Curriculum Intent

• What are the curriculum goals?
• Pegasus: school logo symbolising ‘Creativity and Learning’ underpins our curriculum.
• School mission statement: At Glebe Primary School we believe in an ethos that values the whole child. We strive to enable all children to achieve their full potential academically, socially and emotionally. This holistic approach is also threaded through our curriculum.
• We aim to provide an engaging, knowledge-rich, adaptable curriculum taught by well-informed teachers who are confident and encouraged to take risks and find innovative ways to deliver our syllabus.
• For each child to reach their potential whilst having a broad, engaging curriculum and a wealth of experiences
• For children to be able to apply knowledge, information and skills in different contexts.
• To provide pupils with the tools to learn independently.
• To provide opportunities for the children to experience/access a whole range of cultural, social, academic and sporting experiences beyond their everyday lives, including visitors, trips, participating in and spectating sporting events, music events and exploration of the arts.
• Focus on cross-curricular links to enhance learning and outcomes for all.
• Being conscious of the needs of each cohort and being flexible enough to adapt the curriculum to meet those needs.
• To provide opportunities for the children to showcase their talents and their learning across the school, on a class-level, year group level and beyond.
• Inclusion of topic days/weeks for foundation subjects to promote the love of learning and creativity.
• To provide a curriculum that is inclusive, yet ambitious and accessible to all.

• How is your curriculum influenced by your context?

Our Context:

• Glebe, although in an affluent area of an outer London borough, has a very diverse intake of pupils from a range of socio-economic backgrounds with parents who have a broad spectrum of educational levels and school experiences. Almost half of our pupils do not live in Ickenham and come from further afield.
• We have a large number of children from military families (10% of school cohort).
• We have a specialist resourced provision for Hearing Impaired pupils with 13 pupils (2% of our school cohort)
• We are noticing higher proportions of children displaying mental health issues

How our curriculum is influenced by our context:

• Knowing our context is vital – all staff are expected to get to know our families and adapt their planning accordingly.
• Ensuring all teachers differentiate effectively – extending and challenging the more-able and adapting tasks to meet the needs of all pupils
• Close proximity to the tube and Central London means lots of opportunities for school trips
• R.E. curriculum follows Hillingdon’s agreed syllabus and includes learning about all 6 major world religions
• Parental engagement – requesting parents to undertake visits to the school to discuss their religion or their job, e.g. parent who is a dentist to speak to Year 4 as part of their science topic on Teeth.
• Promotion of STEM opportunities in liaison with RAF Northolt and HS2.
• Having a flexible approach to the PSHE curriculum means that we can create bespoke lessons or units of work around the needs of specific cohorts to swiftly address year group issues, e.g. friendship issues, bullying, etc.
• Support offered to parents in understanding end of year expectations, as well as tips and tricks to help their children’s learning through workshops and information uploaded to the website.
• Focus on developing language and vocabulary to support all our pupils but particularly those with SEND and specifically those HI pupils who attend our SRP– technical and subject-specific vocabulary is sent home and is available on the school’s website for parents to access.
• How have governors/trustees been involved in curriculum design?
• The school’s Governing Body has a sub-committee who focus on the Curriculum (as well as school polices). They have looked at the changes to our curriculum and subject leaders deliver presentations to them about their specific subject. They submit questions to the subject leader and the SLT on developments which are answered either at the meeting and minuted or written responses are given.

• This sub-committee feedback at full Governing Body meetings about the changes to the curriculum.

• The termly Head Teacher’s reports to Governors provide information regarding the standards within the different subjects and about the changes.

• Governors were invited to the staff training days when the curriculum was being re-designed so they could observe our process and participate if they felt confident to.

• Is the school’s curriculum ambitious and designed to give all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and including pupils with SEND, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life?
• We use the National Curriculum outcomes as the basis of our curriculum to ensure we have an ambitious starting point.
• We use ambitious English texts to develop vocabulary
• Specialist teachers to adapt class texts to ensure they are accessible to our pupils with SEND or HI, e.g. staff ‘re-writing’ the Iron Man or Street Child so that the content remains the same some the language is adapted to be accessible for the SEND pupils so they are experiencing the same provision as their peers – reasonable adjustment.
• We give pupils the opportunity to apply their fluency skills in maths in each lesson through reasoning and problem solving to demonstrate progress in all lessons.
• Knowledge organisers help teachers to plan what they want the pupils to know by the end of each topic which feeds into their topic record.
• Extra-curricular clubs accessible to all – pupils in receipt of PPG have a subsidised place if desired and support available for SEND pupils to ensure they can access effectively.
• Outdoor learning is promoted and we have an outdoor classroom as well as a science garden, a reading garden and a sensory garden.
• Reading Buddies – older pupils in receipt of PPG act as reading buddies to younger pupils who are FSM6.
• A varied and multi-skilled approach to teaching concepts so that all learners are catered for.
• Growth mindset is referred to and pupils are given the opportunity to explain their thoughts and feelings about the topic or how their learning is going
• Developing the language of learning – metacognition; encouraging children to explain how they learn and what they need to do next.
• Topic records are skills and knowledge based – not task led.
• Awareness and effective implementation of differentiation which is precise and ensures learners are challenged at an appropriate level for them.
• Pupils are encouraged to give views and suggest ideas for future topics/lesson focuses
• Pupils are encouraged to give opinions and justify those opinions in a range of subjects.
• Does the curriculum provide breadth and balance?
• Our curriculum does provide breadth and balance.
• We have a zero tolerance for foundation subjects to be ‘dropped’ in favour of ‘more’ English or maths. Quality pieces of writing are produced in subjects other than English as children can write effectively and to a high standard when they have a strong subject knowledge and a clear purpose.
• In KS2 we have a fortnightly timetable so the 2-hour afternoon sessions are focussed on one subject for the whole afternoon. This ensures that quality time is given to produce an end product that is of a high standard.
• Drama – pupils have lots of opportunities to present and perform their work to an audience.
• Topic/creative days/weeks
• We questioned teachers on what they were least confident in teaching and as a result have employed and deployed specialist teachers in PE, music and French who support colleagues with planning and resources, team teaching opportunities as well as observation and feedback of less confident colleagues to help improve their practice.
• A wide range of sports available as part of the curriculum and beyond.
•  Is the school’s curriculum coherently planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment?
• We use topic records as a tool to help us to ensure the half termly topics are well planned and sequenced for relevance.
• Knowledge organisers support teachers in planning what they want the children to know by the end of a particular topic.
• Our aim is for children to develop a love for a specific subject and want to go on and learn more both in their own time but once they start secondary school.
• Careful and effective use of repetition where necessary to enhance skills.
• Revisiting topic to deepen their prior learning.
• Use of curriculum overviews and skills progression documents help teachers to ensure that there is no ‘overlap’ in skills and knowledge but also to set higher expectations year on year.
• Onus on subject leaders to ensure the staff have everything they need to teach their subject effectively and successfully.
• Has the curriculum been adapted to meet the needs of all pupils?
• Inclusion is at the heart of our practice.
• Pupil voice is threaded through our planning.
• Scaffolding techniques are used to support access for all
• Sharp, precise differentiation to extend and challenge
• In-depth monitoring of teaching and learning, including Pupil Progress Meetings – Venn diagrams to target those in need of timely intervention for the ‘hidden’ percentage of pupils not meeting the expected standard.  
• Pre-teaching of vocabulary and concepts, particularly with SEND and EAL pupils
• Use of formative and summative assessment to ensure work to well matched to prior learning but also extends learning
• Setting where relevant, e.g. maths and phonics
• Flexibility of groupings/sets for fluid movement to ensure pupils are in the best place for them
• Providing a range of activities which include practical elements and lots of visual support
• Clear learning outcomes that are shared with the pupils
• Working walls support pupils’ acquisition of key vocabulary
• Subjects such as art or DT can be flexibly taught over a whole day or week to produce a quality end product, rather than a series of 6 one-hour long sessions over a half term. The idea is to allow the children to immerse themselves in the subject and this lets them develop perseverance but also focus and concentration.

• Do teachers have a firm and common understanding of the school’s curriculum intent and what it means for their practice?
• Teachers report that they feel very well-supported by subject leaders and SLT
• As the curriculum has been planned in staff groups (including Learning Support staff), all staff have ownership over the content and therefore their delivery is strong.
• All staff training and staff meetings have a pedagogical focus to develop teachers’ practice
• Questioning during the in-depth phase monitoring meetings, helps teachers to consider and articulate their intent for the curriculum and consolidate their understanding of it.
• Staff work in year groups to develop planning so all have input into the content and share expertise.
• Subject Leaders are supported by SLT to be able to lead their subject and assist colleagues in delivering high quality content.
• Subject Leaders are given termly release time to monitor standards of teaching and learning within their subject and report back to SLT.
• How good is your curriculum in preparing students for the next stage?
• We are in receipt of the Basic Skills Quality Mark which indicates that we prepare the children well in the basics.
• Close liaison with local secondary settings for a range of subjects, ensures that we constantly adapt and modify our curriculum so pupils are ready to start the next phase of their education.
• Anecdotal feedback from these schools shows that Glebe pupils are well-prepared not only for the academic aspect of secondary school, but also the emotional and social aspects.
• In school, close links between year groups ensures children are prepared for in-school transitions.
• Clear progression across year groups ensures children use their prior learning to help them extend their knowledge further.
• 6Bs are found in all classrooms to help the independence and resilience.
• Use of carefully tailored success criteria helps the children to become more self-aware of their strengths and how they need to develop further.
• Giving the children ‘real life’ opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills – problem solving/trouble-shooting
• Opportunities for children to perform to each other and a wider audience on a regular basis to develop confidence/public speaking.
• Specialist teachers to support colleagues in developing their skills and confidence, e.g. French speakers team teaching French lessons, specialist PE teachers and music teachers take whole class sessions.
• How are you addressing any identified deficits you know your students have on entry through the curriculum?
• A variety of on-entry baseline assessments to assess need and barriers, including Language Link, CEM Reception assessments, InCAS, PIRA and PUMA.

• In Reception – a range of interventions to help to redress the balance between the range of pre-school experiences that the children arrive with, including social, academic and practical.

• Sharp, precise differentiation.

• Reading Buddies for PP pupils.

• A range of tailored interventions throughout the school which are time bound, short burst interventions to address needs as they arise. Focus on the bespoke needs of the cohort rather than ‘traditional’ interventions, i.e. Read, Write, Inc., etc.

• Use of concept books/self-assessment – teacher and LSAs use concept books to identify pupils through observation, support and/or marking who have perhaps not achieved a concept. The LSA then targets those children for further input prior to the next lesson. Pupils use a self-assessment tool called HIT which indicates how they found a piece of work – H = they think they’ll need further input on this concept, I = they feel confident to attempt the next piece of work in this concept independently and T = they feel confident enough to ‘teach’ it or support a classmate with the concept.

• Support staff circulate and are not bound to one group to assist the teacher in identifying pupils who need to be challenged further or need further input – quick to spot issues.

• Regular pupil progress meetings where interventions are discussed to raise attainment and boost progress – fluidity in interventions and setting so no one falls through the net.

• Red Box Pupil Progress Meetings – specifically for pupils working outside the Venn to look at progress over time from their starting point.

• Sharing good practice – what has worked well/accelerated progress?

• How are you using research evidence to improve your curriculum?

• SLT and subject leaders regularly seek opinions via:

• pupil voice 
• staff questionnaires
• parent questionnaires, meetings and suggestion box

• SLT, subject leaders and teachers keep up to date with changes to education, i.e. RSE curriculum, new Ofsted framework, etc.
• All INSET has a pedagogical focus to enhance teachers’ knowledge and practice
• Use of social media to keep updated with best practice, e.g. Twitter
• Effective, targeted use of data to inform and enhance our practice.
• Subject Leaders supported by SLT to become experts in their subject so they can, in turn, support their colleagues.
• Subject Leaders to take ownership of their CPD and all are clear that there is an expectation on all leaders to research to improve their practice.
• Lesson-based research – ‘opting out’ – pupils who have prior knowledge of a concept or feel confident that they have grasped it quickly, can set off on their task early.
• Use of HIT and STICK as a self-assessment tool -  H I T = in the next lesson I think I will need Help, I think I’ll be able to access it Independently or I am so confident, I think I could Teach it to someone else. STICK involves a pupil drawing a stick figure next to the success criteria if they completed the task independently, 2 stick figures if they worked with a partner and a stick with a capital A beside to indicate they had adult support. This helps the teacher in planning the next lesson and allocate support or apply differentiation if needed.