Malton Primary Academy

Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement

Our curriculum is fundamental to our school day. We want pupils to love learning and be totally immersed in the local community and the wider world. We want to nurture enthusiasm and empower pupils to take ownership of their leaning. We take pride in excellence and forge life-long learning habits which include being physically active, mentally healthy and being independent. We want our pupils to aspire high and have a secure knowledge and understanding of fundamental British values; to understand the strengths, advantages and disadvantages of living in a society which values diversity and democracy.

We believe that only a well-rounded, knowledge rich curriculum can overcome inequality of opportunity. Knowledge must be sequential and built upon- it cannot be briefly encountered and fleetingly experienced. Vocabulary development plays a vital role in this. Adults in our school are ambitious for our pupils and view parents as essential contributors to their children’s education.

Our school is located in a semi-rural market town. The school has a growing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language and those eligible for the pupil premium grant. The school has identified issues that may be potential barriers to learning and we have been proactive in discussing how we can build cultural capital. We believe providing pupils with a variety of experiences and opportunities is absolutely the right thing for our pupils.

We want our pupils to feel proud of the place they live: Malton and Yorkshire. We want them to know their town and how it has changed over time, taking into account the geographical features that exist in the immediate area. We want to harness opportunities for learning within our school’s historical, geographical and cultural context. We want our children to be avid communicators and to demonstrate high levels of collaboration, self-regulation and resilience. We believe developing metacognition is fundamental to this.

Our curriculum map is constructed to ensure all subjects are covered throughout the primary phase. We have reviewed subjects carefully to ensure there is connectedness where it makes most sense and that pupils are given ample opportunity to revisit content. We aim to encourage our pupils to remember knowledge and build on their prior learning by ensuring we carefully consider how knowledge is sequenced. Teachers must understand what pupils must know and be able to do in each subject by the end of each academic year; they must recognise what has come before and what pupils will continue to learn in the next year. Pupils will demonstrate knowledge and understanding in line with year group expectations. In addition to this, pupils will encounter a wide range of experiences including places, modes of transport and residential visits. Pupils will work with peers in the same year group and beyond and contribute to their House.

Implementation

Subject leaders have ensured there is a clear progression of knowledge in place for their subject, along with how this further builds on the early years’ curriculum. A sequence of knowledge and skills has been established in all non-core subjects and planning ensures links are made to prior learning and connections within and between subjects are made where appropriate. Expectations for what pupils should know at the end of each year have been established and these are used to assess pupils’ attainment.

A rigorous and sequential approach to the reading curriculum develops pupils’ fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading. At all stages, reading attainment is assessed and gaps are addressed quickly and effectively for all pupils. Reading books connect closely with the phonics knowledge pupils are taught when they are learning to read. Newly refurbished reading areas around the school encourage pupils to read more widely and often. The Trust’s reading leader forensically observes what is happening with regards to the reading curriculum and supports the Reading Lead and Early Reading Lead to ensure practice is strong. Teachers are knowledgeable about children’s reading and know which books may interest them. When semi-reluctant readers show an interest in a specific genre the teachers are quick to ensure more books of the same genre are available for pupils to read. Staff are conscious of the need to provide pupils with a balanced reading diet and proactively seek opportunities to use non-fiction books. Reading for enjoyment is an important feature of the school with pupils encouraged to read for a range of purposes.

Medium term planning is viewed as an essential tool to translate the school’s long term plan into a sequence of learning tailored to meet the need of a specific class.

Impact

The school’s core subject curriculum has clear outcomes that have been designed to ensure pupils at the end of each year learn the key knowledge and skills that underpin all future learning and allows them to make exceptional progress. We use the National Curriculum statements to benchmark at the end of each key stage in Foundation Subjects. Pupil progress meetings are used to discuss individual pupils at risk of falling behind and support and challenge.

Medium term planning is monitored half-termly, and long-term planning is reviewed at least annually. Immediate adaptations to sequences of learning are made as required. Subject Leaders monitor their subjects regularly through ‘book looks’ with pupils, learning walks and lesson observations, where appropriate. The Trust provides additional regular monitoring, support and challenge in all areas of the curriculum and regular whole school reviews to evaluate the quality of education provided.