General Information

Organisation

Our exciting, broad and balanced curriculum is taught through a two-year cycle for each cohort. Each term has a focussed topic theme in which the National Curriculum skills and knowledge from the different subjects are carefully aligned to ensure a correlated cross-curricular approach to children’s learning. Before each topic begins, teachers find out what pupils already know and what they would like to find out about. Teachers use this information to influence their planning of the topics.

Each curriculum map is divided into 3 sections:

• Intent – defining the topic overview and sequence of subjects.
• Implementation – listing the National Curriculum skills linked to each topic.
• Impact – explaining the outcomes in knowledge gained from the topic.

‘Enrichment Days’, ‘Forest School’ and ‘Bespoke Curriculum Events’ are timetabled to further enrich our curriculum and enable us to cater for current global affairs and issues. See Weekly Newsletters and the Curriculum Events and Forest School tabs on the websites for evidence of these curriculum events.

Information about the National Curriculum can be found here.

Content and Sequence

The Pioneer Curriculum Framework has been designed to ensure that all children, no matter their ability, background or starting point, are provided with the opportunities to build on learning term-on-term, year-on-year. All aspects of the National Curriculum are included in our two-year rolling framework to ensure all year groups are taught the skills and knowledge aimed at their age group.

Within the curriculum maps, the Maths and Literacy units of work are sequenced to ensure coverage of all areas.

Some of the key texts are underlined as essential to ensure that all children experience a wide variety of rich texts throughout their primary years (including poetry, classic books and stories linked to topics). For example, in Year 5 and 6, the children study Alice in Wonderland, Oliver Twist and The Highway Man; Year 3 and 4 read extracts from The Chronicles of Narnia, Just So Stories and Shakespeare for Children and Year 1 and 2 read Paddington, Winnie The Pooh and classic fairy tales.

The rationale for the sequencing of this curriculum has been organised with a variety of factors in mind:

• Weather – Some topics are more suited to certain weather conditions. For example, ‘Glorious Growing’, ‘Survival’ and the final EYFS topic based around ‘Summer’ occur in the Summer terms to provide hands-on learning opportunities.
• Time of the year – Some topics are in terms where anniversaries or celebrations occur. For example, ‘The Shang Dynastic of Ancient China’ is in January to include learning about Chinese New Year; ‘The Great Fire of London’ is in September to link with the anniversary of the date it happened; and the ‘World War Two’ topic in November allows for a focus on Remembrance Day.
• Local studies/cultural capital – Some topics are selected because of the cultural capital and locality of the schools. For example, ‘Where in the World are we?’, The Tudors?’ and ‘What Happens Where I Live?’ Trips are also chosen carefully to ensure the children become familiar with landmarks and places on interest in their immediate vicinity. For example, a Hartfield trip when learning about Winnie The Pooh; Hever Castle during the Tudor topic and visiting Cuckmere Haven when learning about Rivers in Year 3 and 4. All classes also make regular use of their local outdoor spaces during Forest School sessions.
• Longer topics – All children in KS1 and 2 will experience a longer, two-term history themed topic, to enable deeper learning and to embed key skills. For example, in the topic of Dinosaurs, the skill of identifying similarities and differences in time periods is a focus for two terms.
• Similar focus across all classes – Some parts of the curriculum are similar across the school to allow a whole-school approach. For example, all KS1 and 2 classes begin the year with a focus on coding in computing (as it makes up a large proportion of the National Curriculum) and, similarly, a focus on another religion in Term 3.

Numerous opportunities for enrichment ensure that children are actively involved in their learning, with hands on experiences ensuring skills and knowledge are embedded and learning for life is achieved.

Topics are evaluated at the end of a term by the class to refine and improve the content for subsequent cohorts, whilst still ensuring the core sequencing of knowledge and skills remain.

Subject leaders across the federation have created Curriculum Road Maps. These documents show how the skills and knowledge required for the subject is sequentially built upon over time, through a variety of topics during a child’s journey from Early Years through to Year 6. See the Curriculum Roadmaps tabs on the school websites for more information.

Impact and Knowledge-Gained

Each of the curriculum frameworks list the impact and knowledge-gained from each curriculum area, every term. This learning is evidenced through children’s books and the experiences documented throughout the topic journey.

Newsletters and the Curriculum Events section of the website will include statements from staff and children to demonstrate the new understanding gained from the variety of enrichment activities and experiences provided.

Click to access the Curriculum Events page for East Hoathly | Chiddingly | St Mary the Virgin | Park Mead