Our Curriculum

Overview

The Horton Kirby School Curriculum has been developed with our children and our community in mind, with topics being carefully chosen and adapted to meet the needs of all of our children. We provide a rich, broad and balanced programme of education that celebrates individuality, diversity and builds sequential knowledge and skills to nurture talent and prepare children for the challenges and rewards of life and the wider world. Our school values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience and Reflection are embedded into our curriculum.

Our Curriculum:

• Develops an awareness of the wider world that goes beyond children’s usual experience and introduces them to the diversity and richness of life.
• Enables all learners to be immersed in a diverse, knowledge rich environment that develops a desire for learning and curiosity about the world around them and nurtures everyone’s unique talents.
• Encourages children’s Resilience, self- confidence, independence and collaborative skills to prepare them for a world beyond school.
• Is stimulating and excites pupils about learning and being in school. It gives children a richness of experience, which they may not otherwise be exposed to.
• Develops thinking skills, creativity and problem solving through independent and critical thinking.
• Nurtures social, moral, spiritual and cultural development through an understanding of British Values. Responsibility and Respect are embedded through it, giving children important and valued roles around school.
• Ensures all learners have equal opportunities to succeed through high expectations and timely, flexible responses to children’s needs.
• Builds and develops long term memory so that learning is re-visited, reflected upon and improved so that individuals are inspired to flourish.
• Our planning ensures all pupils have equal opportunities to take in all aspects that it has to offer. Where appropriate work is differentiated to meet the needs of individual pupils and, where required, extra support is provided.

The Horton Kirby School curriculum is tailored for all children’s needs and is OURS

We want to open up children’s knowledge and experiences of our diverse community and the wider world, by building curiosity and enriching experience.

We give children skills and knowledge to be prepared for a life beyond school, developing and enhancing long term memory so that learning is remembered and built upon. All groups of children are supported and challenged to succeed.

We build positive, growth mind sets in children so that they are not afraid of failure and are confident to try, and seek to challenge themselves. They have the self- knowledge and skills sets to be reflective learners and ambitious individuals.

We teach a curriculum that is tailored to children’s needs and excites their curiosity. It is relevant to today’s changing technological world and introduces them to new experiences, so that they want to be in school and thrive whilst here.

Statement of Curriculum Implementation:

Our curriculum is designed so that the knowledge and skills in each subject are built progressively, sequentially and thematically. It is written, adapted and monitored to ensure that there are no gaps in understanding in any subject, and that equal importance is given to all areas of the curriculum. Subject statements of Intent, Implementation and Impact match those of the school curriculum, yet are adapted to suit the specific subject. Planning and delivery of our curriculum happens in the following ways:

• Every curriculum subject is planned and sequenced comprehensively so that teachers can follow and adapt them to their classes’ needs. Curriculum folders are the framework for a carefully sequenced programme of study in each subject that builds logically and progressively though the year groups.
• The targeted and specific differentiation for SEND is evident in all curriculum areas. This is evident in work books, where units of work are comprehensively covered and where adaptations for SEND are clearly evident. Lesson observations evidence teaching that is well adapted for SEND and all children progress and achieve well.
• Opportunities are given in all subjects for children to collaborate and talk for learning, so that they have a good grasp of subject ideas, themes and vocabulary so that they can talk confidently about their learning.
• We focus hard on long term memory being well embedded. Key thematic aspects like ‘Leadership’ and ‘Civilisations’ in History are threaded through the school and revisited to the appropriate level in each year group.
• ‘Big Ideas’ like ‘Comparisons’ and ‘Human Kind’ cut across various subjects to ensure links are made between subject and learning and further embed long term memory.
• Children have a good grasp of key vocabulary, skills and concepts in a variety of subjects and make links to their learning.
• Children are given opportunities to lead learning and are given a variety of pastoral roles – ambassadors; head boy/girl; digital leasers and leading lights to plan and take collective worship.
• Each subject focusses on ‘Cultural Capital’ – enriching and broadening children’s experiences and introducing them to a diverse range of ideas, cultures and ways of life.
• School and subject leaders regularly monitor teaching and learning by looking at books, visiting lessons, talking to children and checking progress. Interventions, support and adaptations are put in place in a flexible and timely manner to address any gaps in learning

Statement of Impact: (expectations for learning/learners).

The Impact of our curriculum is regularly assessed and adapted to our school’s and children’s changing needs. Subject delivery is refined regularly by teachers, school and subject leaders through monitoring. Conversations with children show that they have a good grasp of the key concepts and vocabulary for their subjects. More able children talk confidently and to level appropriate to their ability, while other children have the support to be able to talk about their learning in a meaningful way.  Children learn collaboratively, know how to learn and are reflective learners. Children have a rich grasp of cultural capital: of differences in people, and are respectful about difference; of the wider world and are curious about it; of what they need to be successful in life and how to deal with challenge and disappointment. School attendance is improving and above national averages because learning is exciting and stimulating. Parents are well engaged with school life and take their child’s education seriously. Children finish their school year well prepared for their next phase of education –  be that a new school year, new key stage or new school.

If you require any further information about our curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact the school office who will put you in contact with the relevant subject leader.