Curriculum

Rationale and Intent:

It is our vision that at Norwood Primary School we will inspire every child to reach their full potential academically, emotionally and physically. Working together to create confident and responsible citizens ready to embrace future challenges.

At Norwood we value determination, responsibility, respect, caring and cooperation. The curriculum has the National Curriculum (2014) aims and programmes of study at its heart, with each of the subjects structured into discrete units. Identified endpoints ensure that our pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Our core values are embedded across the curriculum for the whole school.  They provide a common language and shared understanding of our ambition to develop aspirations, respect and enjoyment in learning.  To secure this, we provide additional teaching and learning opportunities within and beyond the classroom ensuring links with our local community, throughout extensive outdoor learning. These opportunities help to broaden the children’s horizons, whether that be walking in the Lake District or watching an orchestra play at the Philharmonic Hall.  We also have Forest School sessions, that foster a love of the outdoors and nature.

Norwood pupils participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities including sports and competitions. Allowing the children to experiment in sports that they may never otherwise have a chance to. Expectations for all our pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have SEND needs, are high. We adapt the curriculum to ensure success for all pupils and where necessary, provide a more specialist curriculum or environment.

 

We aim to achieve this through the seven principles for curriculum design:

Balanced – The National Curriculum (2014) acts as the basis of our learning. Alongside the promotion of intellectual, moral, spiritual, aesthetic, creative, emotional and physical development are as equally important.

Rigorous – Subjects are taught in isolation. They cover ‘topic’ areas but the teaching and learning is embedded in that subject. This enables children to understand what subjects are and the skills required to excel in them.

Coherent – Throughout our curriculum links are made between different subjects and experiences. Whether that be through mountain heights in Geography or links between religions around the world through History.

Vertically Integrated – Our curriculum has clear progressive skills. These focus on progression and set out steps of where the children are heading to, in that subject.

Appropriate – Our curriculum tries to ensure that there are no unreasonable demands by matching level of challenge to a pupil’s current level of maturity/knowledge.

Focused – Our curriculum asks a Big Question at the start of each topic to be taught. This is repeated in each lesson, allowing the children’s learning to remain focused towards answering the Big Question in full by the end of the topic.

Relevant – We seek to connect the valued outcomes of a curriculum to the pupils being taught it. We also provide opportunities for pupils to make informed choices.

 

Curriculum Areas and Subjects:

The areas are organised under the following subject headings:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • History
  • Art and Design
  • Computing
  • Religious Education
  • Geography
  • PSHE (Relationships and Health Education)
  • Design Technology
  • Physical Education
  • Music
  • MFL
  • SMSC
  • British Values

What our pupils day about our curriculum?

Each term, we like to ask a selection of children from the Year Group a question that helps us unpick our curriculum further. We call this our Pupil voice. Please have a look at what our children say. We pick a different question each time.

Autumn Term - Reading

Spring Term - Barriers to learning

Files to Download

Other pages

Our Values and EthosASPIRE, RESPECT and ENJOY

Contact us at Norwood Primary School

Head Teacher: Lee Dumbell
Norwood Crescent
Southport
Merseyside
PR9 7DU
SEND Contact: Rachael Brookfield - SENDCo
Chair of Governors: Mrs Lesley Lee