Our Curriculum

The CSET Primary Curriculum Statement 

Intent

What is the rationale for our Concept Curriculum?

Our Primary school curriculum will develop the whole child. Our curriculum purpose is to prepare children to leave every CSET primary with the confidence, ability and desire to make the world a better place. We plan for them to experience, explore, create, question, organise and enjoy their learning across a broad range of subjects. We believe that the curriculum must be a mix of substantive and disciplinary knowledge, transferable skills, in depth study and opportunities to identify patterns and connections between concepts and ideas. Our Curriculum recognises the importance of oracy alongside reading, writing and understanding mathematical concepts and aims to develop oracy through the study of all three. Our curriculum will extend beyond what is taught in the classroom. It will ensure the environment  supports learning, that experiences broaden horizons- organising visits, meeting experts and interesting, inspiring people, as well as enrichment through opportunities outside of the classroom and school; seeing ‘behind the scenes’ as well as being in the audience. It will ensure expertise is achievable for all and every child will feel enriched as a result. The curriculum will permeate all aspects of schooling so that learners are ready to meet the world.

 What should our curriculum aim to achieve?

Within each subject studied, children will adopt a ‘state of being’, becoming Scientists, Geographers, Historians, Designers, Musicians and Artists as well as avid readers, effective writers, confident mathematicians and prepared for the digital world. Starting small, then gradually expanding their knowledge and skills horizons, our children will have inclusive opportunities to explore and question. The curriculum incrementally builds on an increasing base of nested knowledge and develops and refines intellectual skills. We want our learners to understand the ‘big idea’ in addition to the acquisition of knowledge and the refining and acquisition of skills. 

How is the Curriculum delivered? 

Our pedagogical approach ensures that the delivery of knowledge and the instruction of skills heightens curiosity and excites the imagination of our children. Teachers promote enquiry and facilitate discussion and questioning. We all learn by making mistakes and our children should understand that. Teachers realise that task completion is not a proxy for understanding and plan backwards, thinking about what children need to learn before deciding on the activity to deliver that learning. They use a framework of knowledge and skills to deliver learning. Assemblies are used to help share big ideas and more challenging intellectual concepts and the learning environment is carefully used to support learning as it happens as well as celebrating learning success. Teaching should allow exploration and experimentation. Teachers design learning so that it is sometimes blocked together in ‘Depth studies’, sometimes linked to other concepts and sometimes drip fed in a ‘little and often’ way. 

 Three 'big' ideas

 Implementation

 Subject Curriculum statements

Curriculum maps.

A collective approach.

Teachers are encouraged to consider the subject specific concepts for each subject when planning and cross reference with the key learning intentions for each subject to ensure that children are exposed to the knowledge and skills that are intended for their age range. Each big term is mapped out with this in mind and a framework for what is taught and when supports coherent progression across year groups and key stages. Teachers work collectively across our schools to share ideas about the pedagogical approaches that work best for the children in all our settings. 

Our Curriculum maps are organised by year group.  They align with the enquiry question for that term and allow meaningful cross curricular links.

• Year 1 Curriculum map 2022-23
• Year 2 Curriculum map 2022-23
• Year 3 Curriculum map 2023 docx
• Year 4 Curriculum map 2022-23
• Year 5 Curriculum map 2022-23
• Year 6 Curriculum map 2022-23

 Impact

 How will we know our Curriculum has delivered for our children?

Judging the impact…

 Our Primary Curriculum should ensure that all our children are developed intellectually, physically, spiritually, socially and emotionally. We want our children to leave CSET Primary settings able to be discerning about the world around them and have the ability to critically think. They should be world aware. They should leave school with the confidence to try new things, enjoy the process of learning and have the ability and desire to make the world a better place by using skills and knowledge to effect well informed change. They should be able to make connections, transfer skills to new situations and take responsibility for the future success of their life-long learning.

Our curriculum and pedagogical approach will produce ambitious, curious learners, innovative contributors, ethically informed global citizens and healthy, resilient individuals