Curriculum

Our Curriculum Vision

We aspire to ensure that the children at The Hill have access to an education that inspires them to lead a life of learning.  We want the children to place a high value on their education and to feel successful in their education through their achievements.  Achievement at The Hill is defined as knowing more.

Here at THPA, we hope to enable children to overcome barriers to learning and success so that our pupils achieve well in school. We strive for excellence every day so that our pupils are ready for the next chapter in their education.

We recognise the strengths of each individual, through this recognition and through celebrations of successes we build self-esteem and confidence which heightens each child’s self-belief.  This self-belief helps our pupils to develop high aspirations.  We want our pupils to be comfortable with who they are.

We hope that our pupils develop a tolerance and understanding of different faiths and cultural beliefs so that they have a better understanding of the world that they live in and the people that they share it with.

Our Curriculum Overview

We plan and deliver a knowledge-based curriculum, for each curriculum subject.  Each unit taught builds on the prior learning of the units in previous years.  Teachers are clear on what has been taught before and what the children will be taught next.  This is detailed in unit rationales and in the progression, documents created by subject leaders and used by staff.  There are multiple opportunities to consolidate key learning and build on knowledge throughout all units throughout each year.

Our curriculum drivers are our school values.  Each driver is embedded across our curriculum, within each subject and unit of work.  Whether it be to study influential people in History such as Cristobel Pankhurst and the work she continued on the feminist movement following the efforts of her mother, or how the curiosity of scientists such as Lewis Howard Latimer, who invented the carbon filament that allowed Edison’s lightbulb to light up the world. Empathy is encouraged in a multitude of ways, including through the exploration of the Muslim faith and beliefs in our Religious education sessions to better understand and respect differences or fostering pride through the feeling of achievement across many of our subjects or in fact the wide enrichment offer.

Using the unit rationales, knowledge organisers and progression mapping documents the teachers are able to carefully ascertain gaps within children’s knowledge and skills and adapt the plans as necessary so that the children make good progress.  Lessons are adapted to meet the needs of all pupils.

At THPA the children are taught in blocks.  We have found that this is preferred by the children and that this aids with their engagement in a subject and ability to retain facts.

All lessons are taught based on aspects of the Rosenshine Principles.  Key vocabulary is introduced in each session, opportunity to explore the meaning and use the words within context follow.

Retrieval practice forms the next part of the session.  Regular practice of recall of key facts/information supports committing knowledge to long-term memory processes.

Children have regular opportunities to work collaboratively in lessons with Kagan structures practiced to support children’s thinking skills and engagement in lessons.  Talk tasks are introduced throughout the curriculum in order to further support sharing of ideas and using learned vocabulary.

Modeling is used where appropriate.  We offer an inclusive curriculum, responding to the learning needs of the children and adapting the curriculum to suit children’s needs is paramount.  Teachers have a good understanding of their pupil’s needs and make adaptations, however subtle to support them.  Chunking learning, sentence stems and scaffolds are seen regularly in classrooms.

We are a reading school, we place high importance on ensuring that pupils leave The Hill with a love of books, knowing which types of books they enjoy and being able to read fluently and confidently.  Through our curriculum, children encounter a range of texts.

Children are given opportunities to use their independent writing skills at various points throughout the school day, not just in English writing lessons.

At the end of each unit the teachers’ complete assessments, such as multiple choice quizzes, written tasks, talk task that answers a question or children may be asked to complete an edited knowledge organiser.  Teachers revisit the knowledge learned in other units across the year and know when using the progression documents.

Subject leaders have a passion for their subjects and enable staff to teach their subjects well.  Staff complete regular monitoring, by having conversations with children to see how well knowledge has been learned and if links have been made and sustained.

Fundamental British values are taught and celebrated throughout school life.  These are explored in whole school assemblies and during our P4C sessions.  The school prides itself on supporting the children to appreciate their community and to want to better themselves and their community.

Our Curriculum Aims –

Here at The Hill Primary Academy, we aim to:

• • Build a community within the school with family values.
  • Champion a culture of empathy and mutual respect.
  • Provide a safe, secure, and caring environment in which to work and learn.
  • Deliver inspirational and accountable leadership at all levels.
  • Strive for consistently high academic standards for every individual.
  • Always deliver high-quality, inspirational and innovative teaching and learning.
  • Deliver a curriculum that is relevant, knowledge-rich and empowering to our children.
  • Promote a love of learning that lasts a lifetime by creating, innovative, exciting and memorable experiences inside and outside the classroom.
  • Foster mindfulness and well-being of all.

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence

(Confucious)

Curriculum drivers

The school’s curriculum drivers underpin the learning experiences that pupils receive.  These drivers should be considered when planning a unit of work for pupils to develop their knowledge in a specific subject area.

Our school values form our curriculum drivers:

• Scholarship
• Curiosity
• Tenacity
• Empathy
• Pride

It is our choices that show us who we really are…not our abilities.(J.K.Rowling)

PSHE

Phonics Policy – September 2020

English Policy – September 2020

RSE Policy 2223