CURRICULUM INTENT

At Priory Common School the curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning, provide first hand learning experiences, allow children to develop interpersonal skills, build resilience, become creative and inquisitive thinkers whilst addressing the specific needs of the different groups of children in our school.

Every child is recognised as a unique individual. We celebrate and welcome differences within our school and local community. The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of reading, writing and mathematical skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We constantly provide enhancement opportunities to engage learning and believe that childhood should be a happy, investigative and enquiring time where there are no limits to curiosity and there is a thirst for new experiences and knowledge. We use experiential experiences and our values curriculum to promote positive attitudes to learning to create well rounded individuals who strive for success in everything they do.

Community involvement is an essential part of the curriculum and we engage adults in the children’s learning and encourage intergenerational learning opportunities. These opportunities enable parents and carers to support their child in learning new skills and to take an active role in school and other events.

The curriculum enables the children to be well prepared for the next stage of their learning journey by developing confidence and the skills to make decisions, become life-long learners and to be well prepared for their future challenges.

IMPLEMENTATION

Our curriculum outcomes are designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but also to develop the skills needed for learning and for life. We teach all the curriculum areas as stand alone subjects.  Our vibrant and rich curriculum is designed so that subject specific knowledge and skills are embedded.  We have designed our own curriculum, for the foundation subjects, that builds on prior learning from Early Years to the end of Key Stage One ensuring consistency and progression across the school.  Age related expectations combine the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills to create a purposeful and exciting learning journey for every child.  The curriculum has high expectations to combine transferable skills, demonstrate a breadth of vocabulary and develop strong cross curricular links.  This allows the children to learn more and know more.

Our curriculum consists of many planned experiences both in the school building and outside.  Throughout the year we have special weeks and days that have a clear focus.  For example, faith days, science weeks, super hero day, world book day, forest school days, friends and family days.  These special days allow the children to put their learning into practice in a variety of different situations.  The children also take part in regular fundraising events.  Each year a democratic vote takes place across the school community to identify a charity that the school will support for that academic year.

Inviting learning environments stimulate and engage quality thinking and reasoning.  Our marking predominately involves verbal feedback at the time of learning, this allows children to reflect on their learning and think deeply and carefully about their feedback.

IMPACT

Our curriculum prepares children for their future.  During their time at Priory Common they become fantastic role models and the best version of themselves.  From their starting points, all children will make good progress academically, emotionally, creatively, socially and physically.  Knowledge, understanding and skills will be secured and embedded so that children are fully prepared for the next stage of their academic journey. 

The monitoring of our curriculum impact takes place at a range of levels.  Teachers evaluate each lesson and plan next steps.  We also use a range of assessment programs to track pupil progress and identify specific needs.  These are then addressed through targeted intervention programmes.  All of this information is used in regular pupil progress meetings to ensure all children are reaching their true potential.  Curriculum subject leaders monitor their subjects throughout the year to ensure the curriculum is effective and progressive.  Senior Leaders monitor the impact of the curriculum as a whole.  Each year a School Improvement Plan is created to drive the school forward to ensure that we, as a school, can be the best that we can be for all our pupils.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

At Priory Common, we want to challenge our children to become independent, well-rounded individuals who take ownership of their learning and become deep thinkers.  With this reason in mind we have chosen to follow the Chris Quigley Essential Curriculum for the core subjects of maths and English.  One of the primary reasons we have chosen to adopt this curriculum is because it emphasises the importance of developing the depth of each child’s learning.  This means providing children with increased cognitive challenge, allowing them to apply skills which they have learnt independently in a wide range of contexts throughout the designated learning environments.

Alongside the Essential Curriculum for English, we use the Read Write Inc programme to teach daily phonics across the school.  This programme allows our children to quickly learn to recognise sounds and blends which helps them become fluent and confident readers.

KS1 daily timetable:

*Foundation Subjects:

Science is taught every Friday.

RE is covered during assemblies and through half termly school faith days.

Our main curriculum page gives more detail on each of the subjects taught.  Please click on the link below to view this page.

Please follow link below to year group pages for more information including:

 - gallery

 - class mottos

 - learning beyond the classroom (including remote learning and supporting information for parent/carers)