The Grange School

How Our Curriculum Is Organised

Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The national curriculum forms one part of the school curriculum.

Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the statutory national curriculum which sets out in programmes of study, on the basis of key stages, subject content for those subjects that should be taught to all pupils. All schools must publish their school curriculum by subject and academic year online.

All state schools are also required to make provision for a daily act of collective worship and must teach religious education to pupils at every key stage and sex and relationship education to pupils in secondary education.

All schools should make provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), drawing on good practice. Schools are also free to include other subjects or topics of their choice in planning and designing their own programme of education.

(Department for Education National Curriculum Documentation)

There are two different ways of understanding the curriculum in our school.

The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.

Pupils of compulsory school age in maintained schools must follow the national curriculum. It is organised on the basis of four key stages and twelve subjects, classified in legal terms as ‘core’ and ‘other foundation’ subjects.

The Secretary of State for Education is required to publish programmes of study for each national curriculum subject, setting out the ‘matters, skills and processes’ to be taught at each key stage.

Schools are free to choose how they organise their school day, as long as the content of the national curriculum programmes of study is taught to all pupils.

We know that our curriculum needs to equip our children with the skills to overcome any disadvantage they face in life; both in childhood and beyond.

By equipping children with these skills, we can help them all to meet our curriculum aim.

Our curriculum aim is for all children to be inspired to change the worlds for the better. We want them to be aspirational and to strive to make their world - and that of others - a better place.

Within our curriculum, there are four golden threads, which permeate the work we complete in order to cover the statutory National Curriculum content. These are: Oracy, Wellbeing, Diversity, Enquiry & Exploration.

These golden threads determine what and how we teach within the National Curriculum framework.

Each golden thread features prominently within each subject area, as well as influencing the way in which children learn; for example through exploration and investigation.

There is also an emphasis on developing high levels of oracy in all children.

Staverton Rd, Daventry, Northants, NN11 4HW 01327 705785 head@thegrange.northants-ecl.gov.uk