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Curriculum

Intent

At Bradwell Junior School, we aim to produce a broad, balanced, engaging curriculum that celebrates diversity. The intent for our curriculum is to support the development of pupils' respect and resilience by raising their aspirations within a safe learning environment where mistakes are part of the learning journey. Through ambitious programmes of study and high-quality teaching and learning, we intend to achieve excellent progress from their individual starting points and generate the sense of personal fulfilment that comes with rising to challenges and exceeding what they thought they were capable of.

We aim to provide our pupils with essential 'cultural capital' - the essential knowledge that all pupils need to be educated citizens. As such, our curriculum is not solely focused on academic progress, but also safely, socially and morally. The curriculum intends to promote pupils' problem-solving and risk-taking skills in a safe environment, enabling them to safeguard their own health and emotional wellbeing, developing their understanding of risks both online and offline. We intend for our curriculum to provide a broad range of experiences which prepare them for their next stage of learning and ultimately for life as a responsible member of society.

Implementation

To reflect the mixed-age nature of the classes at Bradwell Junior School, our curriculum, based on the national curriculum, is organised in a two-yearly rolling programme. Pupils are taught as a whole class for all subjects, except for PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), where year groups are taught individually based on the age-appropriate content of the learning.

Careful consideration has been given to the selection of the schemes we use to supplement our curriculum, paying attention to the progression of skills and knowledge across the two years, and adapting them, where necessary, to make the learning more relevant to the pupils of Bradwell Junior School. Please see our curriculum cycle for more detail about the learning themes in each class.

Not only has careful consideration gone into the content of the lessons, including how individual year group objectives are targeted within a mixed-age class, but also how lessons are delivered so that the learning is accessible to all, and knowledge is embedded in the long-term memory.

A variety of engaging whole class instruction, small group, paired and independent work is carried out throughout lessons, with interactive or practical elements developing children's problem-solving, collaboration and resilience. A wealth of practical resources, technology and the outdoor environment add to engaging and motivating lessons. Considered trips and enrichment activities are also used to supplement learning across the curriculum.

Throughout the curriculum, we provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on their learning and progress through retrieval tasks, which recap prior knowledge before moving on to new learning. In addition, understanding the endpoint for their learning enables pupils to engage actively in lessons. This combination of retrieval and knowing the purpose for their learning secures mastery of knowledge and skills so that pupils can see how and why their learning journey grows as it does. Knowledge organisers are also available for all pupils to refer to throughout their learning.

Teachers and teaching assistants work in partnership to support all children through high-quality questioning and scaffolding to support all learners, including those with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). More information about how we support pupils with SEND, and their families, can be found on our dedicated SEND page.

British values are interwoven into lessons, making it explicit where their learning develops the values of tolerance and respect, the rule of law, democracy and individual liberty. Given the context of our setting, due consideration to diversity has also been paid in the construction of our curriculum, and in showing representation of people from different backgrounds to raise the aspirations of all our pupils.

Impact

Reflecting on the curriculum is essential in determining whether it is fit for purpose.

At the start of the unit of work, teachers assess pupils' learning through a variety of methods, including multiple choice questions, quizzes or mind-mapping activities. This helps to inform the planning process and provides a baseline for each unit of work. Through informal assessments within lessons and more formal assessments at the end of units of work, the progress of pupils against objectives is assessed, analysed and reviewed.

Regular staff discussions, dropping into lessons formally and informally, book scrutiny and pupil voice activities contribute to the monitoring process and assessment of the impact of the curriculum. This information is used to reflect on, adapt, review and refresh our curriculum and teaching strategies, so that it continues to address the needs and aspirations of our pupils.