Curriculum Rationale
Our curriculum covers the teaching, learning and wide range of experiences in a variety of contexts. A well planned, meaningful and appropriately challenging curriculum is central to our school’s vision of getting it right for every child, and to the success of our learners. Our curriculum rationale is the strategic vision which guides our focus for learning and teaching in the school. We will review and redesign our curriculum on an ongoing basis to meets the needs of all our learners.
Curriculum making and Learner Participation: Information for Parents & Families
#learnerparticipation
Learning Across the Four Contexts @CarbrainPS
The four contexts (organisers) of the curriculum are:
Ethos and life of the school as a community -The starting point for learning is a positive ethos and climate of respect and trust based upon shared values across the whole school and local community.
Curriculum areas and subjects – The curriculum areas are the organisers for setting out the experiences and outcomes. Each area contributes to developing skills and the four capacities.
Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) – The curriculum should include space for learning beyond subject boundaries, making links across and through learning experiences.
Opportunities for personal achievement – Pupils need opportunities for achievements both in the classroom and beyond, giving them a sense of satisfaction and building motivation, aspiration, resilience, and confidence. Personal achievement provides children with a sense of satisfaction and helps to build motivation, resilience and confidence. The experiences and outcomes include opportunities for a range of achievements in the classroom and beyond. As a school we need to plan to offer opportunities for achievement and to provide the support and encouragement which will enable our learners to have a ‘Can do’ attitude to undertake activities which they find challenging. This is one of the key areas where we as a school need to work closely with our families, active schools/ partner agencies, and third sector organisations to help our learners access information and opportunities and make their voices heard.
Carbrain Quests
To ensure all our learners have the opportunity to experience high quality contextual learning experiences we have developing a series of agile progressive skills-based learning questions and challenges which we call ‘Quests’. Each ‘Quest’ is open to personalisation and choice by pupils and teachers who will jointly plan their approach to each theme e.g. ‘What matters to me?’ could lead to a specific study of health and wellbeing, or a wider study of UNCRC, charities, world events and disaster relief, or a look at families, relationships, school life including bullying/ diversity etc.
Our pupils should have opportunities to develop skills, build confidence, and achieve through:
- After school/lunchtime clubs and organised activities.
- Other organised activities not included in contextual learning.
- External organised clubs and activities.
- Other individual personal achievement e.g., structured community club/ organisation etc.
Where children take part in these activities, achievement should be recognised and where appropriate development and progression of skills within the Experiences and Outcomes should be identified. Achievement and progress is included in learning logs/ pastoral notes and/ or pupil profiles as agreed by learner/teaching staff. Where practical and appropriate, the school will work in partnership with families and providers to develop and enhance opportunities.
Breadth, Relevance, and Personalisation & Choice are major design principles of this approach. With seasonal, local and world events considered and incorporated into planning. Before beginning each QUEST, classes may complete a prior learning activity which should include sending home an information sheet for parents and carers so ideas can be incorporated into planning if appropriate. Focus Experiences and Outcomes and Articles of the UNCRC will be identified and tailored to each ‘Big Question’ (Quest). Our Learners are at the heart of our curriculum. The aim of our curriculum is to meet the needs of all learners and promote equity and excellence.
Engaging Parents and Families
At Parents Night events and across the school year we seek the views of our parents, carers and children about our school including learning and our curriculum. This feedback is extremely valuable as it helps us continue to improve our school and children’s learning experiences.
