The School Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

Our vision is to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum which inspires children to develop a love of learning where they can achieve their absolute best, become lifelong learners, are able to make positive contributions to society and are prepared for 21st Century life as a British and global Citizen. We aim to develop children who are confident, articulate and effective communicators by the time they leave our school, whilst ensuring that they become independent, resilient learners who are curious and eager to extend their knowledge.

The Oaks curriculum is ambitiously designed to ensure that all children know and remember more. Learning is progressive, embedded over time and routed in our locality. Knowledge, skills, oracy, vocabulary, British and school values, characteristics of learning, and Cultural Capital are all embedded within our bespoke curriculum.

The curriculum at The Oaks is underpinned by the national curriculum objectives and enhanced through subject specific associations guidance, research-based knowledge and national expertise such as the NCETM. Sticky knowledge documents, progression of knowledge documents and carefully sequenced lesson plans have been created for each subject area to support the national curriculum requirements.

Our curriculum is underpinned by our mission statement ‘Bringing Learning to Life’. By this we mean that our curriculum is filled with rich first-hand experiences. Lessons are made real, with children experiencing hands on experiences to ensure that the children know more and remember more. Learning is brought to life for our children on a daily basis through practical hands-on experiences, wow days, specialist teaching delivery, educational visits that enhance children’s cultural capital. Our children come to school with a range of experiences of the wider world so we ensure that our curriculum further enhances those experiences to add value to them.

 

Curriculum Implementation

Quality first teaching for all is part of our ethos at The Oaks. Ensuring teachers have a strong subject knowledge is a high priority. We pride ourselves on consistency, developing high standards and excellent outcomes for all groups of children across school.
Reading is an absolute priority. We ensure that children are able to read with fluency and understanding to ensure that they can access the wider curriculum as they progress through school.

Subject knowledge, skills and concepts across the curriculum are taught as individual subjects within half termly projects. Cross-curricular links are made where appropriate and teachers develop their lessons to ensure that they build on prior learning. English and mathematical skills are effectively promoted and links are made within all subjects.

Learning outside the classroom and concrete, real life experiences and opportunities plays a pivotal role in the delivery of the curriculum at The Oaks and this is effective in breaking down any barriers to learning by offering additional opportunities outside the classroom for experiential and practical learning including trips, visitors, workshops, class charities, secondary school subject specialist teaching, subject specialist teaching for music, drama, PE and forest Schools.

We support children in being able to retain, recall and remember knowledge by ensuring that our curriculum builds on prior knowledge and skills through regular review of content and sequencing. This is achieved through strong teacher subject knowledge, Triple R (retrieve, recall, remember) Time, Fluency, Key Questioning, Regular reviews, low stake quizzes, knowledge organisers and clearly sequenced lessons that are further enhanced with our strong cultural capital and enrichment offer.

 

Curriculum Impact

The impact that the curriculum has on our children is regularly and rigorously evaluated. Precise and focused actions within the School Development Plan drive the continuous refinement of the curriculum to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of all pupils in an ever-changing society. Learning is reviewed and monitored through regular learning walks, book scrutinies, pupil voice, evidence trails, governor monitoring visits and pupil progress meetings.

Our school tracking and monitoring systems demonstrate that children retain knowledge that they have learnt and can apply and adapt their knowledge to new experiences. Children at The Oaks make excellent progress across the curriculum and this is supported by National Assessments, demonstrating that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

By the time children leave The Oaks, they are confident, articulate and effective communicators. They are also independent, resilient learners who are curious and eager to extend their knowledge. Children are immersed in values and real-life skills throughout the curriculum and as a result, they become confident lifelong learners and citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

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