Our School Curriculum

Intent

The intention of the school curriculum at Netherbrook is based on five underlying core principles. It is stimulating and designed to ensure a thorough depth of understanding is gained in every lesson and across every sequence of learning.

Our curriculum will enable our pupils to:

• Gain in depth knowledge of themselves and their world through their topics. This knowledge is underpinned by the use of subject specific key skills.

• Develop their vocabulary and Oracy skills to become confident and articulate speakers.

• Celebrate equality and diversity – to be ‘young activists’ for what they believe to be right, especially in regards to race, gender, cultural stereotypes and other social aspects.

• Develop a strong knowledge regarding their rights and responsibilities.

• To understand their place in the world and how they are shaped by it. To have an awareness and readiness to tackle the challenges and opportunities that 21st century Britain provides and make meaningful links between events and issues in society and their own lives.

We also have two core high yield threads which permeate our curriculum: Local Links (bringing everything back to our local area) and Human Impact on the World (how our civilisation affects the world around us – for better or worse, with specific focus on environmental issues).

Inspiration

• The inspiration for our curriculum design is our deep seated desire to improve our pupils’ knowledge across all areas of the curriculum and to better meet their needs in the modern world. 

• The pupils here at Netherbrook need to understand their place in the world, they need to understand and appreciate the outstandingly rich cultural heritage of the area in which they are from, they need to improve their Oracy skills and their confidence in expressing themselves. 

• Our children need to be able to make meaningful links between topics and how history and current affairs affect the world in which they live. 

• We want our pupils to celebrate the rich diversity of their local area and be tolerant, respectful and socially aware and active citizens.

Other Key Information

• Meaningful links should always be made and built upon each year to show how society has changed as a result of key people and events in history.

• We will focus on; equality, women’s rights and changes to the rights of working people.

• Diversity is to be explored and championed – the curriculum will challenge the pupils’ thoughts and opinions and ensure that they understand our core British Values and are inspired to protect them.

• To gain a thorough understanding of The Black Country – their home.

• We will enrich the curriculum with high quality experiences, trips and events.

What we are aiming to achieve

• Our curriculum outcomes are evidenced in; the written work pupils produce, their year group and key-stage national assessments, through their spoken and creative work; their engagement in the school and wider community and through discussing their learning with others. We also use staff, pupil and parent voice to evaluate this. 

• Each unit of learning will be carefully assessed to gain a complete picture of the knowledge gained.

• Subject leaders will take ownership of their subjects and assist staff to improve outcomes rapidly and progressively over time.

• Pupils will be able to see the total knowledge they are expected to gain and will work hard and be supported to achieve these aims.

• Pupils will have had high quality, targeted and specific teaching of carefully chosen topics. This will increase their ability to discuss what they have learned and to become confident and articulate speakers.

Our ‘Cogs of Learning'