Curriculum Overview

Our Vision

We believe at Mayfield, that every child should have the opportunity to be empowered and recognise that their learning matters and is central to the work of the school and their time with us at Mayfield. This starts with the curriculum and getting our curriculum right for our children. Leaders ensure that our specially designed Mayfield curriculum is ambitious for all learners, well-planned and deliberately sequenced. Our curriculum promotes richness of opportunity and a wide range of experiences that our children need, whilst at the same time developing children’s general and subject specific knowledge across the curriculum, alongside the skill-sets and personal qualities our children need to succeed.

Our curriculum must prepare our children to:

• meet end of Key Stage Two expectations right across the curriculum by the time they leave us,
• prepare pupils for the next stage, so they are in a position to achieve through examinations, qualifications and training or employment opportunities, and
• have the knowledge, skills and qualities required to become the very best they can be and are meant to be in the future.

Mayfield’s curriculum is driven by:

• the starting points, experiences and interests of our children
• Speaking and Listening, Reading, Writing and Maths as separate subjects and as crucial aspects of the broader curriculum
• the powerful knowledge children need to retain right across the different curriculum areas
• the vital skills children need to be able to rehearse and apply in different contexts
• our local community, local issues and the historical and geographical context of our locality
• the natural world, the community in which we live and belong, the wider world
• ways to strengthen children’s understanding of community cohesion, global awareness, what it means to be a good citizen
• what children need to become resourceful, reflective, resilient and adaptable in an ever-changing world.
• the belief that we must never write the story for any of our children before they have lived it.
• the need to make sure that our curriculum is impacting on the life chances of our children.

The child is at the centre of what we do at Mayfield. Our curriculum is built on strong pedagogical principles, with every child encouraged to meet and achieve their potential. We make it our aim to discover what children are good at and use this to promote a positive attitude to learning. The locality and context of our school population, is reflected in the curriculum we deliver, focusing on local, national and international knowledge and issues. Pupils may not have access at home to the learning and experiences that pupils have access to at Mayfield. Therefore our provision is rich, broad and balanced, with opportunities for pupils to celebrate, share, and learn about their different experiences, cultural and spiritual beliefs. We aim to give Mayfield a wide range of experiences and opportunities that widens their understanding of the world around them. The breadth of curriculum content allows pupils to explore through a knowledge-based curriculum where there are no limits to learning and there is a clear development of skills. Our curriculum is about achievement, enjoyment and enrichment.

The curriculum at Mayfield is based on high quality teaching that leads to long-term learning using the National Curriculum content. We have identified key concepts which form the spine of our curriculum. Each individual subject holds its own importance, and the integrity of that subject is upheld through careful planning and learning opportunities. Links are made across some carefully thought-out themes which support the development of children’s long-term learning without compromising the importance of individual subjects.  The concepts are explored in a wide breadth of topics across KS1 and KS2.  By revisiting the same concepts over time and across themes children gradually build a deeper understanding of them. Our learning is organised so that all year groups have learning that is organised under a key question. Subjects are taught explicitly but where possible links are made so children make connections within a topic as well as linking understanding to prior learning and build a sense of excitement and anticipation for future learning.

English writing is taught through the use of quality whole class texts, explicit reading sessions is taught using a range of texts, including Literacy Shed +. Work with English Hubs and SLEs have helped to produce a high quality curriculum based on the skills children need at primary level.

Through using Maths No Problem, work with Maths Hub and NCTEM, Maths is taught through Mastery Maths, with an emphasis on lesson design including the concrete, pictorial, abstract approach and an understanding of precision variation in lessons, fluency and mathematical reasoning.

Science, as a core subject, is also prioritised and teaching is focused and explicit, balancing both scientific enquiry as well as scientific knowledge and understanding. The school has adapted the curriculum, using Collins Science, to help reflect and represent the diversity, locality and experiences of our pupils. Creativity and teacher expertise are woven into the curriculum with learners benefitting from their expertise and dedication. Each subject area has a subject intent, implementation and impact vision, prioritise knowledge pathways, clear long- and medium-term plans as well as whole school policy, and an annual action plan which outlines development opportunities and clearly links with the school improvement plan. In all of the foundation subjects, we have drawn upon the expertise of subject specialist and used schemes to enhance our curriculum, ensuring the children are getting the skills and knowledge they need. Examples of these include, Get Set 4 PE, Charanga in music, PSHE Association and the History Association. We have also worked closely with secondary colleagues within the Cranmer Education Trust from The Bluecoat School, to quality assure that the skills and knowledge we teach set the foundations for learning in KS3 and KS4.

The impact of the curriculum is monitored though triangulation of outcomes: pupil voice, test/data outcomes, planning, monitoring of books and displays, lesson learning walks, discussions with teaching staff, pupils and parents / carers. This monitoring is driven by leaders and subject leaders.

Pupils, parents and staff are consistently and regularly consulted about the curriculum and the impact that it makes.

The desired outcomes of the curriculum will ensure that pupils are well rounded students, ready to embark on high school education. They will be equipped with the foundations and skills to achieve success in later education. Pupils will understand what they are good at and have developed skills to face their challenges.