The Knavesmire Curriculum

Our primary objective is to fulfil our School Aims and live by our Knavesmire Character Values. We view education as an all encompassing task that develops our pupils academically and socially, safeguards their physical and mental well-being, and develops them as responsible members of our community.

Our schemes of work ensure the National Curriculum outcomes are achieved. Each year-group works as a team and follows the same scheme of work which is carefully sequenced in order to ensure that children gain the same knowledge, skills and experiences.

The BIG IDEA. It is designed by us, and galvanises the school’s Aims and Values, entwining academic ambition and pupil Personal Development.

Our Big Idea approach is centred around key subject-disciplinary questions that enable us to continuously assess whether children grasp the component knowledge (the small manageable chunks) to enable them to learn about a subject exceptionally well. 

The aim is that children know more and remember more (and are able to apply what they know and remember) as a result of our well-sequenced curriculum.

Our curriculum experience:

Would you like to know more about Our Curriculum?

At Knavesmire Primary School, all of our children follow a broad and balanced, empowering CURRICULUM.

To know more is our first school aim so Knavesmire’s Curriculum is a knowledge-based, strategically planned, sequence of learning.

The National Curriculum is a statutory requirement in England. Progression in the long and medium term is assured through the school’s curriculum frameworks and schemes of work. Our schemes of work ensure the National Curriculum outcomes are achieved. Each year group works as a team and follows the same scheme of work in order to ensure that children gain the same knowledge, skills and experience.

Our Curriculum is The BIG IDEA. It is designed by us, and is the product of the school’s Aims and Values, entwining academic ambition and pupil Personal Development.

Children are partners in their learning, there is in built flexibility, and educational benchmarks are clear. Progress is measurable. Attainment, achievement and broader educational outcomes are transparent. Challenge is from this sequencing of knowledge, engagement and motivation is from its delivery.

CURRICULUM INTENT:

The school BIG IDEA Intent is principle and value based, as it is this, which guarantees impact and excellent educational outcomes for all of its pupils.

Knavesmire’s Curriculum is with a capital C, as it is the all, the everything, the universal set. All pupils and stakeholders ‘sing from the same script’. There is purpose and intensity to learning. It is broad, balanced, enriching.

Driving the school Aims and Values, the principles of the Curriculum are:

Purpose – purpose is the point, the reason, the why something is being learnt. With this as a principle of the Curriculum, pupils join the dots. Their network of knowledge creates the whole picture approach.

Interest – learning is exciting and must be exciting. It motivates, inspires, cements ambition and forms goals. It is diverse, broad, relevant and develops pupils.

Ownership – we know our pupils and we are ambitious for every child. We use National Curriculum benchmarks so we can be held to account, but our bespoke Curriculum is drawn from our Values, for our pupils, inclusively, so every child can achieve their very best.

Substantive and Disciplinary Knowledge – prerequisite substantive knowledge is the bedrock of our learning. These are the foundations that all learning is built upon.

Creative Thinking - is the disciplinary knowledge of the Curriculum. The reasoning in Maths, the enquiry in Science. It is the tactics in Sport and the ability to lead a healthy life, and the application in MFL. It is creative thinking that makes learning more than memory, and the future proofing of pupil’s next steps.

All learning is impactful, efficient, and effective.

CURRICULULM IMPLEMENTATION:

Pupils are both partners in learning, and in their curriculum shape. This ownership ensures accountability and enthusiasm, and a passion and excitement for learning.

Pupil’s questions create the Learning Journey that maps out their route to achieve their Guiding Purpose or answer their Guiding Question. This ensures teaching is built on previous knowledge. This Guiding Purpose or Guiding Question provides the purpose to learning - an end goal that is relevant and is achievable - and a process that can be evaluated and improved.

Substantive and Disciplinary Knowledge is integrated into a curriculum. Pupils understand about the recycling of knowledge such that discrete subject knowledge is built on to accelerate progress.

The enrichment and diversity of the curriculum enthuses learners and teachers, creating heightened ambition and high standards across the full breadth of the curriculum. Its diversity showcases talents and conceives inspiration. Inbuilt flexibility embraces New Technologies and fosters knowledge of a fast changing world.

Breadth of quality of provision is built on expertise of staff and well-developed, sustainable partnerships. Learning is systematically planned.

A sense of community at school, local, and international level flows through a curriculum rich in relevance for Knavesmire’s pupils. Pupils embrace an understanding of their place in their community through:

• +developing empathy, care, and an ownership of behaviour in the school community;
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• +creating partnerships and accountability in the local community; preparing for our future through innovation and enterprise, and social responsibility in the national community;
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• +and using information and communication skills necessary in a changing world to develop our role in the international community.
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Pastoral responsibility is developed through an emphasis of choice and decision making - and individual and collective spiritual growth.

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  CURRICULULM IMPACT:

• The evolution of a bespoke curriculum is dependant of a clear shared goal, core principles and robust foundations to build upon.

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  The model of giftedness in Renzulli’s three-ringed model, and the key principle of creative thinking as a key element outlines not only expectation, but the curriculum’s vision and core purpose. The continued growth of the curriculum builds on the shared principles of relevance and purpose, creativity and ownership – but the accountability to acquisition of knowledge is its key evaluative criteria.

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  The Curriculum’s continued evaluation, growth and improvement - is equally as key as its uniqueness, diversity, and spiritual/cultural accountability. The BIG IDEA Curriculum is accountable to all stakeholders, and is evidenced through measurable outstanding outcomes for all pupils. It is significant in its contribution to an outstanding school.

   

  Other information about to our Curriculum can be found here: 

• KPS Curriculum Policy KPS Curriculum Learning Map

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