Curriculum

Vision

Our vision is that each and every child fulfils their unique potential and lets their light shine.  Horspath’s values of responsibility, courage, kindness and justice along with RLT’s commitment to the principles of excellence, everyone learning and respectful relationships, aim to nurture independent, resilient and successful learners in a happy, loving and nurturing environment. 

Intent

Our intent is that the curriculum is engaging, relevant and motivating, fostering curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. We aim to deliver a coherent framework for teaching and learning which provides clear progression of knowledge and skills from Reception through to Year 6. The quality and delivery of the curriculum aims to engage learners so that they enjoy acquiring knowledge and skills, and demonstrate the school’s values and excellent behaviour, both in and outside the classroom.  The curriculum is enhanced by enrichment experiences which take place beyond the school and involve the wider community.

Implementation

Due to the organisation of mixed-aged group classes, Horspath’s curriculum design delivers knowledge and skills in most subjects in three year cycles for children in Year 1 and above. The exception is that maths is mostly taught to separate year groups. Children in Acorn Class, our reception year, follow a single-year curriculum informed by the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework.

Our curriculum prioritises the development of core skills in English, Maths and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). This focus ensures that the needs of individuals and small groups of children can be met within an environment of high quality-first teaching, supported by targeted, evidence-proven interventions where appropriate. The full curriculum is delivered by qualified, highly-skilled and enthusiastic teachers, and learning is assisted by a dedicated team of teaching assistants. 

Impact

The intended impact of our school vision and values, curriculum and professional expertise is that individual children become confident, independent, resilient and successful learners who make outstanding progress, and shine as lights in the world.

Please note that, as we have had to design a three-year curriculum, all our curricula are being evaluated and refined as they are implemented and we learn from their impact.  Therefore, it is likely that changes will be made, particularly when Year A is delivered again.  

Phonics and reading

At Horspath we recognise that reading is the gateway to most learning across the curriculum. We use the synthetic phonics scheme, Read Write Inc Phonics, from the reception year. It teaches our youngest children to read accurately, fluently and with understanding, to spell, and to write their own compositions. 

Thereafter, we aim to: 

• promote high standards of literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the written and spoken word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment
• ensure that all pupils read easily, fluently, expressively and with good understanding of the text
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information 
• ensure that all children acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and a knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language 
• encourage children to appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage

How to find out more about our curriculum

Class teachers share curriculum maps with parents and carers at the beginning of each term.  These 'maps' show what the pupils will be learning in the term ahead.  The children share and celebrate their learning with their parents and carers, and the rest of the school, in termly class assemblies.  

You can contact class teachers about what your children are learning by emailing the school office, who will forward your query.  If you want to find out more about the design of the curriculum, please contact the school office and ask to speak to the headteacher.