Led by Miss Macfarlane
Newdale Primary School and Nursery
A School of ‘doers, believers and achievers’.
“To go further than I thought
To run faster than I hoped
To reach higher than I dreamed
To become the person I need to be.”
Curriculum Statement
‘The curriculum is extremely well planned and is delivered consistently. Pupils remember
important information because teachers make sure they regularly practise and recall it.
Pupils’ learning is made interesting through the use of engaging resources and
educational visits and visitors. Pupils flourish as inquisitive and knowledgeable learners.’
Ofsted May 2023
Our Curriculum Intent: How we ensure children gain the correct knowledge and skills at each stage of their education
‘Leaders have carefully structured the curriculum to build up pupils’ knowledge and vocabulary over time’.
Ofsted May 2023
Our curriculum provides the knowledge and cultural capital children need to succeed in life, to know more, remember more and do more, to achieve well, to be ready for their next stage of education and to be able to read at an age-appropriate level. We underpin our teaching and learning principles with a whole brain learning approach and use these principles of learning to frame our planning and lesson delivery.
At Newdale, children learn by connecting new knowledge with existing knowledge. We want our pupils to link the learning, taken from the National Curriculum, from one year group to the next, from EYFS through to Y6. Children develop fluency (substantive knowledge) and apply their knowledge as skills (disciplinary knowledge). Content is broken down into components and sequenced in a logical progression.
Here at Newdale, we feel passionate about learning at every level. Every child who attends our school is given every opportunity to succeed and pupil achievement is at the heart of all that we do. We aim to create a sense of resilience, independence and resourcefulness in all our pupils. Our curriculum is designed to support children with retention of subject knowledge and to develop long term memory skills. Across all parts of the school, series of lessons contribute effectively to delivering the curriculum intent. Our children are taught to understand that learning is a lifelong skill; one that makes a difference to their lives now and in the future. Ensuring that our children are active and involved in their learning, enables them to achieve to their highest potential, not only in academic work but also as artists, sportsmen, scientists, writers, orators, decision makers, creative thinkers and responsible citizens. We set high expectations for achievement to ensure that children will leave Newdale reaching age–related expectations and being ‘secondary ready’.
Our curriculum has been designed to ensure it keeps children safe and builds upon their cultural capital. Children at Newdale are respectful and kind members of our school community.
Our Curriculum Implementation: How our curriculum is sequenced, taught and assessed. How we support pupils with being able to build on their knowledge and as a result, being able to apply that knowledge through taught skills.
We have designed our curriculum to ensure that it encompasses a range of knowledge to equip children with the knowledge and skills to support them in being life-long learners and successful in the future. The foundation of our curriculum is based on the substantive knowledge which includes the components (the building blocks) to support learning. Our sequenced and well-structured curriculum is broken down into components which enables pupils to know and remember more. Our curriculum provides opportunities for children to transfer this knowledge from their working memory, later retrieving this knowledge from their long-term memories and linking this to new learning.
We ensure that our pupils can identify how links in knowledge that they have learned from each year group, can support them to make progress in their next classes. We know that knowledge cannot sit in isolation and we make sure it links/sticks. We know that the regular recall of knowledge helps to strengthen memory in all subjects – repetition is essential for learning to occur. We use a variety of retrieval techniques to check that the pupils have learnt what has been taught.
Subject leaders have designed long term plans, which make explicit substantive knowledge (Crucial knowledge) covered in each subject, alongside the disciplinary knowledge (How experts know) which underpins this. These ‘concepts’ are mapped and the ‘golden threads’ identified in all subjects e.g. Invasion and settlement in History. Subject leaders track learning in key concepts and knowledge across the school with starting points in EYFS and ending in Year 6 with KS 3 transition carefully considered. Teams at Newdale are aware of the definition of learning, which is an alteration in the long-term memory, and are aware that memory has to be shifted through their curriculum offer and intent. The principles of learning outlined are evident in our newly established Read Write Inc program for phonics. Teachers across the school use the non-verbal signs and incorporate strategies, such as cold calling, to ensure an inclusive classroom where everyone’s contributions are valued and included.
‘Staff have strong subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum really well across all subjects’.
Ofsted May 2023
Through adaptive planning and teaching, we provide inclusivity for all learners.
‘Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), respond exceptionally well to the high expectations of leaders and staff for their academic achievement. They have a thirst for knowledge.’
Ofsted May 2023
Our broad and balanced curriculum is designed so that children are not only taught the knowledge appropriate to their year group, but also the skills to enable them to be successful across the curriculum. The curriculum consists of planned experiences in school and out to help children to know more and remember more: high-quality lessons, topic days, outdoor learning, themed weeks, school parliament, assemblies, clubs, sports, trips and visits, workshops, residentials, fund raising, and community work. Outcomes are designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but also to develop the skills needed for future learning and beyond.
The curriculum is mapped out for the year for each year group and reviewed each term. The programmes of study for many of our subject areas are mapped out linking common knowledge to help build schemas. Children are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in different contexts and explain their understanding to others.
In order to ensure that progression and balance is maintained, we have clear, progressive planning overviews, for every subject. These planning documents are succinct and allow learning to be built on each year. In addition to these progressive documents, intent documents have been devised, which clearly identify ‘milestones’ for each subject, from a year group level, key stage and then through to end of the primary phase.
Curriculum Monitoring and Review
Evaluation is essential for the planning and development of the curriculum. The Headteacher, Assistant Headteachers and Curriculum lead are responsible for the overall school curriculum. The standards team and subject leaders monitor lesson plans, moderate pupil work, conduct learning walks in order to support their self-evaluation of their subject, provide training, support to colleagues and to identify next steps for improvement.
Our Governing body is responsible for monitoring the way the school curriculum is implemented. Delegated governors for specific subjects liaise with the subject leader to monitor their identified actions and impact of these on the quality of learning, teaching and provision in the subject. Termly committee meetings take place so that governors can monitor and review the school curriculum.
Our Curriculum Impact: The outcomes that pupils achieve as a result of the education they have received.
‘If children can explain it in their own words, then they have learnt it’.
Teachers assess children across the curriculum based on whether they know more, remember more and are able to do more. Assessment is ongoing across our curriculum. We use assessment to check children’s understanding and to inform teaching: this is done through verbal feedback, written feedback, retrieval practice and our assessment systems. To support subject leads with drawing conclusions and action planning, we formally capture core subjects termly and foundation data biannually, which is then reported in the SAD reports.
Subject outcomes are monitored by subject leads and senior leaders following a rigorous approach of analysing the data, identifying trends in vulnerable groups and ensuring actions are taken, such as additional intervention, increasing personal development like class trips etc, to support more children with being able to… succeed in life, to know more, remember more and do more, to achieve well, to be ready for their next stage of education and to be able to read at an age-appropriate level.
Impact
- Achievement for children was judged to be Outstanding by Ofsted June 2017
- Pupils are exceeding expected progress and attainment by the end of KS2.
- There is a consistent upward trend in terms of the progress pupils have made by the end of Reception, Y2 and Y6. Outcomes for pupils are significantly better than national expectation by the end of KS2.
Our staff and Governors work tirelessly to ensure our curriculum impact is significant for all children.
- Our children are academically and physically prepared for the next phase of their education, in Britain and the world.
- Our children are taught age-appropriate objectives to support them in achieving age expected standards. If they are not working at this level, they are well supported to ensure they are making progress from their starting point.
- Our learners are able to recall knowledge across all areas of the curriculum.
- Our learners have developed a love of reading.
- Our learners are taught how to read fluently and have sound comprehension skills.
- Our learners are fully rounded characters with a clear understanding of complex values like equality, friendship, trust, tolerance and many others.
- Our learners are highly motivated to succeed and achieve and are equipped with all the personal skills to do this.
- Our learners are motivated by a strong personal sense of morality. They make decisions for the right reasons and in the best interests of their community.
- Our learners can reflect on their learning and identify their next steps.
- Our learners demonstrate resilience and the ability to persevere, when they encounter a challenge.
- Our learners know ways to keep themselves safe and know channels to follow if they need help and support.
- Our learners’ knowledge, understanding and skills are secure and embedded to ensure they are secondary ready.
- Our learners have aspirations for their future.
Curriculum Statement 2024 2025
Early Years Ladybugs Long Term Plan
EYFS Mighty Oaks Long Term Plan
RECEPTION Early Years Reception Long Term Plan
Year 1 Overview 2024-25
Year 2 Overview 2024-25
Year 3 Overview 2024-25
Year 4 Overview 2024-25
Year 5 Overview 2024-25
Year 6 Overview 2024-25
What the Children are Learning this Half Term
In our parents’ area, you can visit each year group’s curriculum page. Here, you will find details about the topics and themes that the children will be learning this half term:
Nursery Curriculum
Reception Curriculum
Year 1 Curriculum
Year 2 Curriculum
Year 3 Curriculum
Year 4 Curriculum
Year 5 Curriculum
Year 6 Curriculum
Subjects
A short guide to how we teach each subject can be found by visiting the subjects pages:
How we teach subjects
To see how we embed Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) values including Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) throughout our curriculum, please see the SMSC page.
Curriculum leader: Miss Macfarlane