Intent

At Slinfold Church of England Primary school we provide an enquiry based curriculum where discovery, questioning and discussion underpins the knowledge and skills we want our children to develop. 
Teachers are aware of the end points of the curriculum content and work backwards from these using road maps and opportunities for the children to discover and question key concepts of interest relating to the topic. Teachers and staff act as facilitators in enabling children to ask key higher order questions helping children to draw links between different subject areas. 

We have 3 yearly cycle with 3 inter connected themes so that children are able to think about the bigger picture. These three themes of discovery, nature and reflecting on the past are vital in pupils being able to participate in the bigger situations they will encounter throughout the rest of their lives.

Reflecting on these big issues and helping children make sense of them will enable them to think about the bigger problems in life and how they will manage the social and emotional implications in a safe and secure environment. 

We are firm believers in having fun through our learning. Many of the activities are designed so that children have a hands on, active learning approach to embed and develop key knowledge and skills. We use a wide range of different recording methods so that all children are able to feel successful in their education.

Inclusive Practice

Our curriculum is constructed in a way that is ambitious and designed to give all learners, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the substantive and disciplinary knowledge they need to succeed in life.

A knowledge focus is an inclusive approach. Knowledge is selected deliberately, focusing on the best of which has been thought and said in each subject, ensuring ‘cultural capital’ is developed for all. A knowledge focus has significant advantages for disadvantaged children as it ‘enables students to acquire knowledge that takes them beyond their own experiences.… Knowledge-led curricula attempt to provide young people with a school experience that enables them to be socially mobile, for this is at the core of what social justice is: enabling all people, regardless of socio-economic background, to be provided with the opportunities to succeed in life.’ (Young 2014).

Knowledge is embedded throughout our curriculum through retrieval practice, ensuring knowledge is remembered in the long term.

To find out more information about our curriculum please speak with your child's class teacher, speak with a member of the senior leadership team or follow this link to the national curriculum. 

Quality First Teaching

All children attending Slinfold CE Primary School will receive high quality teaching that is personalised to meet the needs of all children. Quality First Teaching is a style of teaching that emphasises high quality, inclusive teaching for all pupils in a class. It includes well sequenced lessons coupled with effective pedagogical choices, and robust assessment for learning which is used to inform the next steps in the teaching sequence for the children. Quality First Teaching places a strong focus on pupil participation in learning which sets high and realistic challenges.

At Slinfold CE Primary School, our Quality First Teaching is practical and allows the children opportunities to use concrete manipulatives to deepen their understanding of concepts. Our Quality First Teaching approach includes –

• Retrieval practice – where the children will revisit their previous learning and consolidate this before moving on.
• Vocabulary – we explicitly teach new language to the children to broaden their understanding.
• Questioning – we use high quality questioning techniques to elicit pupils understanding.
• Modelling – we demonstrate and guide the children through the learning process.
• Adaptation – we adjust and scaffold the learning to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Talk/Feedback – We provide the children with opportunities to verbally rehearse and provide advice and feedback on their learning.

As part of our Quality First Teaching approach, we have a five-tiered model which provides a framework for teachers in order to make their teaching more accessible and inclusive whilst reducing underachievement.