Our curriculum was developed by our staff team and is driven by the leaders of the school. Our long-term and medium term plans have been meticulously planned so staff can deliver teaching sequences which connect effectively to prior learning, introduce and develop new concepts and vocabulary and allow pupils to use and apply these to ensure they are learnt well. All pupils always work to the same learning objective every lesson. Teachers plan for the fact that some pupils will need more scaffolding; others will require a greater challenge. We aim to meet the academic needs of all learners every lesson through the use of differentiated questioning and resources as well as through additional support from peers or additional adults. Practitioners take great care to ensure that both the inside and outdoor environments are engaging and stimulate learning.

In the EYFS, pupils learn through a balance of adult-directed and child-initiated learning experiences which focus on the development of core skills alongside celebrating the unique child. 

At Rowsley C of E Primary School we recognise that in order for our pupils to fulfill their potential academically we need to first nurture their social, emotional and moral development. We promote the following learning behaviours in order to ensure our pupils are ready to learn:

6 Key Learning Behaviours:

• Inquisitive – children to be curious about the world they know and beyond and to be agents of change.
• Respectful - children to develop compassion for others and celebrate diversity.
• Courageous – children to have the courage to aim high and be ambitious.
• Resilient – children to persevere to overcome challenges.
• Teamwork - children to be able to work together, discuss and communicate effectively to contribute positively to society.
• Adaptable – children to be able to accept change and develop a growth mindset.

Our Curriculum Implementation

• Progression of knowledge, skills and understanding is carefully planned, reviewed and adapted yearly to ensure that children’s learning builds over time, ensuring they are ready for the next stage in their learning.
• High emphasis is placed upon reading, phonics and SPaG to ensure children are confident, fluent readers.
• Individual needs, including SEND, are supported or challenged through differentiation and variation where appropriate.
• Topic learning threads through our curriculum connecting foundation and core subjects where appropriate to enable children to make connections, develop schema and embed learning over time.
• Each new topic starts with a hook and a big question, and finish with an outcome (e.g. class museum, class book, presentation, a piece of writing, a display of work) to provide a purpose for learning.
• Children’s knowledge is embedded through repeated revisiting (e.g. quick quizzes, quick fire questions, songs, chants, games etc…)
• Enrichment opportunities are provided in every topic such as field studies, visits, workshops, visitors, extracurricular activities and links with the wider community.
• Opportunities are planned for the building of independent skills (e.g. choosing and using appropriate resources and strategies) and collaborative skills (e.g. group work, paired work, shared outcomes).
• Subject leaders support staff with subject knowledge, planning and assessment.
• Formative assessment is used to help staff ascertain the children’s next steps (e.g. closing gaps or providing challenge) and teaching responds to children’s needs.
• Summative assessments three times a year are used and analysed. Pupil progress meetings are held to help teachers efficiently plan for the next steps for each individual pupil. 
• Our values of love, courage and respect are promoted throughout the wider curriculum, including through discussion, valuing mistakes, encouraging everyone to try new things, practising collaboration, and celebrating achievements in Celebration Worship.