Curriculum Statement

In developing our curriculum we are intent that it reflect and address the needs and aspirations of our community. To inform this aim we engage with families, pupils, staff and governors to gain a range of perspectives on the role that George Street plays in our community and in our individual pupils’ lives. We start from the position that our curriculum is a force for good that can help to address disadvantage, secure progress and promote ambition for our pupils. We believe that worthwhile partnership with families and community partners supports this aim. Strengthening the community focus of our school is central to our curriculum vision.

Our vision for curriculum is inseparable from our practice as teachers. How we teach and how our pupils learn is as important as the knowledge and skills we plan for them to develop. We see outcome and process as equally important. For this reason, we research, trial and evaluate ways to improve our teaching constantly. This innovation is driven by a commitment to engage pupils powerfully in their learning.

We recognise that each child is unique and place a clear emphasis on making our curriculum and our teaching responsive to the needs and interests of our pupils. This means that we use a variety of approaches to help pupils develop the skills and attitudes they need to realise their potential. These include direct or focused teaching, frequent independent tasks, regular opportunities for pupil collaboration, and the chance to exercise meaningful choice and enjoy free play. This range of contexts set the conditions for our pupils’ learning and their well-being to thrive. They help to ensure that our pupils establish a strong sense of agency and develop the creativity they need to apply their learning resourcefully to their future. 

We ensure that our staff have a keen shared understanding of the knowledge and skills pupils need to support their progress as they move through the school. Given that learning experiences in George Street are strongly influenced by pupil voice, it is important that we all have confidence that our provision does not result in a ‘hit & miss’ approach to the curriculum. For this reason, staff work together to audit the opportunities our curriculum provides to make sure that pupils have a suitably broad and balanced range of experiences to develop the skills and knowledge they need. Similarly, that these opportunities are suitable for the variety of ages, abilities and aptitudes of our pupils. In other words, that our curriculum is appropriate for all.

We believe that learning should start from where a child is at. This requires a detailed knowledge of every pupils’ current understanding and needs. We build this picture in a blend of ways; through observation, asking questions, listening to what pupils tell us, evaluating their work and assessing what they can do (and can’t do yet). The picture is rich and shows the whole child. It tells the story of their progress over time. We don’t line pupils up against benchmarks or set out their route in milestones. And we don’t gather information that doesn’t help us to know and to nurture and to stretch them better.

Our curriculum summary uses the present tense. It is a snapshot of our evolving vision; part outcome, part process. It will change as we learn together. It will develop as we improve.