Our Curriculum Intent

Our intention is that all children at Essendon C of E Primary School experience the joy of learning as well as the pleasure of building their knowledge and developing their skills. We work as a team of teachers, teaching assistants, parents/carers, governors and volunteers to ensure that all our children reach their full potential.

Our curriculum is designed to build upon and strengthen our vision statement: Encourage everyone's light to shine. Matthew 5:16, British Values and our 'Going for Gold' Values, 

At Essendon pupils are able to experience a broad and balanced curriculum Each term the pupils focus on a Humanities / Science theme to grab the pupils’ interests and immerse them in their learning. These themes have the National Curriculum skills mapped and tracked in order to show coverage, progression and a depth of knowledge, using Kapow. The school supports the retention of knowledge through displays, our museum, assemblies, quizzes, theme evaluations and recapping prior knowledge at the start and end of each topic- reinforcing the 'AWE' and 'Wonder' of learning- (spritualism in our learning).

Teachers create a curriculum theme web for each topic which is then shared with the pupils and parents. Each term, in order to extend the pupils’ understanding of the themes further, pupils take part in either an educational visit or have visitors such as performers who deliver theatrical shows, Science experts, History enrichment days etc.

We believe that we are able to discover pupils’ individual talents and interests whilst ensuring that their knowledge, skills and understanding in all subjects increase during their journey through the school.

Our Curriculum Implementation

We consider the following principles when deciding how to implement the curriculum intent:

• When and how to teach new core and wider content.
• When and how to teach core skills including oracy, literacy and numeracy.
• When and how to revisit and build on prior learning so that each component of learning can build to become composite learning.
• What knowledge pupils should be able to use with fluency (speed and accuracy) and by what stage of their education from their starting points.
• How to sequence learning so that the proximal and ultimate functions of knowledge build over time.
• How to ensure pupils will make expected or better than expected progress as a consequence of the curriculum purpose, design and implementation.

Our Curriculum Impact

Essendon’s engaging, coherently planned Curriculum aims to ensure children leave our school equipped with the knowledge and skills needed in order to prepare them in their future learning and beyond. We aim for our children to be resilient, respectful, ready, resourceful, responsible and reflective learners who enjoy learning new things and have a genuine interest in the world around them.