Grove Academy

Our Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

 

“Working hard is important, but there is something that matters more…believing in yourself” (Harry Potter)

 

Curriculum Intent

At Grove Academy, our exciting and empowering curriculum is designed around quality texts by inspiring authors.  We are ambitious with our curriculum intent and aim to develop independent and curious learners.  We aim for every child to understand success and acquire the skills to achieve in ways that are meaningful to their own lives, in order to equip them for secondary school and to be healthy, happy citizens of the future. 

Within our diverse school community, we celebrate and welcome differences and recognise every child as a unique individual.  Our academy believes that every child has a talent.  As a staff, it is our role and responsibility to lay the foundations of lifelong learning allowing all children to aim high, unlocking their full potential.

 Curriculum Aims

  • To ensure all children can read to the expected standard to ensure they can access all elements of the curriculum.
  • To provide children their curricular entitlement and ensure it is purposeful, relevant and accessible for all.
  • To provide MAGICAL learning opportunities for all children.
  • To provide opportunities for the application of skills and understanding.
  • To promote application of speaking, listening, writing and fluent mathematical skills
  • To support children’s knowledge of themselves and others (Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural)
  • To promote a healthy lifestyle and ensure well-being and safety for all

 We would like children to:

  • Speculate, imagine, see possibilities and solve problems
  • Ask ‘What if…’ questions
  • Visualise alternatives, think from different perspectives
  • Make connections and apply their learning
  • Question and challenge
  • Reflect critically to review progress and make perceptive observations
  • Share and develop ideas together
  • Promote reasoning and argument

 Impact

We endeavour for pupils to leave Grove Academy with a secure understanding of the academic content; with the understanding of how to be socially, morally, spiritually and culturally responsible and aware; how to make positive contributions to the local community and how to endeavour to be the best that they can be.

 

"With the right key you can bust the door wide open. Because nobody's going to open it for you.” (Andy Mulligan) 

 

Our magic principals underpin our curriculum developing a positive learning attitude and encourage our children to be imaginative, creative and reflective learners. Below are the five key principals that we embrace in our academy:

  • Motivation
  • Attitude
  • Gumption
  • Independence
  • Communication

English Statement of Intent

At Grove Academy, we strive to help our children write with confidence and accuracy for a variety of purposes and audiences whilst developing their own individual flair, regardless of background, ability or gender. We want our children to be able to write with grammatical accuracy and be able to apply spelling patterns correctly using a neat handwriting style. We aim for our children to apply all of these English skills to all areas of the curriculum. We aim to teach ambitious vocabulary that can be applied in their learning.  We strongly believe that a quality piece of writing can only be developed by providing children with a rich curriculum and wider opportunities which will ignite their interest and give them a context and purpose to write for.  

 

Maths Statement of Intent

At Grove Academy, we believe that Maths is a skill for life. Through the teaching of maths, we intend to provide a curriculum that caters for the needs of all individuals and sets them up with the necessary skills and knowledge for them to become successful in their future.  We aim to prepare them for a successful working life. We incorporate sustained levels of challenge through varied and high-quality activities with a focus on fluency, deepening understanding and reasoning.

Pupils working at Greater Depth are required to explore maths in more depth, using mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their workings. A wide range of mathematical resources are used and pupils are taught to show their workings in a concrete, pictorial and abstract form wherever suitable. They are taught to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. We encourage resilience, flexibility, curiosity and determination as necessary steps in learning.

By the time children leave Grove Academy, they will have read, listened to and been inspired by a selection of the greatest children’s stories ever written. Regardless of ability, gender or background, all children will know, understand and have the confidence to discuss a broad range of high-quality texts and vocabulary to cultivate a love of literature.  We have high expectations for all children and expect our children to leave primary school as avid readers.  We want them to read for pleasure, having had access to a wide range of text types, genres and authors in order for them to make informed opinions about their favourites. 

We aspire for our children to read fluently and widely and able to express preferences and opinions about the texts that they read. We aim to expose our children to a wide range of vocabulary so that they able to decipher new words and then use them when speaking both informally and formally. 

 

Science Statement of Intent

 

Our children access a science curriculum that is rich in scientific enquiry and stimulates an inquisitive mind. 

History Statement of Intent

Our history provision develops a passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning across the year groups. Our pupils will explore the past, building on previous learning, developing their own historical curiosity and understanding of why the past can be interpreted in different ways. They will enjoy learning about a range of periods from history, gaining an understanding of a variety of historical concepts, vocabulary, processes and chronology. They will learn to challenge their own and other’s views and preconceptions through appropriate and accurate historical enquiry; using a range of sources including quality teaching and enriching activities. 

 

Geography Statement of Intent

 

Our geography provision is designed to develop a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will stay with children long beyond their time at school. We will ensure the progressive development of geographical concepts, knowledge and skills; enabling the children to develop a love for geography. Geography teaching at Grove will develop the children’s knowledge of their local community, and what makes it unique and special. In addition, they will develop their knowledge and understanding of the wider world and enjoy learning about how people live in different locations.

 

Art and Design Statement of Intent

At Grove Academy we value Art and Design as it gives children of all abilities and backgrounds opportunities to develop their confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art to achieve their potential. Our high-quality Art and Design education engages and inspires children, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. They should also know how Art and Design contributes, shapes and reflects our history. Children will learn about a range of artists and craft makers and have opportunities to design and create a broad range of artwork.

Design and Technology Statement of Intent

At Grove Academy, Design and Technology follows the Kapow scheme of work.   This aims to inspire children to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creations and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting concepts, modelling and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others.  Through the scheme of work, we build an awareness of the impact of Design and Technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design achievements.  

Computing Statement of Intent

Grove Academy computing provision aims to equip our children to participate in a rapidly changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology. It is our intention to enable children to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information in a safe, responsible and respectful manner. We focus on developing the skills necessary for children to be able to use information in an effective way. Our computing curriculum ensures skills are taught enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners who can stay safe on line. 

 

P.E Statement of Intent

At Grove Academy, we recognise the importance of Physical Education to a child’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional development as well as the role it can play in a child’s spiritual, moral and cultural development. Physical Education develops the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding, so that they can perform with increasing competence and confidence in a range of physical activities. Physical Education promotes an understanding in children of their bodies in action. It involves thinking, selecting and applying skills and promotes attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle. Thus enabling them to make informed choices about physical activity throughout their lives.  We aim, regardless of, gender, ability or background, for children to develop skills that are transferable to – or contextualized within other curriculum areas. Varied opportunities will provide enjoyment for all and will in turn develop paths for their future. 

 

RE Statement of Intent

At Grove Academy we have adopted the local authority agreed syllabus for Religious Education. We are passionate about Religious Education and the contribution it makes in forming the minds of the future generation. Through our curriculum, our pupils learn about different religions and beliefs in a range of contexts, and explore key questions while considering their own beliefs and values. We aim to equip our pupils with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to engage in a positive dialogue with other members of society, reflecting on their own beliefs and ways of doing things, while respecting the views and feelings of others.  The three core elements of our curriculum aim to ensure that our pupils can:

 1) make sense of a range of religious and non- religious beliefs

2) understand the impact and significance of religious and non- religious beliefs

3) make connections between religious and non- religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied.

 

PSHE Statement of Intent

At Grove Academy we firmly believe that our Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education curriculum will give our pupils essential skills, knowledge and understanding that they need in order for them to become confident, healthy and independent members of modern society. Alongside our ‘Jigsaw PSHE’ scheme, we also use resources from the PSHE Association and resources that support local events to help supplement our curriculum. Our aim is to prepare all our pupils for life in modern Britain, with a deep understanding of the British values of democracy, individual liberty, rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance. At Grove Academy, we aim to ensure that all our pupils develop resilience, communication, teamwork and respect, so that they are prepared for the challenges they may face throughout their life.

RSHE (Relationships, S*x and Health Education) is about understanding the importance of family life; stable and loving relationships and respect for others. In this subject, children will be given strategies to develop resilience, to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support. RHSE is covered within our PSHE curriculum. 

 

MFL Statement of Intent

 

At Grove Academy, we are committed to creating rich language opportunities through a broad and ambitious language provision. Embracing our children’s love of communication, we aim to develop confidence in their skills and to develop a lifelong enjoyment of language. We believe that language learning nurtures a child’s curiosity, cultural awareness, empathy and tolerance. At Grove academy, we provide children with the opportunity to learn to listen, speak, read and write in Spanish.

Please click here for more information 

Music Statement of Intent

 

At Grove Academy we value music because it is a powerful and unique art form. Music boosts creativity and supports development in social skills, self-discipline and confidence. We provide a music curriculum where children develop a solid understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music through the skills of performing, composing and appraising. We ensure children experience a range of classical, rock, folk, jazz and popular music taken from different times and cultures.  We currently have specialised weekly provision in Year 3.

 

SMSC Statement of Intent

 

Our children access a Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural curriculum all throughout their learning. Teachers and staff model the values of SMSC in all areas of the curriculum, as we want our children at Grove to be upstanding role models of today and the future. We believe that SMSC is not taught as a subject alone as it is embedded in all that we do.

British Values Statement of Intent

Our children access a curriculum that holds British Values with the highest regard. We recognise that our country is ever changing, and we embrace equality, individuality, diversity and culture. We promote the fundamental British Values of:

  • Democracy
  • The rule of law
  • Individual liberty
  • Mutual respect
  • Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Enrichment

We believe learning outside the classroom is essential to pupils’ development, therefore, at Grove Academy we offer a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities to enrich our pupils further. We believe that it is important to provide extra experiences and opportunities to inspire our children’s interests. We ensure that we offer a range of extra-curricular clubs as we want to broaden our children’s minds and let them try something different.

 

“The truth is that money doesn’t make you rich; knowledge does.” – (Robert Kiyosaki)

 

Click here for Key Stage 2 Yearly Planners

 

Education Recovery

Click HERE for our education recovery policy which is in place to ensure all children feel happy and safe at school.

 

If you require any further information about our curriculum please contact your child’s class teacher, who will happily discuss this further with you.