CURRICULUM
Intent
At Mount Pleasant Primary School, we have designed a curriculum which is built upon our vision and mission statements as well as our core values:
- to nurture and empower lifelong learners to think big, aim high and be successful in achieving their dreams and aspirations.
- that every child is provided with opportunities to maximise their full learning potential. This is achieved through a broad, balanced and enriched curriculum delivered through creative approaches and using the latest technologies.
- aspirational, Connected, Happy, Immersed, Energised, Valued, Empowered
Our curriculum aims to provide our pupils with an aspirational and ambitious curriculum which is accessible to every child including children with disabilities and special educational needs. The curriculum will enable all children to acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful in the later stages of their education and throughout their lives. It is a curriculum where every child feels safe and supported and where achievement is recognised, individual successes are celebrated and where children are nurtured and empowered to become lifelong learners.
As well as developing pupils’ academic knowledge and skills, our curriculum also aims to support children’s personal development and attitudes, including effective learning behaviours, so that they not only have the knowledge and skills to be effective lifelong learners but are also equipped with the language to be able to express themselves and have the motivation, curiosity, confidence and resilience to be successful in achieving their dreams and aspirations.
Implementation
The curriculum is designed with a clearly defined sequence body of knowledge that children need to acquire by the end of each year in all subjects. Each unit of work carefully builds upon prior learning and progressively develops children’s knowledge further. Through enquiry learning questions, children use the information from their Knowledge Organisers and Knowledge Notes to gain strong knowledge. The learning enquiry questions progressively allow children to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills so that by the end of each unit of work children have a good understanding of the main concept. New learning is constantly revisited to support retention and recall, thus enabling children to make progress - learning more and remembering more.
To assess children’s understanding, children are asked to present their understanding in any format to review their learning, and are subsequently given bronze, silver or gold stickers.
The curriculum is further enhanced through providing additional enriched experiences for children which our pupils are in many cases, unlikely to experience outside school. We have carefully planned and resourced our school so that children have access to a wide range of resources to support and develop their learning and experiences even further, such as the Woodland Area, the Fruit Garden and the Holodeck Room (virtual reality experiences). Having two school minibuses has allowed easy access to a wide range of local and further afield activities for children to enrich their experiences and gain cultural capital through visiting museums, parks and places of historical significance. Embedding cultural capital into our curriculum is a way of closing the gap between children from differing socio-economic backgrounds by ensuring that children from all backgrounds have the same opportunities in society to achieve their full potential.
We also broaden horizons by developing global learners, by planning for opportunities to be aware of the wider world and its current issues and to understand and respect cultural diversity and differences with an understanding of how the world works. We encourage participation in the community at a range of levels, from local to global by taking part in events such as Red Nose Day or Euro Women’s Football. We also teach our children to make the world a more sustainable place and to take responsibility for their actions.
Impact
Pupils leave Mount Pleasant Primary School with a secure understanding of the academic content; alongside a good understanding of how to be socially, morally, spiritually and culturally responsible; how to make positive contributions to the local community and how to endeavour to be the best that they can be. We aim for all children to leave Mount Pleasant Primary School respectful, skilful, ambitious and with a thirst for life and all it has to offer.
The impact of our curriculum is evaluated through end of year assessments and statutory assessments; through Governor meetings; visits and through our own monitoring of teaching, learning and pupil voice.
- Standards: Children make expected or greater than expected progress with their targets. All children achieve well by developing knowledge and skills on their journey through school. This is demonstrated through outcomes at EYFS, Phonics (Year 1), Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
- Well-being: Children enjoy learning and coming to school.
- Mental health and well-being enabling confident, successful learners and active community members.
- Personal Development and Safeguarding: Children demonstrate our vision and values in their school life. Behaviour and Safeguarding is excellent.
Children leave Mount Pleasant Primary School ready for a successful transition to secondary school.