At Rockmount Primary School, we aim to deliver our curriculum in the most memorable, exciting and effective way possible, where high standards are always sought and attention is always given to motivating children to be lifelong learners fulfilling their academic, moral, physical and spiritual potential. We teach and encourage a growth mindset approach, where children learn from their mistakes enabling them to become confident, independent and inquisitive.
Through our curriculum, we aim to develop our children’s skills and knowledge as well as encouraging curiosity, aspiration and a love of learning through a balance of year group curriculum coverage and through visits, visitors and special events throughout the year. It is underpinned by fundamental British values with a particular emphasis on mutual respect and tolerance of differences.
Our curriculum is thematic, usually with a Humanities (History/Geography) driver, which includes an over-arching concept beneath which key vocabulary, knowledge and skills are organised. Carefully chosen texts are used within guided reading and English lessons, where possible, connected to the theme/topic.
The intent of our curriculum is what we expect pupils to learn in each subject at the end of each year. This has been informed initially by reviewing the national curriculum, specifying the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils are expected to learn at the end of different milestones e.g. key stage/ year groups, translating this to long term planning for every year group, then medium term plans for each year group, subject progression documents, (followed by knowledge organisers where appropriate), which translate into teachers' weekly planning and daily lessons.
Over time, considering a changing context and world, our curriculum offer has grown and gone from strength to strength.
Please click on the links below to visit our year group curriculum pages:
In order to maximise the potential of pupils, we have subject leaders in position who are responsible for quality and standards in that subject across the school. At Rockmount, we have grouped subjects together and allocated a senior leader and link governor so staff have the opportunity to work collaboratively and build leadership capacity within one another. Having leaders appointed for each subject area enables us to ensure that when these areas are taught, there is strong subject specific pedagogy underpinning the teaching of each subject. There is a wealth of information regarding our whole school curriculum on the subject specific pages found below.
In addition to securing strong subject specific pedagogy underpinning the teaching of each subject, our subject leaders ensure resourcing, staff cpd, monitoring of quality and standards to inform planning, and consultations with pupils and parents take place regularly. Our subject leaders then present to the governing body during governor mornings in school where governors receive feedback from each curriculum leader on the aforementioned points. This opportunity is key as it gives all governors a good discrete and holistic understanding of our curriculum whilst also planning for succession and giving all leaders similar opportunities to senior leaders.
In our EYFS we provide a balance between child initiated and adult directed activities, underpinned by the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. The coverage and progression across the seven areas of learning is ensured through the expertise of the whole Early Years team.
At Rockmount, we follow the Ruth Miskin Literacy (Read, Write Inc) Scheme for phonics lessons across EYFS and KS1. There is a fluidity of groups based on continuous formative assessment with half-termly summative assessment. In KS2, Fresh Start is used as a means of catching up with phonetic decoding and understanding skills; children are selected to help their reading progress further.
In English, we utilise high quality key texts to aid our planning and teaching, promote the love of reading and writing and connect our themes of learning, which deepens our children's knowledge and understanding. In mathematics, we follow the ‘Big Maths’ scheme across the school. It provides a systematic and structured approach to ensuring all children become numerate and then become fully rounded mathematicians.
The wider curriculum influences and supports core subjects by putting learning into context. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning is central to our school’s curriculum. We celebrate our diversity which is a key feature of our community. We make connections to our wider community through special weeks, visitors to school and visits to places of worship or local interest.
Children at Rockmount develop the knowledge, skills and mindset which allow them to become confident, lifelong learners. They are proud to be part of Rockmount Primary School and develop into individuals who reflect our school motto and values. The rich and comprehensive curriculum allows the children to develop a deep understanding of the world around them.
We measure our curriculum's impact with the use of formative and summative assessment procedures. We use standardised tests across KS2 in reading and maths (NFER) which provide qualitative data at key points during the school year and we use end of unit tests for science and humanities.
Teachers use quizzes and short retrieval questions to assess knowledge during a unit of work and senior leaders sit down with teachers to co-monitor pupil books and evidence.
Senior leaders, in addition to subject leaders, monitor lessons via formal lesson observations, learning walks, or informal observation e.g. as part of our coaching approach.
Leaders regularly join school council meetings to consult with pupils, taking account of their views in order to shape next steps and curriculum development.
External curriculum impact can be evidenced via the statutory assessment outcomes achieved but also in the way our pupils conduct themselves in and out of school as well as the knowledge and skills our pupils retain and apply.
To find out more about our rich, comprehensive and creative curriculum, look at the examples of the children's amazing work and efforts and the impact of the 'curriculum in action' on our class pages and the latest news page on the school website.
Incorporating continuous provision in Key Stage 1 (KS1) fosters a dynamic and child-centred learning environment that promotes independent exploration, critical thinking and holistic development. By offering a carefully designed and flexible setting, we aim to ignite curiosity, encourage collaboration and cultivate a love for learning among our pupils.
Implementing continuous provision in KS1 involves creating purposeful areas of learning that cater to diverse needs, interests and learning styles. These areas are equipped with a range of resources, tools and activities aligned with the curriculum objectives. Staff act as facilitators, observing and guiding pupils as they engage in self-directed learning experiences. The continuous provision approach emphasises the importance of play, exploration and discovery, allowing children to make choices and take ownership of their learning journey.
Through this approach to learning, pupils develop into well-rounded individuals who exhibit increased confidence, independence and enthusiasm for learning. By actively engaging in a variety of activities in a stimulating environment, pupils gain essential skills such as problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Continuous provision not only enhances academic achievement but also nurtures creativity, resilience and a lifelong love for learning, setting a solid foundation for future academic success and personal growth.