Curriculum Intent and Implementation
At Monkleigh Primary School the curriculum we are designing aims to build upon children’s prior learning, provides first-hand learning experiences, allows the children to develop interpersonal skills, build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers.
Every child is recognised as a unique individual. We celebrate and welcome differences within our school community. The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, development of outstanding oracy, knowledge, concepts and values. We provide enhancement opportunities to engage learning and believe that childhood should be a happy, investigative and enquiring time where there are no limits to curiosity and there is a thirst for new experiences and knowledge.
It is our intention for our pupils to leave our school with a sense of belonging to a tightly knit community where they have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.
Teaching and learning at Monkleigh Primary School is underpinned by our core values.
SMILE – Children enjoy being at school and love learning
SHARE – We all work together and support each other
SUCCEED – Every child succeeds!
Our aim is to provide all the children access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is interesting, engaging and provides a range of differentiated learning opportunities and challenge, which will develop a life-long love of learning.
The National Curriculum sets the standards that all primary schools must meet to ensure that they provide their pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. Our curriculum development is designed to develop the appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum and beyond, so that our children can flourish and reach their potential.
The curriculum for each mixed age class is designed to ensure coverage and progression across all subject areas. Click here for our 2 year rolling programme for each class. Monkleigh Rolling Programme.
We recognise children’s prior learning, encourage the children to develop interpersonal skills, build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers. Children are supported to achieve their potential and progress with confidence to the next phase of their education.
Our approach to teaching and learning supports our curriculum by ensuring that lessons build on prior learning and provide opportunities for guided and independent practice.
At Monkleigh Primary School, we believe that the Early Years Foundation Stage is crucial in securing solid foundations that children are going to continue to build upon. It is our intent that the children who enter our EYFS develop physically, verbally, cognitively and emotionally whilst embedding a positive attitude to school and learning. We believe that all children deserve to be valued as an individual and we are passionate in allowing all children to achieve their full, unique potential. With all of this in mind, we begin each new year by looking at the individual needs of our children and – taking into account their different starting points- we then carefully develop our flexible EYFS Curriculum which enables them to follow the path of their learning journey, at a point, that is suitable for their unique needs and stage of development.
Children in our Foundation Stage Unit follow the EYFS curriculum, which has seven main areas of learning.
The Prime Areas:-
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
The Specific Areas:-
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts
The teaching of these areas of learning is practical and playful with support and challenge from adults in class sessions, small group sessions and working with individuals. There is a combination of adult-led, teacher taught sessions as well as a wealth of stimulating continuous provision opportunities. Throughout all of these areas of learning and at the heart of the EYFS Curriculum are the “Characteristics of Effective Learning”. At Monkleigh Primary, we strive to develop these key characteristics of “Playing and Learning”, “Active Learning” and “Thinking Critically” in order to give the children the skills that they will continue to draw upon throughout their development. All of the crucial skills, knowledge and vocabulary that we teach are presented to the children throughout the year which encompasses a range of topics, which are designed with their interests in mind.
Our learning environments, both inside and outside are also adapted regularly to meet the different and developing needs of the children in our care. We aim to ensure that these areas are always stimulating and exciting and that, importantly, they are accessible to all children, regardless of where they are on their learning journey. The environments are developed to promote independence within our children and allow them to access the curriculum independently and confidently with the necessary level of support and challenge.
Within our EYFS Curriculum, children are assessed continuously through accurate and important observations. These provide us with information for future planning, not only for our individual classes but also for individual children’s next steps in their learning. They enable us, as EYFS practitioners, to ensure learning is embedded and consistent and that all children continue to make outstanding progress within our EYFS setting.
At Monkleigh Primary School, we strongly believe that the beginning of our children’s educational journey ignites the flame for learning and is imperative in “transforming lives, transforming communities”.
Maths is an essential and exciting part of our curriculum. Through our daily maths teaching, we support children to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects. Click here to read our Maths Curriculum Intent.
In English, our aim is to ensure that every child becomes a reader, a writer and confident speaker by the time they leave Monkleigh Primary School. Click here to read our writing_intent_and_progression_2.pdf,here updated_reading_intent.pdf and here for our Oracy Statement of Intent.
At Monkleigh Primary School, we recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. The Scientific area of learning is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our world, and with developing skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry. It will develop the natural curiosity of the child, encourage respect for living organisms and the physical environment and provide opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence.
We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence. Click here to read our Science Curriculum Intent.
The wider curriculum
We continue to embed our school values and opportunities for engagement, creativity and challenge. Children are provided with further opportunities to build their key skills and enhance them in the wider curriculum.
Foundation subject intentions can be accessed through the links below:
History History Curriculum Intent
Geography Geography Curriculum Intent
Computing Computing Curriculum Intent
Music Music Curriculum Intent
As a school, we recognise the importance of the parental role in securing each child’s success. Parents play a hugely important role in supporting their child’s reading journey and are encouraged to regularly support with learning spellings and maths knowledge such as times tables facts.
Statement of Impact
The curriculum at Monkleigh Primary School is well planned and thought-through to enable a wide range of engagement, not only within class but in providing out of class opportunities to enable children to develop themselves as learners and encourage each child to be as independent as they can be. We intend that the impact of our curriculum is that children will be academically and physically prepared for the next phase of their education. They will be able to decide what is right and what is wrong, and will be resilient learners. Teachers track the progress of individuals in all areas of the curriculum to inform assessments which are shared with parents in reports and during parents’ evening appointments throughout the year.