Our Curriculum

Our curriculum, underpinned by current research and the National Curriculum, ensures our children will be well-rounded individuals who are prepared for the next stage of their journey. It will promote the demonstration of compassion, mutual understanding, integrity and a pursuit of excellence in order for our children to reach their potential and make a positive contribution to the wider world. Our enquiry-based approach takes children on a journey of memorable learning through rich and purposeful experiences, culminating in authentic outcomes which leave a legacy.

Fluency in the core subjects, with reading at the heart, enables access to the full curriculum and is therefore integral to our approach. The curriculum is carefully designed through enquiry drivers (for example: History and Geography), enhancers and discrete subjects, ensuring coverage, progression and retention of knowledge and skills.  Our knowledge-rich curriculum is underpinned by key concepts. Children explore concepts throughout the curriculum, revisiting them in a wide range of contexts and through the lens of different subjects.  This promotes a deep understanding of the concepts and enables the transfer of knowledge to the long-term memory.  It aims to provide inclusive and aspirational environments where learners thrive and build the cultural-capital they need to make aspirational choices about their own future, overcoming any barriers. In order to achieve this our curriculum is underpinned by our STRIVE principles:

Our Curriculum Principles

o   Successful, aspirant learners: Our children will hold high aspirations for themselves and strive to continually develop their own potential. We want children to recognise that people have changed the world through learning – and they can too. We want our children to be successful learners, who are prepared for the next stage of their journey and be equipped to make choices about their future aspirations.

o   Thirst for knowledge: Our curriculum is carefully planned so that children develop a rich body of knowledge over time. The enquiry approach encourages children to be inquisitive, active learners who are motivated to learn and develop a deep understanding.

o   Resilience: Our children will engage with opportunities to be aspirational through taking risks, asking questions, solving problems and evaluating their own learning and that of their peers. Children learn to persevere when they find tasks difficult and they understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process.  

o   Inclusive and diverse: The content choices of our curriculum represent the diverse world in which the children live. The deliberate selection of key figures provide opportunities to challenge stereotypes and promote positive role-models. As a result, ALL children develop an understanding of tolerance, acceptance and empathy.

o   Vocabulary rich: Our children will develop a rich vocabulary and a love of reading. Our curriculum is planned so that children experience high-quality, language-rich texts in all subjects. Aspirational vocabulary is used and modelled by all teachers with the expectation that it will be seen and heard in children’s work by children use it to enhance their work.

o   Empowered to make a difference in the world: Through our curriculum and wider opportunities children will develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a positive contribution to their environment, community and beyond.

Our Curriculum Model:

Our curriculum is based with reading at the heart of everything we do. The ability to read well within a learning environment and for pleasure provides the foundation for children to flourish and achieve their potential. At the start of their Ernehale Journey we teach children to read through the use of phonics. We follow government guidelines and use ‘No Nonsense Phonics’, a DfE validated phonics scheme, to ensure our children become fluent readers. In addition, we use the ‘Big Cat’ decodable books in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. As the children progress we ensure high quality texts are used as a basis for the curriculum and are accessible for the children to read independently.

In maths we are committed to teaching our children key number skills alongside a mastery approach. In Early Years and KS1 we use the ‘National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics’ Mastering Number programme to secure firm foundations in good number sense. From Year 2 to Year 6 children practice key arithmetic skills through daily retrieval practice. The teaching of multiplication tables is of key importance accumulating in a government check in Year 4. We use ‘White Rose Maths’ materials to ensure a clear progression pathway.

The remainder of the curriculum adheres to the national curriculum document. The schools follow key knowledge progression documents that are used across the Trust to ensure coverage and a development of knowledge from foundation to Year 6.

See our class pages for more information about each year groups’ curriculum.