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Curriculum Overview

The aim and purpose of what we do at Highwood Primary School is to strive to develop confident young people, who want to learn and achieve their best. Our vision for Highwood Primary and those that serve is simple: “Promoting Resilience, Achieving Potential”.

We want to impart the following five core values to the children of Highwood Primary School through our curriculum and are promoted through our Golden Rules. By working together, we nurture every child to leave our school being the best possible version of themselves.

  1. Respect
  2. Empathy
  3. Gratitude
  4. Honesty
  5. Resilience

We implement the Golden Rules as advocated by Jenny Mosley.

  • Do be gentle, don’t hurt anyone.
  • Do be kind and helpful, don’t hurt anyone’s feelings.
  • Do be honest, don’t cover up the truth.
  • Do work hard, don’t waste time.
  • Do look after property, don’t waste or damage things.
  • Do listen to others, don’t interrupt.

We have created a curriculum which is designed to meet the needs of all our children. Our curriculum inspires and enthuses and as a result our vision is for our pupils to be emotionally literate, knowledgeable, resilient children, who are enthusiastic lifelong learners. We develop habits of promoting curiosity, independence of thought, reflective learning so that pupils learn to question and deepen their knowledge through taught and incidental opportunities.

Our curriculum is broad and balanced and taught in a variety of ways including whole class lessons, collaborative small groups or individually, both in the classroom and outdoors. Progression and continuity are carefully planned for, focusing on key knowledge and skills for each year group in each subject. We recognise that learning is interconnected, and links are made across different subjects to enable our children to build their long term memory overtime.  We fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum, as well as providing additional enrichment experiences and extra-curricular opportunities for our pupils. Our units of work for Science and foundation subjects begin with a big question or a big piece to enable our children to broaden their understand of the world they live in.

The DfE have reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to 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.” The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values have been reiterated this year (2014).  At Highwood Primary School these values are reinforced regularly in the following ways. In actively promoting British Values, we will also focus on, and be able to show how our work with pupils is effective in embedding fundamental British values. This also means challenging pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist views’. Much of our current work already encompasses universal values that are intrinsically linked to our curriculum. Below are examples to illustrate how we promote these values.

DEMOCRACY RULE OF LAW INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY MUTUAL RESPECT TOLERANCE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS AND BELIEFS
· Children involved in democratic processes e.g. Choosing school councillors, rewards and incentives, competitions

· Democracy linked assemblies and pupil leadership activities

· School council

· Links with local MPs and councillors who visit school

· We listen to all views – Pupil voice is integral

· We debate arguments for and against

· We get involved

· We express our views peacefully

· We vote and then respect the result of the majority

 ·  Visits from local Community Officers

· School Behaviour policy- all stakeholders are aware of the policy and it is understood

· Opportunities to reflect daily e.g. Learning, their behaviour, reflection time, circle time, mindfulness

· Pupil interviews on behaviour and attitudes, observations and learning walks

· Assemblies with links to universal values

· We make sure rules and expectations are clear

· We know the difference between right and wrong

· We know rules protect us

· We respect the rules

· Choices and consequences – understand there are consequences for our actions

 · We are an anti-bullying and E- safety school

· We model freedom of speech in a peaceful manner

· Understanding responsibility in school in terms of behaviour and learning attitudes

· Pupils’ roles and responsibilities in school

· Values known and demonstrated

· SEAL assemblies

·   Assembly Collective Worship – freedom of expression, PSHE Floor books shared

· What went wrong discussions after incidents

· We challenge stereotypes and bias

·   We provide opportunities for restorative reflection

 · We promote respect

· Positive relationships encouraged and modelled by everyone pupils and adults

·  RSHE and PSHE curriculum

·   Charitable support initiatives

· Anti -bullying week/ Assemblies – Sorry box

·  School Council

· Parental engagement through Friends of Highwood

· Sportsmanship through competitive sports

· Purple pen / buddy marking

· We respect each other’s cultures and religions

·   Outdoor Learning – respect for nature/ our world

· Collaboration with other schools for festivals and activities

 

 · Values –linked to our Ethos

· Cultural themes weeks

· Festival, religious diversity  awareness assemblies – Harvest, Hanukkah, Christmas, Diwali, Bandhi Chor Diva, Eid Ul Fitr, Easter, St David’s Day, St Patricks Day, St George’s Day etc

·  Holocaust Memorial Day

· Singing assemblies – songs from different cultures, musical appreciation

· Remembrance Day – 2 minute silence

· SMSC activities

· Black History Learning

·   Equality, Diversity and Inclusion awareness, learning opportunities

 

 

Long Term Maps

Please see the documents below for an overview of the curriculum being covered in your child’s year group.