Foundation Subjects

As part of the planning for the full return to school, how the curriculum will be taught from September through into the spring term has been carefully planned to ensure that all children receive a broad and balanced curriculum, which is vital for our children’s education and wellbeing. Alongside the catch-up curriculum for English and maths, as a trust, we recognise that all children must continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, as well as catch-up on what they have missed.

The information set out below, provides the details of the planning and preparation for the new interim curriculum.

September 

• Key skills and objectives that are vital for progression have been prioritised, allowing the curriculum to be condensed. Together as a trust, Interim Curriculum Overviews have been formed.
• Objectives in foundation topics have been organised to encourage cross-curricular links in core subjects; class novels reflect topics from the curriculum theme title.
• During the final week of each half term each class will take part in a ‘Curriculum Project Week’.
• During these weeks, there will be no formal teaching of English and Maths. Mornings will be dedicated to the teaching of the Foundation Curriculum.
• Teachers will use Curriculum Overviews to plan a short-term plan for the week to allow for learning, skills and knowledge to weave across the subjects.
• All staff will make effective use of regular formative assessment. For example, quizzes, whiteboard work, observing pupils in class, talking to pupils and scrutiny of work to assess understanding.
• Learning will be recorded in learning journeys; however, there will be a greater emphasis on building a picture of the journey the children took in the project week.
• We will continue the use of vocabulary squares and knowledge bubbles to enhance pupils ability to recall key facts and vocabulary. 
• Staff will use The Curriculum Overview Sheet as a way of assessing pupil's progress. 

March 

• Following the first 3 weeks after the return to school, we will begin with our planned curriculum week from Spring term.  
• This will reduce staff workload as staff should have some of this week already planned and resourced as well as provide opportunity for ‘catch up’ learning.  
• During this week, there will be no formal teaching of English and Maths. As previous, mornings will be allocated to Foundation Curriculum and afternoons will be allocated to the teaching of Science.
• Staff will use their discretion to select objectives from the curriculum map that have not been taught during remote learning. Staff will use 10 minutes at the start of each lesson to revisit learning that has been taught during remote learning; an opportunity for revisit and assessment. If the children have little understanding of the revisit, this is something that will be taught further.   
• As the term progresses our interim curriculum will be evaluated to ensure that our children are receiving a broad and ambitious curriculum as well as ensuring they have every opportunity to catch-up. As a school we will always do what is right for our children. 

Autumn Interim Curriculum Maps