Bush Hill Park Primary School Curriculum Rationale

Children will leave Bush Hill Park Primary School:
‘learning more, knowing more and remembering more’

At Bush Hill Park Primary School, we are committed to our school values of respect, resilience and responsibility. Our curriculum is designed to provide stretch and challenge for all pupils and to enable children to find wonder in and to question the world around them.

The National Curriculum is both our start and end point and through careful progression planning and sequencing, we aim to ensure that all children have equitable access to a broad and balanced curriculum that enhances life experiences for all. We are developing a knowledge rich, vocabulary heavy curriculum that provides children with a variety of experiences, skills and knowledge in order to encourage future aspirations. We have created opportunities within the curriculum to nurture the whole child, from their physical development through to their mental health and wellbeing, specifically through incorporating problem solving, creativity, knowledge and resilience in order to best prepare children for their futures.

Our Key Curriculum Drivers

Never a missed reading opportunity

“There are twenty-six letters in all”, she said. “You will learn each of them, and once you know them, you can mix them as you will, and then use them to form the words of the world and the things of the world. You can write of everything – what is and what was and what might yet be.” Kate DiCamillo

Vocabulary Development

‘The limits of my language mean the limits of my world’ Ludwig Wittgenstein

Diversity

‘We should … live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity of humanity’ George Takei

Respect, Resilience and Responsibility (School values)

‘The time is always right to do what is right’ Martin Luther King.

The reading culture at Bush Hill Park Primary School extends into all aspects of the school and the wider community. There is never a missed opportunity to read. Adults choose rich and challenging texts to share daily with their class. All children have the opportunity to be heard reading and to find joy in the books around them.

Children are all exposed to a rich, multi-discipline vocabulary, not only through all subject areas but in their daily interactions with all members of staff in the school who demonstrate a wide vocabulary.

Children see themselves and their families reflected in our curriculum. All children have a strong sense of belonging. They have an appreciation for our diverse curriculum and find curiosity and excitement in learning from others.

The school values can be found across the school and the curriculum. They are taught both explicitly and discretely and they prepare children with the confidence to find success in the world beyond primary school.

Organisation of curriculum

• Core subjects are taught daily each morning (reading, writing maths) with the exception of science which is taught weekly and at times through other subject areas as part of our cross curricular approaches
• Foundation subjects are taught weekly (history, geography PE x 2, computing, music, PSHE/circle time, RE, Art/D+T, MFL). On occasion some of these (RE, MFL, circle time are taught fortnightly – this is specific to individual year groups and all timetables operate on a two weekly rotation to ensure equitable coverage of the curriculum as part of our broad and balanced curriculum
• Assemblies take place three times a week and form an important aspect of our curriculum organisation. Each week we have a values assembly that looks a worldwide celebration and contexts in light of our school values, a signing assembly and a celebration assembly (linked to our school values)
• Subject leaders form the middle leadership team for the school and they have oversight of individual areas and support all teachers in their delivery of the subject
• Long term plans set out content coverage for each subject area and for individual year groups
• Medium term plans have been designed by the curriculum leader and subject leads to ensure lessons are sequenced and build towards clear learning end points
• Each subject area has a clear progression of skills from EYFS to Year 6 to support planning in ensuring year on year what has taught can be built upon

Excellent Teaching and Learning

School Routines and Consistent Practices

Pace

Urgency

High Expectations

No Excuses

Relentless Routines

Core principles of excellent teaching

Challenge

Explanation

Modelling

Practice

Feedback

High Order Questioning

Breaking down barriers (SEN, Disadv, PP, EAL)

• SEND Quality First Teaching Toolkit (Walsall council)
• Daily 1:1 reading intervention for lowest 20% readers
• Scaffolding and Differentiation
• Flexible intervention boosters in core subjects
• Communication friendly strategies
• Communication in print
• CPA approach to develop strong conceptual understanding
• Classroom equipment/ adaptations
• Trauma informed school – this directly informs our behaviour policy and restorative individual approaches for children

Assessment Opportunities

Half Termly assessment

Termly summative assessment in core areas

Ongoing formative assessment
(Arbor)

Daily AfL with high quality, live, verbal feedback

Subject specific next step feedback

Ongoing low stakes assessment in foundation areas

Core principles of excellent teaching

Quality of Education

Behaviour and Attitudes

Personal Development

• Teachers have higher levels of confidence in delivering all areas of the curriculum
• Teachers teach consistently well and apply sound pedagogical practices in all lessons
• All children are engaged in our knowledge rich curriculum and are prepared for life beyond primary school
• Children have a secure understanding of the National Curriculum content and beyond
• Regardless of barriers, all children make good progress from their starting points

• Children enjoy learning and apply themselves to all that they do
• Children confidently understand the different between right and wrong and take responsibility for their behaviour and attitudes
• Children have empathy and support and encourage their peers
• Children view mistake making as fundamental to their learning and are confident in seeking support as part of this
• Children are ambitious, confident and future ready

• Focus weeks across the year alongside regular PSHE and PE, ensure that children are able to care for their own physical and mental wellbeing
• Children are socially, morally, spiritually and culturally aware
• Children apply the school values to all that they do and understand who they are and how they fit in to the wider community, they have the skills and values to carry with them beyond their time at primary school and know how to make positive contributions to their local community and beyond
• Children value and respect the diverse community in which they are educated and are genuinely interested about the lives, cultures and traditions of others

Monitoring

PPM – Pupil progress meetings

Phase moderation meetings

Lesson visits 

Observations

‘Quad’ Observations

Deep Dives

Book looks

Pupil voice

Half Termly Teaching and Learning Team meetings