Chandlers Road, St Albans, Herts, AL4 9RS
Curriculum Overview
Our Curriculum Drivers
Our curriculum drivers are the foundations and principles that guide and underpin our curriculum design. They build cultural capital throughout our school through:
- The essential knowledge that children need for future success
- Enhancing the experiences and opportunities available to all children
- Nurturing and developing balanced, well-rounded individuals
- Fully considering the demographic of our unique school community
- Preparing all children for what comes next
Our curriculum will acknowledge and celebrate the diverse range of cultures and experiences within the school and ensure the needs of all children are catered for.
We acknowledge that, although a wide range of cultures and ethnic backgrounds are represented in our school, the majority of pupils are White British. We want all children to feel represented and celebrated within our curriculum so that no child feels excluded, or are placed at a disadvantage due to their background or circumstances. Through our curriculum design we strive to develop a sense of belonging for all our children, building self-esteem through the celebration of diversity and our shared community.
Our celebration of diversity is reflected in our choice and breadth of reading texts, through our curriculum units of work, class displays and enjoyment of key festivals and celebrations around the world. Our school is committed to the development of community partnerships with each of the major faiths; children will visit a variety of places of worship and welcome visitors to build a deeper understanding and respect for all cultures and backgrounds.
Foster an emotional understanding of ourselves and others.
We acknowledge that a proportion of the children in school require additional support with acquiring the personal and social skills needed to access learning and succeed in their future journey. Within our broad and balanced curriculum, we look to promote a positive moral, social and emotional culture to prepare our children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Our vision and values reflect this; it is integral to the ethos of Skyswood and can be seen in the daily activities and celebrations that take place.
Emotional well-being and self-esteem are at the heart of our curriculum. PSHE is a key area of learning, implemented through the ‘Jigsaw’ programme of study which runs from Reception right through to Year 6. All stakeholders, including the pupils, have been fully involved in reviewing our vision and values, and we refer to these regularly through assemblies, rewards and displays.
An inclusive approach to learning underpins our curriculum design; children are supported through buddy reading, play leaders, mentors and, where necessary, nurture provision as they progress through the school.
Deliver a language and vocabulary-rich curriculum.
Due to the relatively high proportion of EAL within the context of our school, we recognise that a proportion of children lack a rich vocabulary on entry. With this in mind, all subjects outlined in the Skyswood curriculum are designed to provide many opportunities to build upon and broaden children’s vocabulary. Across the curriculum, each unit of study has subject specific vocabulary that builds progressively as children move through the school. The use of talk partners is encouraged to ensure that all children have the opportunity to express their views and be listened to.
As reading is a gateway to learning, we strive to build the language comprehension of all children through exposure to a range of vocabulary-rich texts. We have a dedicated Speech & Language Specialist who works with identified children to support their needs as well as targeted interventions that take place throughout the school to support language acquisition.
Inspire awe and wonder through our progressive curriculum.
We have designed a broad and balanced curriculum, full of enrichment opportunities, in order to inspire a curiosity, creativity and thirst for learning. It is logically organised and sequenced, and taught using effective pedagogy, so that pupils gain a strong sense of progress and grow in confidence. Teachers ensure all styles of learning are catered for to enable all children to access the curriculum effectively.
Our curriculum is enriched through innovative experiences to further inspire the children. These include activities such as an archaeological dig to support our unit on the Ancient Egyptians, board games to bring grammar and history to life, opportunities to explore ceramics and our French pen-pal scheme. We have established strong links with other schools in the AAT (Alban Academy Trust) to provide children with opportunities to further their learning through the use of their facilities, resources and access to specialist staff.
We maximise the use of our outdoor learning environment through pond studies, forest schools’ activities, and the development of orienteering. Purposeful visits and visitors across the breadth of the curriculum bring learning to life and create a deeper understanding and appreciation of different topics.
Skyswood provides a wealth of extra-curricular activities ranging from sporting activities to art, drama, dance, music and technology. We ensure that all children have the chance to represent the school through a variety of inter-school events and competitions.
For many hours a day your child’s classroom becomes their world as they explore, discover and create. Please search through our class posts to see what the children have been focusing on. We hope that this will give you greater insight into their classroom life, and the quality and enjoyment of their learning!
Subject leaders, in consultation with staff, continuously review standards, progress and achievement within their subject areas and are committed to providing a broad, balanced and inspiring curriculum based on the statutory framework. We have summarised the areas of learning within each subject area. If you would like to find out more about the curriculum that we follow, then please contact the school on 01727 854164 and request to speak to the headteacher, or to one of our subject leaders if your query is linked to a specific subject.
One of the key messages within our curriculum is for schools to actively promote British values within the learning that we set and teach. Please take a look at our presentation on how we define British values and how we will ensure that they are actively promoted throughout Skyswood.
