Curriculum
Our School Vision – The Curriculum
Priorslee Academy will work with everyone to create a happy, safe and stimulating setting where children are motivated to learn together. By maintaining high expectations of ourselves and each other, our children will be equipped to encounter opportunities and challenges with resilience and determination which complement our values and ethos. We encourage a curiosity about the world and strive to ensure that our children will contribute positively to it, both now and in the future.
At Priorslee, we believe that children should be curious about their learning. Through our engaging curriculum, we ensure that children can foster a passion for learning that will help to develop high aspirations and a lifetime of memories. We believe in ensuring that children receive a well-rounded curriculum; where individual talents can be spotted and nurtured to ensure that all children experience success and reach their full potential.
We believe that children’s happiness and emotional wellbeing is vital and is the foundation for children to be able to thrive and contribute to society. We aim to give children positive initial experiences of learning and relationships, which will help to make them responsible, responsive citizens who appreciate the value of community.
Our whole school curriculum is underpinned by our school values and ethos where Children from Reception to Year 6 at Priorslee are given realistic and progressive opportunities to enable them to develop into mature, responsible, confident, sensitive, respectful and trustworthy individuals. Our values are:
Aspire
Community-Minded
Optimistic
Respect
Nurture
These values are pivotal to all that we do. We aspire to ensure that the happiness of the whole school community is our priority. We put our trust in each other, enabling us to provide ambitious, creative learning opportunities, that build resilience and nurture our children to evolve into the best versions of themselves.
Academic achievement is only part of the vision for this school. We provide many opportunities for children to practice in and master through specialist Music and Physical Education where we harness teamwork, encourage resilience and boost confidence. The school is characterised by its varied, creative and challenging curriculum offer and works to ensure that all abilities are supported through a broad and balanced curriculum no matter what their starting points are.
An important and distinctive feature of our school is the very positive relationships enjoyed by children, staff and parents. A central aim at Priorslee Academy is to provide a rich and supportive, child-centred learning environment, which is age appropriate for the needs of all our children. In this we recognise that some children experience very heavy burdens and are vulnerable. We make it our mission to support these children by providing them with emotional support as well as ensuring the curriculum is based on consistent, child-centred, quality teaching and learning throughout the school.
Priorslee Academy is an inclusive school, intent on ensuring that all children reach their potential in a culture of success. As a team, we are passionate about preparing our children to be successful in their learning journey that exists in an ever-changing, technologically advanced society. We encourage our children to aim high. We value their individuality and creativity, and equip them with the skills, self-discipline and confidence to succeed. Where there are barriers, we pride ourselves on embracing different approaches and seizing new opportunities to ensure high-quality learning.
Our core beliefs for all children:
Kindness and Respect– Children are taught and encouraged to show kindness and respect to the people around them. Our friends, our families, our teachers, staff and visitors to the school should all be treated with kindness and respect.
Learning and Creativity– Children learn key skills in a range of subjects and in a range of ways through a creative and varied, and broad-based curriculum which includes specialist support for Physical Education and Music. We give children the opportunity to experience a range of skills that they may not experience in their everyday lives such as attending local sporting events. Through our curriculum, we support children to develop lifelong learning so that they feel prepared for the world around them.
Responsibility and Resilience– Our aim is that children are taught to be leaders of their own learning through, aim high and make good progress with their learning. This encourages collaboration between children and also adults. It is encouraged and modelled from Preschool through to Year 6 for children to take responsibility for their learning and support others. At Priorslee Academy we work hard that children understand that, at times, learning and life can be hard but that they can develop the resilience to overcome these hardships and succeed.
Overall Curriculum Intent
Your child is at the centre of what we do at Priorslee Primary. Our curriculum is built on strong pedagogical principles, where we aim to encourage every child to meet and achieve their potential and make good progress in their learning. We make it our mission to discover what children are good at and use this to promote a positive attitude to learning. The school population isn’t very diverse at Priorslee, but we ensure that it is broad and balanced, with opportunities for children to celebrate, share, and learn about their different cultural and spiritual beliefs and embedded British Values.
The breadth of curriculum content allows children to explore through an enquiry-based curriculum where there are no limits to learning and there is a clear development of skills. Enquiry-based learning emphasises a children’ role in the learning process and asks them to engage with an idea or topic in an active way, instead of sitting and listening. We aim to make lessons exciting and engaging and make passive teaching a thing of the past. The curriculum is about achievement, enjoyment and enrichment.
Curriculum Implementation
The curriculum is based on good quality resources. English is taught through quality texts using the Pathways to Write scheme, and Maths is taught through the White Rose scheme Maths. The rest of the curriculum offer has been carefully mapped out to enthuse and engage learners in the classroom. The school has adapted the curriculum to help reflect and represent the diversity within our society especially through the Religious Education and Personal, Social and Health Education Schemes. Creativity and teacher expertise is woven into the curriculum with specialist teachers and outside agencies working with children and teachers, sharing good practice and ensuring that learners learn from the best.
Each subject area has a subject intent, whole school policy, which leads into an annual action plan which outlines development opportunities and clearly links with the school development plan.
Curriculum Impact
The impact of the curriculum is monitored though triangulation of outcomes: pupil voice, test/data outcomes, planning, monitoring of books and displays, lesson learning walks, discussions with teaching staff, children and parents (Deep Dives).
Children, parents and staff are consistently and regularly consulted about the curriculum and the impact that it makes.
The desired outcomes of the curriculum will ensure that children are well rounded students, ready who embark on a successful learning journey. They will be equipped with the foundations and skills to achieve success in later education. Children will have an understanding of what they are good at and have developed skills to face their challenges.
