Curriculum Pedagogy and Implementation

Our lesson structure and sequence is based on Rosenshine’s principles for Effective Classroom Practice. These principles enable us to engage with our practice at a forensic level, reflect on our practice and achieve the best possible progress and outcomes for our children. Rosenshine’s principles are based on three sources of research:

 

  1. Research on how the brain acquires new information (the science)
  2. Research on the classroom practices of those teachers whose students had the highest gains
  3. Findings from studies that taught learning strategies to students

 

CUSP Curriculum Implementation

 

Learning sequences throughout the school and across the curriculum are consistently built upon the following model:

 

We explicitly teach the children a set of learning behaviours which are expected of them at each phase of this learning sequence in order for learning to be effective.  These learning behaviours are known as:

1 ‘Ready to learn’

2 ‘I do’

3 ‘We do’

4 ‘You do’

(See behaviour policy for greater detail)

 

This is how the learning behaviours and the teaching sequence interact:

  1. Connect to prior learning  ‘Ready to Learn’
  2. Explain the intent knowledge ‘I do’
  3. The teacher gives an example of the learning ‘I do’
  4. Pupils attempt the learning.  ‘We do’
  5. Record (apply) the learning, to ensure learning is consolidated, connected and embedded. ‘We do/ You do’
  6. Challenge is provided for deeper thinking ‘You do’

Our curriculum plans are well structured and they are set out in a way which builds on prior learning, ensures high expectations and supports teacher workload. Teachers demonstrate a high level of ambition for their pupils and the ongoing use of questioning, vocabulary building and application are features of agreed pedagogy.

Our curriculum is vocabulary focussed and aims to equip the children with the necessary academic and technical language required to talk about their learning in a precise manner across the curriculum.  Knowledge organisers are used throughout learning modules to support vocabulary development. 

 

The acquisition of knowledge is underpinned by the implementation of a variety of teaching methods intended to help children retain and recall their learning.  The children will access mini-quizzes at regular intervals within learning modules, challenging them to recall their learning as research shows that both ‘spaced practice’ and ‘retrieval practice’ embedded within the curriculum enhances pupils’ learning.

Curriculum Enrichment

Our curriculum extends beyond the National Curriculum and includes a range of enriching experiences and opportunities both within and beyond the school day. This includes after-school clubs and lunch clubs, specialist assemblies, whole school theme days and weeks, school visits / visitors and learning outside the classroom making use of our wonderful grounds including the wildlife area.  Click the Curriculum Enrichment link to find out more.

We deliver our curriculum in mixed-aged classes which are currently arranged as outlined below*:

Ash Class (Reception and Year 1)

Willow Class (Year 1 and Year 2)

Beech Class (Year 3 and Year 4)

Hawthorn Class (Year 4 and 5)

Oak Class (Year 6)

*(Note: The combination of classes and the year groups within them are subject to change annually as the numbers in particular cohorts increases or decreases.  Therefore, we are constantly tracking pupil learning to ensure appropriate coverage of the National Curriculum.  CUSP curriculum has developed ‘quick start’ and ‘reference lessons’ for schools with mixed-age structures which enable us to place all learners on an equal footing to begin a unit of work when we identify a need to do so.)  We also use our support staff to help target teaching and learning appropriately within, and sometimes across, our mixed-age classes. 

Each term, the class teachers create a curriculum newsletter for parents sharing information about what the focus for learning is in each subject in each class - click the curriculum newsletters link to view them.

This information is also summarised in our Long Term Planning Documents – click the Long-term Plans link to view them.

Further subject-specific information can be found for individual subjects in the associated links.