Curriculum

At Gamesley Primary School we provide as many opportunities as possible for our children to develop as independent, confident, successful learners. We want our children to leave us not only with high aspirations for their own futures, but also knowing how to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society. Our curriculum places a high focus on developing children’s moral, spiritual, social and cultural understanding. Our aim is for every child to enjoy their education and make the best progress in all areas of learning.

Pupils at all levels are supported to achieve their full potential. Higher achieving pupils are challenged and supported through appropriate deepening and broadening activities. Those who struggle with aspects of their learning are encouraged and given targeted support to embed core skills while still accessing and enjoying the wider curriculum.

The school’s focus on curriculum development has been carefully designed to ensure coverage and progression. We provide our pupils with a memorable and engaging curriculum which includes a wide range of opportunities through which they can learn and develop a range of core, transferable skills. We take the children out into their local and wider community as often as possible and invite visitors into school. We give them knowledge that is outside their immediate life experiences.  Through our curriculum, we aim to create an interest and thirst for more knowledge, to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement and provide a purpose and relevance for learning.

We also provide access to activities that children may not otherwise experience. We recognise that the children need to develop self-value and aspirations for their future and for their community. At the same time, we maintain a strong focus on the precision teaching of the core skills of literacy and maths so that our children can leave us not only with a desire to learn, but also with the tools they need to access the curriculum at secondary school and beyond.

The curriculum is planned to ensure progression of knowledge and skills across school. Our curriculum design ensures that the needs of all children can be met through high quality first wave teaching, supported by targeted, proven interventions where appropriate.

Subject leaders play an important part in the success of the curriculum by leading a regular programme of monitoring, evaluation and review. They collate evidence in subject leaders’ files and regularly hold pupil interviews in order to check on their acquisition of knowledge and skills in their subjects.

Enjoyment of the curriculum promotes achievement, confidence and good behaviour. We encourage children to have a sense of pride in the presentation of their work. High quality visits and visitors enhance the curriculum and provide opportunities for writing for a purpose. To promote physical health and wellbeing, a range of extra-curricular clubs gives learners an opportunity to access a variety of sports after school hours.

Our comprehensive PSHE scheme (Jigsaw) lessons provide children with opportunities to discuss and learn about personal health, wellbeing, safety, relationships (including anti-bullying work), differences and aspirations. Values education is given a high profile throughout the school in weekly praise assemblies and class lessons based on the Cornerstones “Yoi Moji” materials. Our diversity work helps children to realise that everyone is special and unique and we should celebrate differences and different kinds of families.

Cornerstone Curriculum Maestro is used to support planning and teaching in Science, Design and Technology, History, Geography, RE, Art and Design and Values education.

The materials  we use to support the planning and delivery of the rest of our curriculum include: