Gotham Primary School, Kegworth Road, Gotham, Nottingham NG11 0JS

Curriculum

Making Memories at GPS

Intent

The breadth of our curriculum has been designed to ensure that every child can live life in all its fullness. By offering inclusive, awe-inspiring and challenging experiences with British Values at their heart, children will leave Gotham Primary with a thirst for future learning.

Evaluation and monitoring work done by staff and governors within school has led to the development of our School Improvement plan. It is focused on building children’s resilience, independence and the ability to challenge themselves. As well as the importance of reading.

Be the best we can be together!

Inclusivity is embraced fully by all members of our school community. All our lives are made richer by sharing and learning from each and every member of our school family. We all have special gifts to be nurtured and celebrated.

Community involvement is an integral part of our curriculum. Learning in school is enriched by using the local environment and by utilising the skills of parents, families and the community. By inviting families into school to be part of their child’s learning, we aim to give parents skills to support at home. Through strong links and partnerships, we want every child to experience success.

Appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out by the National and EYFS Curriculum are at the heart of our teaching. We bring learning alive by providing memorable experiences that are tailored to our children. Gotham’s curriculum is aimed at the whole child; as well as academic success, we aim to support children’s health and well-being and develop their cultural capital. Every child who completes their whole primary education at Gotham Primary will:

    • Understand a range of beliefs beyond their own, celebrate diversity and challenge inequality. To support this children will
      • Visit places of worship from a range of religions and learn from people of faith
      • Learn about ceremonies, events and festivals that are special to others
      • Celebrate the different talents and needs within school
      • Organise and take part in charitable events
      • Be proactive for something they care about
    • Develop aspirations, resilience, pride in themselves and their school, as well as a purpose for their learning by
      • Hearing careers talks from parents
      • Using entrepreneurial skills to plan and run an enterprise
      • Leading and inspiring e.g. head boy, head girl, house captains, sports leaders, buddies
      • Being part of the school council and making democratic decisions
      • Being a school representative
      • Gaining externally accredited awards e.g. science, swimming, 
      • Competing against other schools in sports competitions
    • Appreciate the arts through exposure and participation. Children will
      • Perform in shows
      • Experience live performances
      • Learn a musical instrument
      • Showcase their artwork in a gallery exhibition
    • Be ready for the next stage of their school life. They will
      • Participate in DARE in readiness for secondary school
      • Learn about how to keep their bodies healthy including learning cooking skills
      • Learn first aid
      • Participate in Bikeability
      • Go on a residential
    • Want to attend school regularly and be punctual because of a thirst for learning. This will be achieved through memorable experiences including
      • Outdoor learning e.g. ‘Walkabout Wednesday’, Forest School
      • Events to promote reading and books
      • Attending a variety of after-school clubs and festivals
      • Going on a school trip each year
      • Sleeping under the stars
      • Being involved with the allotment and understanding seasonality

Curriculum Planning

For each subject, there is a progression in knowledge that outlines the knowledge to be embedded in each year group. These progressions set the expectations for all.

As a school, we are developing a mastery approach to our teaching. A mastery curriculum is based on the central belief that virtually all learners can learn all important academic content. The characteristics that we need to see in learners are

    • Complete independence in using a concept, skills or knowledge
    • Fluency in the application of a concept, skills or knowledge
    • Ability to apply learning across subject boundaries
    • Consistency in application over a period of time
    • Ability to apply without reminders or pre-teaching
    • Ability to explain connections with other learning
    • Evidence of resilience in applying their learning
    • Ability to teach to another

Mastery means pupils acquiring deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject.

Underpinning every subject for every year group, are the lifelong learning skills we develop throughout school. These include being attentive, brave, curious, determined, eager, organised, proud, productive, prompt and reflective learners.

The curriculum is taught is to allow children to become immersed in the subject that they are studying. In order to strengthen learning, we make cross-curricular links and revisit prior learning.

Implementation – see website for these

National Curriculum Coverage per year group

Progression of knowledge in all subjects

We try to engage learners by delivering lessons in a variety of different ways. Enrichment weeks, trips and visitors all play a part in this.

Impact

Our children will be confident, balanced, well rounded and caring individuals with a love of learning, make good progress and gain the skills and values which will equip them for their next stage of education, their future careers and life.