Curriculum Statement for the Primary Phase at Harleston Sancroft Academy

Curriculum Intent 

All children are unique and the Early Years Foundation Stage and Primary phase curriculum intent at Harleston Sancroft Academy is to provide our pupils with aknowledge-rich, vocabulary-driven, skills-based curriculum which will enable all pupils to ‘Live life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10).  Alongside this, our school values of Hope, Love, Perseverance, Wisdom, Respect and Faith are interwoven throughout our curriculum and are at the heart of everything we do.  

By embedding knowledge-rich learning we create and build opportunities for children to look within and outside of their own context.  We enrich their experiences through high quality vocabulary acquisition, leading children to develop a greater understanding of the world around them.  A skills-based approach to contextualising learning, through thought-provoking questions and meaningful opportunities, enables children to apply what they have been taught and ensures that children are exposed to an ambitious curriculum that challenges and provides depth and breadth to all learners.

Our curriculum has been shaped around and is built upon a clear understanding of what makes great teaching and effective learning (educational pedagogy)  and a recognition that everyone in our school community is a learner, who can enhance and extend their understanding. That is why professional development (CPD) and reflective practice is a core component of our curriculum.

Curriculum Implementation

The implementation of the curriculum is underpinned by our school values:

Hope inspires us: we believe that anything is possible; we have high aspirations, we are positive and enthusiastic and we want to make things better

Perseverance strengthens us: we are resilient; we work hard, we practise and we learn from our mistakes

Wisdom develops us: we value knowledge; we are independent learners who are responsible for ourselves; we accept challenges and celebrate achievement

Love guides us: we are kind and supportive and we have a love of learning; we are good citizens, who play a positive role in our community

Respect shapes us: we value ourselves, each other and the world; we celebrate and understand difference

Faith supports us: we have belief in ourselves and God; we show trust and dedication

Through these values we are able to support children to become independent thinkers, ready to learn and access our curriculum through our nine foundations of learning. These foundations are: 

• High expectations
• Challenge
• Worked examples 
• Scaffolding 
• Collaboration 
• Questioning
• Deliberate practice
• Revisit and Reflect 
• Feedback

The implementation of the curriculum within the primary phase is founded on a firm understanding of cognitive science. Teaching and learning is predicated on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, cognitive load theory and a careful-sequenced progressive structure to learning. 

Curriculum Impact 

The impact of our knowledge-rich, vocabulary-driven, skills-based curriculum can be measured through academic success in national assessments and through our clearly-structured assessment framework. 

The impact of our curriculum can be seen through the readiness of children to engage in their next steps. Children are equipped with the knowledge, vocabulary and skills necessary to continue on their learning journey, to be successful citizens in the world around them and beyond and to ‘Live life in all its fullness’.