Curriculum intent
At Lightmoor, we ensure that our curriculum is real and meaningful and that it is as creative and practical as possible for our pupils. By making links through different subjects, we aim to bring learning to life as a strategy for helping our children embed their learning and to help them ‘know more and to remember more!’
“You and your staff plan a creative and varied curriculum that enlivens pupils. The curriculum and teaching make a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils’ personal and academic development are enhanced by a broad and interesting range of topics, visits and additional extra-curricular sports and activities. “
Ofsted 2017
Lightmoor Village Primary School follows the expectations of the National Curriculum and the belief that ‘knowledge matters’. We have created a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all learners, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed in life. Each subject area is carefully planned and taught in a logical sequence to build on pupils’ existing skills and knowledge, enabling them to progress well throughout their learning journey with us here at Lightmoor.
Curriculum Implementation
The curriculum at Lightmoor has been designed to help learners to remember the long term content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts. We liken the curriculum to a spiral; knowledge and skills that overlap during the learning process. The overlapping nature of the spiral emphasises the need and enables our teachers to revisit previous teaching and powerful knowledge at each stage, whilst also providing the children with regular practice for the retrieval of knowledge.
“Knowledge is taught to be remembered, not merely encountered”
Tom Sherrington 2018
The leadership team and teaching staff have a good knowledge of subjects being taught and have created a coherently planned curriculum, starting with EYFS and our youngest pupils, building up each year with what they should know and be able to do at each milestone. Teachers encourage discussion about what they are teaching and check learners’ understanding systematically, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback. Teachers and leaders use a variety of assessment to help learners embed and use knowledge fluently, to check understanding and inform teaching.
A rigorous approach to the teaching of reading develops learners’ confidence and enjoyment in reading. At the early stages of learning to read, reading materials are closely matched to learners’ phonics knowledge.
Curriculum Impact
Learners at Lightmoor develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum and, as a result, achieve well. This is reflected in results from national tests that meet government expectations. Our latest data in 2019 demonstrates that the percentages of children working at expected and greater depth in all areas in school are well above all national data.
Learners are ready for the next stage of education. They read widely and often, with fluency and comprehension, which is also demonstrated in our reading outcomes.
“Pupils are enthusiastic and very well-behaved learners. They thrive, succeed and enjoy their education. “
Ofsted 2017
