OUR CURRICULUM 
(The following statement is a summary of curriculum development undertaken by the whole school staff with input from pupils, parents and governors).
 
The curriculum at Wombwell Park Street Primary School is based on a commitment to meeting the specific needs of the children in our care. We feel we know our children very well and recognise they have different backgrounds, starting points, strengths and talents. We teach the National Curriculum well but this is only one part of our wider inclusive curriculum. We aim to foster aspiration and equip our pupils with the knowledge, experiences and self-confidence needed to become happy and successful life-long learners.

CURRICULUM DRIVERS

• Oracy and communication
• Respect and relationships
• Being safe and healthy
• Aspiration and achievement 
• Enjoyment, creativity and engagement

 
Our curriculum begins with the high quality teaching of basic skills (reading, writing, number and speaking and listening), which are then practised through a range of contexts and cross-curricular themes.  We feel it is essential that pupils are taught a broad curriculum through a series of well-planned lessons, which ensure pupils are making progress over time by knowing more and remembering more through the development of long term memory. We aim to provide thematic and contextualised learning experiences where children are encouraged to make links across subjects in order to broaden their general knowledge and understanding of the world around them. We recognise the huge importance of developing a wide vocabulary in order to comprehend and develop understanding – we actively strive to close any ‘word gaps’ between groups of pupils within our school and those nationally. Oracy is a priority at Park Street and we work hard to develop pupils who communicate with confidence.
 
We aim to fully support our pupils with the personal development required to ensure they grow up to be happy, healthy, safe, respectful and successful adults who will contribute positively to society. Our commitment to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is evident throughout our curriculum,  positive ethos and learning environment. We understand the importance of character education and have identified key character virtues which we work hard to develop and nurture. The behaviour of our pupils is outstanding and we feel this is due to the fact we take the time to teach the importance of: respect for one another, emotional intelligence, good manners, tolerance and how to keep safe. Incredible Me strategies are embedded into the ethos of our school and we have developed golden rules for good behaviour. Pupils are also taught about the dangers of bullying and how to keep themselves safe, including how to stay safe on the Internet. Pupils are taught about a range of religions, cultures and customs and encouraged to celebrate and respect similarities and differences. We promote British Values with our pupils.
 
The arts and creativity are at the heart of learning and pupils are taught to a very high standard. Pupils have many opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities, workshops, performances and educational visits. We work hard to promote the importance of physical and mental health and wellbeing. In addition to PE lessons in school pupils have the opportunity to engage in sporting competitions, food technology, residential visits and a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. 
 
 We are proud of our curriculum, which has been created in collaboration with staff and pupils based primarily on what we feel our pupils need to learn and also what excites and inspires us.
 
We firmly believe:

• All children should have access to a full, rich, broad and balanced curriculum and fair opportunities to reach their full potential. This should be the case whatever their starting point, needs or social/economic situation - we must aim 'to level the playing field' for all our children. 
• If we provide opportunities for pupils to acquire knowledge, revisit key areas of learning and make links they will be able to build a better understanding of the world they live in and the impact they can have upon it. Ultimately, knowing more and remembering more over time. If children enjoy school, they will want to come.
• If we encourage our pupils to be aspirational and provide opportunities for them to see the full range of possibilities available to them with practical guidance on how to get there we can support them in reaching their full potential.
• If learning is set in a context which makes sense to pupils they will understand and develop their basic skills.
• If we actively promote language and vocabulary development pupils will have the building blocks needed to comprehend.
• If we foster curiosity, guide them and facilitate them in their own learning the sky’s the limit.
• If pupils are taught about the importance of emotional intelligence and how to regulate their own emotions this will help to promote emotional well-being, resulting in happier children.
• If we recognise intelligence can take many forms we can help all pupils find and develop their strengths and talents.

We think our curriculum is one to be proud of! Here are some supporting sections from our most recent Ofsted reports…

During the inspection, I wanted to look at how well the broader curriculum supports pupils’ learning and development. The curriculum is a strength of the school. It is broad and balanced and the different subject areas are taught well. There are also strong links between different subjects, and reading, writing and mathematics are well reinforced across the curriculum.

Furthermore, as well as supporting strong progress, the curriculum also provides pupils with wide ranging experiences to support their understanding of the wider world. In this way, the experiences pupils have at school enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils go on outdoor pursuit trips, where they learn to work as a team and push themselves to try new activities. They also learn about different faiths and cultures and have a good understanding of how people live and worship around the world. Such learning supports pupils’ understanding of British Values and the importance of respect and tolerance for things which are beyond their everyday experiences.

The strength of the curriculum means that pupils are well engaged in their learning and this leads to positive conduct of pupils at all times of the school day. Adults and pupils enjoy very positive relationships and adults take every opportunity to praise pupils’ strong behaviour and attitudes. Teachers set high standards in the classroom, leading to pupils producing high-quality, well-presented work, supporting their progress over time. (Ofsted June 2018)

Children behave very well because they become engrossed in activities that motivate them to want to learn. (Ofsted Nov 14)

Vibrant displays throughout the school show the breadth and balance of subjects taught. (Ofsted Nov 14)

The school’s leaders have adjusted and reviewed their planning in order to deliver the new curriculum. Leaders are working well in collaboration with partner schools to implement an assessment system in order to track and measure the progress of pupils in different subjects. Good links continue to be made between subjects to develop literacy and numeracy skills. After-school clubs, visits and visitors contribute to pupils’ enjoyment of school and provide them with memorable experiences. (Ofsted Nov 14)

The curriculum is outstanding in its range and flexibility and helps to engage pupils’ interest and develop their learning. The use of both ICT and the arts is exceptional …the curriculum provides an excellent range of experiences. A high priority is given to supporting pupils’ personal development through the social and emotional aspects of learning and the personal learning and thinking skills programmes. Special themed weeks extend and enrich the everyday curriculum, including science developments and international studies. There is a very wide range of extra-curricular visits and activities, including residential visits that contribute significantly to pupils’ self-confidence and personal development.  (Ofsted 2010)
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See below for an overview of our curriculum for 2023/24

Further information relating to our curriculum can be found on specific subject pages and detailed curriculum maps can be made available on request.

Whole School Curriculum Development
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What do our pupils need? How are we going to meet those needs? What are the essential outcomes for our pupils? What are our key values? What are we passionate about? What knowledge do we need to equip our pupils with? How can we help pupils make vital links in their learning? How can we develop vocabulary and close the word gap?  INTENT IMPLEMENTATION IMPACT