Curriculum Intent

At Knightlow, our broad, rich and ambitious curriculum provides children with an outstanding and unique primary experience. It inspires children to begin a lifelong love for learning, igniting curiosity and promoting a thirst for knowledge and understanding.   

Our knowledge-rich curriculum is carefully planned in order to cumulatively build knowledge and skills throughout the school. Our spiral curriculum gives regular opportunities to revisit and consolidate prior learning. This helps children to make links between subjects and themes, reinforcing key concepts and vocabulary. Every area of the curriculum is explored thoroughly, following the programmes of study set out in National Curriculum 2014.

We believe that every child is special to God and we work hard to support, nurture and celebrate our unique gifts and interests.  Our curriculum is therefore fully inclusive so that learning is accessible for all children.

Through our wider curriculum andenriching learning experiences, we aim to develop our children’s self-esteem, resilience, confidence and independence. This enables children to leave our school as happy and confident individuals with the knowledge, skills and character to positively contribute to wider society.

Curriculum Implementation

• We teach discrete subjects progressively developing both the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in each curriculum area.
• We provide a supportive and nurturing environment encouraging pupil achievement and fostering a sense of belonging.
• A broad and balanced curriculum covering all subjects.
• Strong, supportive and ambitious SLT and staff, including governance, who have very close links with the school.
• Subject leaders are supported and empowered to champion their subject and support their colleagues.
• A robust foundation to learning provided in an outstanding Early Years setting, with a child-led, seasonal curriculum.
• The teaching of phonics and reading as a high priority throughout the school.
• Use of self-assessment to encourage a responsibility for learning.
• Use of Knowledge Organisers to support learning and retention of knowledge, supporting children to make links between what they have learnt.
• High-quality teaching through passion, praise, subject knowledge and enthusiasm.
• A commitment to constantly improving our practice using evidence-informed practise based on the Science of Learning.
• High-quality and appropriate resources to support teaching and learning.
• Use of a range of high-quality texts, in all areas of the curriculum, to enrich learning and promote a love of reading. 
• High-quality teaching and provision for the safe use of technology to support learning.
• Using cross-curricular links and opportunities to ensure pupils can transfer and apply the skills they develop.
• Outstanding pastoral and SEND support to nurture and develop pupils.
• High quality RE and PSHE teaching and personal development opportunities.
• A range of school clubs, school trips and visitors to enrich the curriculum, as well as reaching out to our local community.
• Suitably-adapted tasks to ensure all children can access the curriculum content. 
• Maximising opportunities for outdoor learning. 
• Pupil and parent voice is encouraged, respected and informs the constantly improving provision.

Curriculum Enhancements

• Class visits – eg: Coventry Cathedral, The Space Centre, Lunt Roman Fort, Warwick Castle, Stratford.
• Residential visit for Year 5 and 6 children, to take part in a range of outdoor adventurous activities.
• Overnight experiences for Years 3 and 4, to develop independence and create memories.
• Visitors to school – eg: parents who share their skills and work experiences, religious leaders, drama groups, dance specialists, musicians, politicians.
• Workshops delivered by specialists – eg: sculpture, music, history experience days.
• Themed Weeks/Days – eg: Health and Fitness Week, Art Week, Local History Week, French Day, Well-Being Week, Anti-bullying Week
• Performance opportunities – eg: pantomime, Christmas performances, musical concerts, Young Voices, choir/dance performances in the community, Stories 4 Schools dramatisations
• Whole School shared experiences – Stories 4 Schools, whole-school texts

Early Years

In planning and guiding what children learn in Early Years, practitioners reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust their practice appropriately, referring to the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning. These are: playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’; active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy their achievements for their own sake; creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things. In addition, the Prime Areas of Learning (Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development) underpin and are an integral part of children’s learning in all areas.

Pupil Leadership

Children are encouraged to take on additional roles of responsibility in school:

• Termly Head and Deputy Girls and Boys
• School Council (R-Y6)
• Play Leaders (Y5/6)
• Buddy System (YR & Y6
• House Captains (Y6)
• Eco-Warriers (Y1 – 6)
• Learning Leads

Impact

• Pupils are happy at school and feel safe, nurtured, listened to and cared for. They are proud of their school and have a deep sense of belonging to the Knightlow community.
• Staff are proud of our school and all that we achieve together as a team.
• Pupil outcomes at the end of Foundation Stage, the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 SATs, are consistently at or above the national average.
• Children's books demonstrate a range of high-quality work and excellent productivity in all subject areas.
• Pupil discussions reveal that children speak enthusiastically and knowledgeably about their learning, with the ability to transfer their knowledge and skills into other areas.
• Teachers monitor children's attainment in all subject areas in order to support and inform further teaching and learning.
• Behaviour and learning attitudes in school are excellent.
• Pupils and staff use our school values and curriculum intent to reflect upon their own achievements and development.
• Children leave Knightlow as well-rounded individuals ready for the challenges of secondary school and beyond.