The Duchy School
Our Curriculum
Curriculum Overview
At The Duchy School, we are proud to have an ambitious, knowledge-based curriculum which stimulates our children to be independently minded, resilient and respectful citizens who aspire to use their health and creativity to make meaningful contributions to their community and wider society.
Our curriculum is engaging, built on first-hand experiences and celebrates all curriculum areas, helping to ensure that our children develop the knowledge and skills they need to excel, and become creative and curious citizens who can reflect positively on their primary school years building a toolkit for life; they become powerful, life-long learners.
Our curriculum has been designed to encompass knowledge and understanding of the world in which we live and the events that have shaped it in the past to make it what it is today. Themes have been carefully chosen to link to our locality to allow children to learn about where they live. Each subject has been carefully sequenced with clear progression and links so that in subsequent year groups, children will be able to explore concepts deeper, make connections and apply their knowledge in different contexts. Children will develop high expectations of themselves in terms of their learning and behaviour; they will be encouraged to be independent learners who can also work co-operatively with others. They will develop support skills and nurturing skills towards their peers and younger pupils as well as organisational skills to support their learning.
Our curriculum is enriched through adding new content and learning opportunities which reflect our values. These often take the form of trips, themed days, events or experiences and opportunities which can provide children with new ways to absorb knowledge and gain skills. Opportunities that take place in curriculum time complement learning that takes place in school and is accessible to all learners. On occasions, pupils spend time ‘off-timetable’ to focus on a particular skill or subject area. Extra-curricular clubs offer both enrichment and new experiences.
Ventrus Curriculum Intent
The curriculum across Ventrus schools is designed to provide a broad and balanced education that meets the needs of all children. It defines what children will learn at each stage of their education, preparing learners for future success either in the next step in their education or for life in modern Britain. The curriculum design is purposeful, engaging and with clear intentions. The ambitious intent of the curriculum ensures that all children have an entitlement to a high-quality inclusive education, which is underpinned by the teaching of essential skills, knowledge, concepts and values, which are embedded and developed over time.
Every child is recognised as a unique individual and is provided with opportunities and experiences to enable them to have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become aspirational life-long learners. They are provided with challenges which build resilience, confidence and independence.
The curriculum supports the children’s physical, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, ensuring that they are well prepared to play a positive role in modern Britain and the wider world.
As a Trust, our curriculum must respond dynamically to reflect the challenges of the day and the predicted challenges which our children will face in the future. The Trust and the schools within it, will constantly evaluate the design of the curriculum to ensure that it supports the roles that children and young people play in society now and in the future.
CURRICULUM BY SUBJECT
CURRICULUM BY YEAR GROUP
ASSESSMENT
We use a range of diagnostic and summative assessments to determine how well pupils are learning the curriculum, to identify gaps and to inform our future teaching. Summative judgements are captured at the middle and end of the academic year and are shared with parents.
Phonics
At the end of each half term, the reading leader assesses each pupil on our phonics programme (Read Write Inc). This checks the pupils’ current knowledge of the sounds, their ability to blend and their reading fluency. These assessments are used to inform our groupings for the following half term.
Reading, Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar
Pupils in Years 2 to 5 complete tests twice a year to inform our summative judgements. These are used to inform teaching and interventions.
Writing
Teachers assess each pupil’s independent writing against the National Curriculum to assess whether they are on track to meet the expected standard. This is supported by the use of comparative judgement, an innovative approach to assessment which allows us to check our judgements and to give us standardised assessment information. You can find out more here.
Mathematics
Pupils complete White Rose maths assessments at the end of a unit and at the end of each term. These assess their arithmetic, reasoning and problem solving.
Reporting to Parents
We hold parents meetings in the autumn and spring terms. At the end of the year, we send home a report detailing your child’s progress across the year. This includes the results of any statutory assessments.
If you would like to find out more about our curriculum, please contact your child’s Unit Leaders: Foundation: Miss Farrell / KS1: Miss Sampson or KS2: Mrs Dunning via duchy@ventrus.org.uk