existing knowledge connect in pupils’ minds, this gives rise to understanding. Through consolidation of learning, and as pupils develop unconscious competency and fluency, they develop skills (the capacity to perform complex operations, drawing on what is known).
Our vision is for everyone to have a love of life, a love of learning and a love of people.
Curriculum Documents
If you would like any further information about our curriculum, please contact the school office and the appropriate member of staff will be happy to contact you.
office@ashurswoodprimaru.co.uk
