The King’s School Curriculum

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

(Philippians 4:13)

Intent – How our curriculum is structured and organised

The curriculum at The King’s School is structured to enable pupils to have a rich, sequential and diverse range of experiences, based on the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and National curriculum objectives; broad and balanced with the development of skills and knowledge deepening and embedding as pupils progress from EYFS to year 6. Our knowledge and skill progression maps detail how learning is built on year by year, ensuring pupils reinforce existing learning, and have the foundation for the learning of new knowledge and skills. Units of work are sequenced to support the building of concepts over time, increasing in complexity as children develop their understanding and can start to apply concepts to new learning, whilst also providing opportunities to revisit learning and embed skills and knowledge for all pupils and particularly those with additional needs (SEN).

Our Knowledge and Skill Organisers, for each unit of learning, are our detailed medium term plans to support teachers; building on and extending The National Curriculum learning objectives, ensuring The King’s School curriculum has depth and challenge, extends vocabulary and offers a cohesive learning journey for each subject. There are half-termly curriculum 'webs' for parents (on year group pages), as well as title pages in foundation subjects for children, that detail the topic learning objectives, key conceptual knowledge and vocabulary.  

Our curriculum provides opportunities for children to immerse themselves in books, research information, have first-hand experiences, access a range of resources and have time to explore and deepen their understanding and curiosity. Our curriculum, enriched by educational visits, residential trips, workshops and visitors, encourages pupils to develop a love for learning.

Spiritual and personal development are threaded through the curriculum, offering opportunities for children to question and develop their understanding of themselves and the world around them. Physical and mental health are at the heart of our curriculum, promoting an understanding of the importance of health and wellbeing for all pupils.

The resources used to support learning are representative of a range of backgrounds, encouraging our pupils to be ‘outward looking’ and more globally aware of cultures that are both a part of and underrepresented within our school community.  Our curriculum content aims to reflect alternative perspectives and expose children to ideas that may challenge their prior understanding of certain concepts, so that our pupils are well-equipped to embrace our diverse world, becoming more accepting of difference and starting their individual journeys towards eradicating prejudice.

Opportunities for outdoor learning are planned for across the curriculum, maximising the use of the school’s outdoor space, developing pupils’ love of the environment and understanding the importance of sustainability.

English and maths are taught every day, with specific lessons for phonics, spelling and guided reading. Children are encouraged to read a broad range of texts, fostering a love of reading across the curriculum. Science, Geography, History, French, Art, Design and Technology, Religious Education (RE), Physical Education (PE), Computing, and Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) including relationships education are taught weekly. Each subject has its own Intent, Implementation and Knowledge and skill progression map.

Implementation – How our curriculum is taught

Our curriculum is underpinned by our 12 Learning Certainties, helping children to understand what makes a ‘good learner’. The focus is on supporting children to develop learning skills and behaviours that can be applied to any situation, embedding learning skills for life. Each Learning Certainty is exemplified through Bible references and stories contributing to the spiritual and personal growth of our children.

The King’s School Learning Certainties:

• Resourceful
• Resilient
• Motivated
• Enthusiastic
• Focused
• Responsive
• Flexible
• Inclusive
• Independent
• Determined
• Imaginative
• Confident

The King’s Pedagogical Principles, based on Rosenshine, ensure that highly effective teaching and learning is consistent across the school:

• Daily review
• Present new material using small steps
• Ask questions 
• Provide models
• Guided student practice 
• Check for understanding
• Obtain high success rate
• Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks
• Independent practice
• Weekly and monthly review 

Our curriculum is taught by our team of dedicated and skilled teachers and teaching assistants. Ongoing continuing professional development ensures all our teaching staff are reflective practitioners and lifelong learners, contributing positively to every child’s learning journey.

Use of learning objectives (OL - Our Learning) and success criteria (WILF -what I am looking for) alongside scaffolding and structured bite size instructions enable all children to access the learning and achieve. Assessment for learning informs planning and ensures learning is matched to the needs of the pupils, ensuring additional scaffolding/support or challenge is in place where needed. Feedback individually, whole class addressing of misconceptions and individual writing targets guide and encourage pupils to become more independent in, and take responsibility for, their learning.

The use of talk partners, collaborative group work and peer review partners encourages all children to engage in thinking, talking, and deepening their understanding. Pupils are encouraged to be reflective learners, reflecting on the learning process, behaviour for learning and developing positive learning habits. Pupils learn skills to evaluate and improve their work, always striving to achieve their best. Working closely with parents and other professionals ensures all children are supported to achieve their potential.

Impact - A cohesive learning journey

Our values of Love, Compassion and Respect, at the heart of our curriculum, enable all our pupils to flourish academically, spiritually and personally and achieve the highest academic standards possible for each child. Pupils leave The King’s School equipped with a range of experiences and skills to help them embrace the secondary school of their choice and with core values to guide them on their life journey with the knowledge that God loves us all.

Click on tabs on the right for subject  Intent, Implementation & Impact and subject skill and progression maps.