The Grove Curriculum

BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN EVERYONE

At Grove Primary School, we have planned a curriculum that engages children from their very first day. Childhood should be a happy, investigative and enquiring time. Every child is recognised as a unique individual. We celebrate and welcome the differences within our school community.

We want our children to become skilled readers, confident writers and adept mathematicians to ensure they are ready to contribute to the world around them. Through our broad and balanced offer, we develop scientists, artists, historians, geographers, musicians, linguists, athletes, and designers. Our focus on the individual enables each child to develop self-confidence and ambition - vital skills in the modern world. We take great care to ensure our values of ready, respectful, safe are woven into each discrete subject.

Enhancement opportunities support and ignite the curriculum and are carefully planned. The whole school starts their academic year with a 'Malvern and Me' term. We want all children to understand what makes their town unique and how it has contributed to the development of our country.

Other events promote positive attitudes to learning in all subjects. More importantly, they often give children the opportunity to try something new, make mistakes and build on these mistakes in order to learn a new skill.

The curriculum is carefully mapped so that we

Recognise children’s prior learning
Provide first-hand learning experiences
Allow the children to develop interpersonal skills
Develop resilience
Enable creative and critical thinking

Children should leave primary school with a sense of belonging to a tightly-knit community. Within this community, children are taught to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners. Cultural Capital is developed through a wide range of inspiring, engaging and exploratory learning experiences in each subject. We aim to raise pupils’ aspirations by teaching them about human creativity and achievement and how they can have a positive impact on their world.

The curriculum covers the full expectations of the National Curriculum, starting with our Early Years provision. The Early Years curriculum is one of exploration and discovery. The children are prepared and equipped with the skills and vocabulary needed to succeed as they progress through the curriculum,

From Year 1 to Year 6, each subject is taught discretely to ensure that children develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that each subject requires. Meaningful links between subjects are made so that children can apply their knowledge and skills in different contexts.

Within each lesson, teachers use an 'I do, we do, you do' structure so that each new concept and skill is modelled carefully. It is part of the curriculum plan that children revisit prior learning regularly to ensure that learning is embedded in the long-term memory.

Adults in each classroom are on-hand to support every child. We recognise that not every child has the same academic, social or emotional starting points. Where necessary, we make adaptations to ensure all pupils can access the intended learning. Each lesson provides a level of challenge, recognising that pupils do not all start at the same level. Staff effectively and continuously assess and support all pupils in order to identify and address any gaps in children’s substantive and disciplinary knowledge. This ensures access to and progress within the curriculum for everyone.

Safeguarding and the Grove Curriculum

The safety and wellbeing of children is at the heart of everything we do at Grove Primary School. Opportunities are identified in the taught curriculum for children to learn how to keep themselves and others safe and enable them to contribute positively beyond our school community.

Our bespoke and broad curriculum provides opportunities to experience life in its diversity, to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills to enable positive personal development. Personal safeguarding skills are supported by the Behaviour Policy to ensure that our vision of ‘bringing out the best in everyone’ is achieved.

The ‘Jigsaw’ P.S.H.E. curriculum covers all areas of safeguarding and personal development. Our knowledge of our children ensures that sensitive strands are taught at an age-appropriate level. Where necessary, small group or 1:1 teaching opportunities are provided.

Children are challenged to think carefully about safeguarding matters such as online safety and to question the world around them. Children are encouraged to consider the impact of their individual choices and behaviours. Physical and mental wellbeing are actively promoted.

A programme of practical and purposeful safeguarding activities, often working with specialist external providers, is used to support the curriculum:

Road and rail safety
Bike-ability
Pool and water safety in the PE curriculum
Fire awareness and visits to Malvern Fire Station
Visits to school from medical staff
Work with our Community Support Officers to respond to local issues
Work with charities such as N.S.P.C.C, Macmillan and The Dogs’ Trust
A 2-year programme of high school transition opportunities, with additional support for children with SEND.
Weekly assemblies
Promoting personal risk assessment skills through visits, as well as during play and outdoor learning
The safe use of technology in school and at home

We have developed a nurturing and supportive learning environment in which children feel safe to express their views, seek support and help others. The promotion of equality of opportunity for all helps to prevent any form of direct or indirect discriminatory behaviour.

The Behaviour Policy promotes positive behaviour choices in order to ensure all children can learn and feel safe. Class circle times are for sharing ideas, recognising and celebrating success. However, they are also a time for reflection and to respond to safeguarding matters if they arise.

Ready Respectful Safe

Assemblies are carefully planned to promote our school values. Within these values, safeguarding matters are promoted. For example, we create our child-friendly ‘Anti-Bullying’ policy and use reflection time to reflect on the theme of each assembly. We also work with the N.S.P.C.C to deliver the 'Speak Out Stay Safe' programme every Autumn Term.

Staff and children act quickly to challenge stereotypes and the use of derogatory language is not accepted in school and beyond. It is a core aim to provide our children with experiences beyond their local community and promote a cultural awareness of life outside of Malvern.

Please follow the link below to find the Department for Education's statutory guidance on the Early Years and Primary curriculum.