Curriculum
At Cowling Primary School, our curriculum is based on the September 2014 National Curriculum for Key Stages 1 & 2 and the Early Years Updated Statutory framework in Reception (January 2024).
Overview
We have created an ambitious and well-structured curriculum which, combined with high quality teaching, ensures that children are supported to be well-rounded, empathetic young people who have a genuine thirst and enjoyment for learning. Our curriculum extends opportunity, raises aspiration, opens children’s eyes to the world beyond their immediate environment, enabling our children to live happy, healthy and productive lives.
At Cowling Community Primary School we believe that reading is the key to success and it is given a high priority in our curriculum. We aim for all our children to become engaged with reading from the beginning, support them to read easily, fluently and with good understanding and develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and purpose.
We aim to build resilience and encourage a positive mind-set amongst our children as it is often through mistakes we learn the most. We want them to develop a strong sense of moral purpose in addition to a respect for and understanding of people who have different characteristics to themselves, whether that be age, disability, gender, race or sexuality. We place a strong emphasis on the development of the basic skills necessary to be confident, articulate and independent learners within a broad, wide ranging and challenging curriculum.
We aim to provide our children with the cultural capital they need to succeed in life. This capital is introduced and supported through the wide range of experiences and opportunities we provide. Our inclusive culture and ethos is built on respect and consideration of all others and with a predominantly White/British context we promote the rich diversity of Britain. This is a school that values the voice of all children and really does listen to their views. We encourage our children to actively take part in their local community and help them begin to understand the importance of being a good UK and global citizen.
Our focus is on pupils knowing more over time, this is aided by regular revisits and recalls integrated into planning to support the development of pupils’ long term memory. Pupils know how to complete tasks and apply skills and link knowledge to solve problems. Learning is enhanced by special events and visits but the maximum impact on learning progress is secured by carefully planning events within a sequence of work. We are embedding this knowledge-rich approach in foundation subjects. We believe a broad curriculum with depth should give equal value to each foundation subject. Planning differentiated lessons to meet the needs of all groups of children and disadvantaged and SEND pupils is a key principle in our approach and extra resources are used effectively to support closing individual learning gaps faced by disadvantaged and special needs pupils.
Creativity is a strong thread that permeates our curriculum. Teachers plan opportunities in all subjects for pupils to think in different ways, find different solutions, create original designs, make links and connections between subjects and information, and imaginatively use and apply knowledge. This is often achieved by teachers responding during lessons to thoughts and ideas that are provided by pupils from their learning.
We have created a long term plan for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 which is based around blocks. All subjects, except Maths, Phonics, Spelling and PE, in KS1 and KS2 are organised into 5 blocks throughout the academic year and we use half-termly blocks in EYFS. In some subjects, we teach year groups and in others, we teach classes. This depends on the content which needs to be covered and which is most appropriate. A variety of teaching styles are used in school, based on good practice and teachers continually reflecting on their teaching. We are always seeking to innovate where appropriate, to maintain high standards and provide the best in primary school practice.
In EYFS, we have organised our curriculum into 6 blocks with children following a one-year programme. In Reception children learn to read through a validated SSP programme, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which continues until children are ready to exit the programme.
In KS1, we have organised our curriculum into a two year rolling programme, with children following a one-year programme in Phonics, PE and Maths.
In KS2, our curriculum is organised into a two year rolling programme, with children following a one-year programme in Maths, Spelling and PE.
Follow this link to the Department of Education website.
Please use the curriculum links below to find out what our children will be taught.