Curriculum

Alma Park Primary School’s Whole School Intent Statement

EYFS

Alma Park’s curriculum begins with the standards in the EYFS curriculum. This provides our children with a strong foundation to access the National Curriculum in Year 1 and beyond. The EYFS curriculum gives children knowledge of our local community and the wider world. By the end of EYFS, the children will have knowledge and skills that they need now and in the future. We recognise that reading is a gateway skill which will be a specific determiner of a child’s future success, as such phonics and reading across the curriculum are key. We are proud to be a Levenshulme school and build strong links with all aspects of our local community so children develop a greater understanding of where they live. As a UNICEF Rights Respecting School, our curriculum is delivered in an environment which is safe and inspiring. We value and nurture children’s talents, allowing them to thrive so that when they leave Alma Park they are responsible, active citizens. We have a curriculum that promotes and encourages sustainability and values diversity on both a local and national scale. The EYFS curriculum ensures that knowledge progresses meaningfully and prepares children for their next steps.


KS1 and KS2

Alma Park’s curriculum begins with the standards in the National Curriculum. We believe it is important for our curriculum to reflect the children’s specific needs and their community. Our pupils are given a breadth of experience to develop their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community and also as members of a wider global community. We recognise that reading is a gateway skill which will be a specific determiner of a child’s future success, as such phonics and reading across the curriculum are key. We are proud to be a Levenshulme school and build strong links with all aspects of our local community so children develop a greater understanding of where they live. As a UNICEF Rights Respecting School our curriculum is delivered in a safe and inspiring environment which nurtures children’s talents, allowing them to thrive so that when they leave Alma Park they are responsible, active citizens. In addition, we aim to have a curriculum that promotes and encourages sustainability and diversity on both a local and national scale. All subjects show progression of both knowledge and skills so children feel confident moving onto their next steps in learning.

You can find information about our curriculum by visiting the subjects on this page. Please note that Knowledge Organisers are only produced for foundation subject which have a book to put them in.

 

Whole School Implementation

Learning is the core purpose of our school and is central to everything that happens. In Nursery and Reception, we follow the Statuary Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage document. The children’s learning experiences are planned to enable them to develop and achieve in the early learning areas through play and investigative learning experiences. The EYFS curriculum is planned for the inside and outside classrooms and equal importance is given to learning in both areas. In KS1 and KS2 the curriculum covers all the requirements of the 2014 National Curriculum. We also follow the Manchester RE syllabus and have developed a whole school PSHE (inc RSHE) policy. At Alma Park the National Curriculum has been refined to reflect the communities the children belong to. It is relevant, diverse and engaging. It meets the needs of future citizens and equips all children, including those with SEND and social disadvantages, with the foundations for life. Subjects are delivered in discreet lessons, with meaningful links to other subjects. By teaching Computing this way, children are able to focus on the skills and knowledge related to each subject. It is therefore easier for them to recall past learning. Long term plans, knowledge progression and skills progression documents are the building blocks of the subject. From these, medium term plans are created. The medium term plans form the basis of knowledge organisers and front covers (for subjects which use books). Individual lesson plans are created by class teachers, these lesson plans take their objectives from the medium term plans.

Lessons are structured to minimise cognitive overload, this is done by ensuring prior knowledge is secure and that lessons are not overloaded with new knowledge. Children will present all work to their best standard. This fosters pride in their learning. Work will show the clear progression of children’s learning through the Key Stages. For example, in History at KS2 continuity and change within British history is taught through the theme of ‘housing’. Lessons are teacher assessed against the learning objective. An end of topic assessment or evaluation is used to assess what knowledge the children have retained. The outdoor environment and the local community are considered an opportunity for active learning for all our pupils. The school grounds are being developed further in order to enrich different curriculum areas, and outdoor learning is actively promoted and planned for. As well as our school based learning, we ensure learning is supported by relevant educational visits and visitors, including overnight residential visits which take in Year 6. A range of clubs and enrichment activities such as concerts, sports matches, and music further enhance the curriculum and children’s learning. These are a vital part of the children’s development as lifelong learners and ensure individual talents are celebrated. Our commitment to being a UNICEF Rights Respecting School is shown through our curriculum, assemblies, celebration days and responding to events in the news. Each class develops their own Class Charter, based on UNICEF Rights of the Child. Our strategy for successful implementation of our intended curriculum is to create a culture where collaboration and independence develops from a curriculum that builds on prior learning, deepens knowledge and enhances skills that foster learning and achievement.

 

Reading

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Writing

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Maths

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Science

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History

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Geography

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Design Technology

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Religious Education

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Art and Design

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Computing

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PE

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PSHE/RSE

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Music

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French

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Forest School

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