Our Curriculum
At Whitgreave Primary School, our curriculum is designed to recognise pupil’s prior learning, provide quality learning experiences for all, allow pupils to develop their knowledge and skills, build resilience and become responsible citizens. We foster an ethos of high expectations, aspirations and challenge for all. Pupils with additional needs are supported within their learning, so that they are able to access the curriculum, thus ensuring that they are in receipt of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Our curriculum has been carefully developed to ensure that all pupils develop key skills and knowledge, in order to become effective learners. We recognise that every pupil is an individual and we celebrate the differences within our school community. We also understand the need to provide our pupils with a curriculum that provides them with experiences that will help them to overcome barriers, address issues faced within the local community and to become lifelong learners.
With this in mind, we have developed ‘The Whitgreave Wheels’ which consists of three curriculum drivers that underpin our curriculum, in line with our school’s vision and aims, thus responding to the particular needs of the community. They are Pupil Power, Community and Knowledge of the World. Our curriculum also develops Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural aspects, along with British Values.
Our curriculum maps for each year group ensure that each teacher has clarity as to what to cover, in addition to ensuring progression.
The curriculum is taught in blocks, in order to ensure that learning is more focussed and that time is spent aspiring to develop a depth of understanding. Lessons are planned as sessions, with each block incorporating a WOW starter, which stimulates enthusiasm and provides a ‘hook’ for the pupils, along with an end product. When planning, teachers start with the end product in mind and then plan to teach the appropriate skills and knowledge needed to achieve the end product. This puts the learning into context for the pupils and gives an overall purpose. Sessions contain challenge objectives for all, so that all pupils have the opportunity to further extend their knowledge and understanding.
There is a strong focus on developing the foundational skills that enable pupils to become confident, independent and successful learners. Reading, Writing and Mathematics are at the heart of our curriculum, and we recognise that secure foundations in these areas are essential for future learning and achievement.
We place a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and love of reading, alongside the skills needed to become confident and effective writers. In Mathematics, pupils develop a secure understanding of number, calculation and mathematical concepts, while also learning to reason, problem-solve and apply their knowledge in different contexts.
These foundational skills are continually reinforced and developed across the wider curriculum, enabling pupils to read, write, communicate, reason and apply their knowledge confidently in a range of subjects and real-life situations.
Oracy is a fundamental part of our curriculum at Whitgreave Primary School. Pupils are given regular, purposeful opportunities to listen, speak and communicate with confidence. They are taught to articulate and justify their ideas, explain their thinking, use subject-specific vocabulary, ask and respond to questions and contribute effectively to discussion and debate. In Year 4, pupils further develop their spoken communication skills through completing the ESB qualification. Through this, pupils develop the confidence and communication skills needed to succeed in their learning and beyond.
In addition, Focus Days and Weeks take place throughout the academic year, in order to further enhance teaching and learning within the curriculum. For example, school holds a ‘World Book Week’, where the focus is on Reading and Writing, as well as delivering a range of activities based around British Science Week. These are just some examples. Parental engagement plays a significant part within the delivery of the curriculum, as school facilitates a number of parental engagement opportunities for all pupils across school. School has achieved the Leading Parent Partnership Award.
Focus Assemblies also take place within school, such as E-Safety, Safeguarding, History, Pupil Power Passports and many more, all of which further extend learning.
Our Pupil Power Passports are part of everyday life at Whitgreave – their aim is the support children acquire and develop skills for life (such as budgeting, cooking, first aid and personal hygiene), build Cultural Capital and support children to be respectful, responsible citizens. Our Pupil Power Passport Day incorporated experiences and opportunities beyond the National Curriculum – activities included practising mindfulness to support mental health and wellbeing; learning about different food groups, where food comes from and healthy diets; spending and saving within a budget; problem-solving and working as a team to crack a code and practising our Oracy skills. On the back pages of the passports, there is a fun challenge for children to complete throughout their time at Whitgreave, involving 50 challenges.
Learning within school is reinforced through the use of our termly Learning Together Projects, whereby pupils are asked key questions or given projects to complete at home. Pupils have ownership of how to plan, develop and present their projects, thus supporting pupil choice, child-initiated learning and the Pupil Power aspect of the Whitgreave Wheels. Parents/carers are strongly encouraged to work with their son/daughter to complete these projects. Projects in the past have included designing a healthy 3-course meal and producing a project based on a country that is not covered in great detail during our Geography lessons.
Teachers have planning time together each week, in order to ensure consistency and also, so that they can support each other at the planning stage, thus allowing for staff with expertise to support other colleagues. All staff within school are part of a Teaching Trio, whereby staff work together to continually monitor and reflect upon practice, identifying strengths and areas for development.
Leaders strive to develop the necessary knowledge, expertise and skills to design and implement the curriculum. They ensure that they are up-skilled via the achievement of external awards, through being members of professional bodies, or through the regular attendance at Subject Leader Network Meetings. Leaders at all levels, including Governors, regularly review and quality-assure the curriculum, to ensure that it is implemented sufficiently well. Assessments are reliable. Systems are in place to check the reliability of assessments across school.
The Whitgreave Wheels thread through the curriculum, as well as being taught as individual topics within each Year Group. For example, under the Pupil Power strand, pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 are taught basic life-saving First Aid. Furthermore, we hold a Careers Day for all pupils and parents. In terms of the Community strand, examples include our Harvest Festival, whereby all donations are distributed to the local Churches and Food Banks within the community. To enhance the children’s Knowledge of World, each year, the whole school takes part in a Knowledge of the World themed-day, whereby children learn about different countries that are not as much as a focus in our Geography lessons, through a multi-sensory approach.
At Whitgreave Primary School, through the delivery of our curriculum we are enabling pupils to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for the future. Planned learning progressively builds on prior knowledge and understanding and supports pupils in producing outcomes of quality. The impact of our curriculum is evident in the outcomes for pupils.
Assessment is used to identify what pupils know, understand and can do, and to identify gaps or misconceptions. Teachers use this information to adapt teaching, provide appropriate support and ensure that pupils are ready to move on to new learning. We use Learning Ladders for Writing and NTS tests to support teacher assessment in Reading and Maths. We utilise Milestones for the other subjects within our curriculum. Senior Leaders evaluate progress that has been made and the impact of the curriculum to ensure that all pupils have been given the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed in life.
Furthermore, external validation of the quality of our curriculum/leadership is evidenced through the accreditation and re-accreditation of the following awards:
- Primary Science Quality Mark
- Dyslexia Friendly Status
- Leading Parent Partnership Award
- Platinum Investors in People Award
- School Games Mark
- Local Authority Governance Review – Green Award
It is evident from working within school that our pupils at Whitgreave are confident, resilient learners, who have strong, positive relationships with their peers and staff alike, which positively impact upon their achievements and the next stage of their learning journey.
British Values and SMSC Development
As a legal requirement, the DfE states that:
“Schools should promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. This can help schools to demonstrate how they are meeting the requirements of section 78 of the Education Act 2002, in their provision of SMSC.”
Our school reflects the British Values and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development in all that we do. We work exceptionally hard to ensure that the fundamental British Values and SMSC provision are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work of the school. Our school makes considerable efforts to ensure children have exposure to a wide experience beyond their local community during which these concepts are shown, through for example, sporting events and a range of visits. Whitgreave is committed to serving its community and we recognise the multi-cultural, multi faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic and responsible adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the wider world. We encourage our children to be creative, unique, open-minded and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world. We firmly believe in developing children into well rounded human beings. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering understanding of these concepts and, in particular, our RE, PSHE and Citizenship lessons provide excellent opportunities to deepen and develop understanding.
Personal development is woven throughout our curriculum and wider school life. Pupils are encouraged to develop resilience, confidence, independence, empathy and respect, whilst learning to understand and appreciate the views, beliefs and experiences of others. Through our curriculum, assemblies, Pupil Power opportunities, community activities and wider enrichment, pupils are supported to develop the knowledge, skills and character needed to make positive choices and contribute responsibly to school, their local community and the wider world.
We want our pupils to leave Whitgreave not only with strong academic foundations, but also with the confidence, values, character and life skills to thrive as individuals and make a positive contribution to society.
Please click here to view our BV & SMSC Provision
Please find below, our current Curriculum Overviews for our Year Groups.
Further information regarding our curriculum can be found under Curriculum Links
EYFS Curriculum
Y1 Curriculum Map
Y2 Curriculum Map
Y3 Curriculum Map
Y4 Curriculum Map
Y5 Curriculum Map
Y6 Curriculum Map
If you would like further information about our school curriculum, please click here for the 2014 Primary National Curriculum Guidance.
