The West Hill Curriculum has been designed for our children to learn the knowledge, understanding and skills set out in the National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage in a way that incorporates our interests and school aims and values.  Each learning theme has been carefully thought out in order to give children opportunities to enquire about different aspects of our world.  This is carried out through cross curricular links and links to our own lives and the lives of others so that, in context, we can develop a deeper understanding.

We recognise that we are all on a journey of learning and our curriculum mirrors this, using learning from previous terms and the current term so that we can embed short and long term learning. Our EYFS learning journey can be found in our West Hill Primary Academy EYFS Overview.  In Key Stage One and Two, we do this through our termly themes, which begin with Engage and end with Innovate and Express.  Engage provides children with a starting point to learn new vocabulary and knowledge in an exciting way.  Innovate and Express allows us to take on roles to equip us for future life using what we have learnt. 

We also plan in opportunities for visitors and visits to fully enhance our learning by giving opportunities for specific experiences, new knowledge and new skills, while being engaging so that we can really enjoy finding out about new things and about ourselves.

We incorporate SMSC, British Values, our school values and The Golden Thread Alliance values into our curriculum.  While embedded within all learning experiences, children learn to be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.  It is important to us that every child is successful in this and so our curriculum takes into account all children at West Hill Primary Academy.

Planning and Delivery

When planning each term, a journey is mapped out to ensure full coverage of the curriculum and skills. Children will be provided with a new range of vocabulary to enable them to access areas of the curriculum and this will be shared with parents, alongside knowledge that may help children to get off to a flying start.

Teachers will plan for facilitating learning to ensure that children have all the correct knowledge, skills, tools and resources. Children will then take over, with adult support to aid progress.

Children are given opportunities to deepen their learning by using West Hill Primary Academy’s ‘Dive into Learning.’  The document allows teacher’s to plan for opportunities to challenge and extend while also being used as a point of reference for children and adults when the unexpected happens within our learning. 

Individual needs

Our curriculum takes into account a wide range of learning strategies to ensure that all children have an opportunity to engage and be successful in their learning.

Planning activities may include:

• Group learning
• Debating
• Interviewing
• Self-initiated tasks
• Data analysis
• Practical
• Manipulatives
• Written
• Discussions
• Presentation
• Mind mapping
• Pictures and photos
• Reasoning
• Clear explanations
• Problem solving
• Videos
• Music

Assessment

Assessment is carried out continuously, as our approach to learning involves adults facilitating what children are working towards. Through observations, peer assessment, marking and feedback and self-assessment, children are aware of what they have done well and how they can improve further.  Teachers know how they can challenge and support children within a lesson and use this to aid their judgements during our bi-annual subject summative assessment. Summative, like our formative assessment is analysed and plans are put into place to fill gaps and make improvements in our curriculum.

Leadership

The role of the subject leader is to ensure that all children at West Hill Primary Academy are receiving their entitlement of the curriculum.  During leadership time, subject leaders will monitor their subject’s place within the curriculum by looking at

• coverage and progression of skills across the children’s time at the school
• opportunities for diving into learning
• teachers and support staff facilitating children’s learning so that they learn the knowledge, skills and understanding
• resourcing
• needs of children
• Values and SMSC included within the subject so that children are learning how to be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors within a context
• Data and assessment to find new ways to improve
• Opportunities for CPD
• Cross curricular links and working with other subject leaders
• Links with the world around us (immediate, local, national and global)

The work of subject leaders is monitored closely by the Senior Leadership Team and governors to ensure a joint vision and equitable delivery within our school.