Curriculum

Curriculum Vision

The curriculum provided by Leamington Hastings C of E Academy is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, Development Matters and the National Curriculum for Key Stage One. At Leamington Hastings C of E Academy, we recognise the uniqueness of every member of the school community, and our approach to learning is inclusive of all. We seek to provide a learning environment based on respectful, positive relationships that is well organised and can be used as an interactive learning resource. Our curriculum supports and challenges children to be engaged in all subjects so that they can explore who they are and find where their passions, skills and talents lie, enabling them to flourish. We aim to provide a curriculum that allows children to discover the rich, diverse world in which we live, and to broaden their horizons with new experiences.

Underpinned by our values and learning behaviours, we aim that children develop a lifelong love of learning. They will develop the skills and knowledge outlined in our subject specific curriculum documents, equipping them for their next stage in their education. Throughout all subjects that are taught, there is an emphasis on developing subject specific vocabulary and language so that children can articulate their knowledge, understanding, thoughts and ideas. We believe that thematic units are powerful tools for building and maintaining children’s interest during learning.

Curriculum organisation

Throughout the school, learning is organised into half termly themes. There is evidence that teaching subject knowledge and skills as part of a wider topic based curriculum allows children to make links between areas of their learning, and to consolidate skills. Themes help children to contextualise what they learn and make applications in real life situations.

The themes used at Leamington Hastings are organised to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum Programmes of Study expectations. Each Key Stage has a two year rolling thematic programme in place, taking into account the mixed age groups in school. The themes provide first hand learning experiences, taking into account the prior learning of the children and support the children to develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

Our curriculum design and lesson planning is carried out using the following key principles:

• All teaching is informed by up to date pedagogy and research

• Phonics, early reading and vocabulary development is promoted in all subjects as appropriate

• Each theme has identified high quality texts, stories, rhymes and poems to promote vocabulary and reading

• Children are provided with opportunities to revisit and embed key knowledge, including opportunities to apply their earlier learning in similar and different contexts

• Knowledge and skills are sequenced so that children develop the building blocks they need to succeed in later learning

• Children are provided with first hand experiences, manipulatives and images wherever possible

• Language, vocabulary development, literacy, mathematical and cultural development are promoted throughout all areas of the curriculum

• Core knowledge in each subject has been identified for each year group within school, with clearly measurable end points informed from the Early Years Foundation Stage, Development Matters and National Curriculum.

• The sequencing of knowledge in each year group has been carefully considered to ensure that prior learning supports subsequent learning

• Children are provided with opportunities to learn about the rich world in which we live in, learning about a range of diverse cultures, supporting children to recognise their role as global citizens.

• The curriculum is supported by educational visits and visitors to bring life to the curriculum and experience learning in real life contexts. The curriculum is also supported by a variety of cultural, sporting and charitable events.

• Influential figures spanning different eras are promoted within the curriculum, and feature throughout the themes in each year group.

• Children will experience most curriculum subjects throughout each theme. However to enable the children to learn in depth, the following subjects will be blocked on a half termly basis: history, geography, art and design and design and technology. These subjects are block taught so that children can become fully emersed in the learning process e.g. working to complete a DT or art project with a final piece. Each half term will have either a history or geography focus. It will also have either a design and technology or an art and design focus.

How does our curriculum meet the needs of our children? 

Using a half termly thematic approach improves the quality of teaching and learning in the following ways:

• It increases the children’s interest and ability to become absorbed in a subject matter. 

• It helps the children to make connections with their work.

• Connections can be drawn from real life experiences

• Vocabulary is highly promoted throughout each subject area of the curriculum.

• Children often enter the school with speech sound difficulties. The phonics teaching promotes correct pronunciation of speech sounds in the early years.

• The curriculum promotes real life active experiences wherever possible.

• Diversity is promoted within the curriculum, with different festivals learnt about as a whole school each half term.

• We do not use ability grouping. Children are able to learn in a classroom without limits.

• Knowledge Organisers are used in all subject areas, to help children revisit and retain the key facts and vocabulary learnt within a unit of work. Further information about how we use knowledge organisers in school can be seen in the document below. 

Please see the pages below where you can find out more about each subject area. If you require any further information about the curriculum followed within school, please contact Mrs Marson or the class teachers via the school office.