Intent

At Twickenham Primary School we aim to provide an exciting and ambitious curriculum which will inspire children to nurture a passion for lifelong learning. We firmly believe the driving force behind an interesting, creative curriculum is a clear focus on delivering excellent teaching and learning which ensures children engage in a range of learning experiences which are challenging, based on real life and are meaningful.

As an academy, we provide a broad and balanced curriculum which pays due regard to the National Curriculum. We aim that all our children will be secondary school ready and make outstanding progress across every stage of their school life.

Our curriculum is wrapped around our core values of cooperation, growth, integrity, kindness and respect. 

P.E. and swimming follow a skills based curriculum which is taught discretely.

Maths, English and Religious Education are taught separately. 

Our children are the heart of our curriculum design.  Our curriculum is well sequenced, ambitious and connected. It recognises individuality and encourages cooperation and community mindedness. The big ideas that sculpt and shape our curriculum prepare children academically, socially, and emotionally for the next steps towards adulthood.

Each year group studies  3 subject driver topics in each academic year (EYFS study 6). These are published on the school website. The topics have been carefully chosen to reflect the needs and interests of the children and the environment in which they live. They have then been analysed carefully and referenced to the National Curriculum to ensure that there is sufficient coverage of the programmes of study. 

Mission statement

Twickenham Primary School is a place for outstanding academic excellence. We encourage a consensus of kindness and respect because we believe that it is only possible to achieve your true potential if you feel valued. Our school motto ‘Be all you can be’ is the basis of everything that we do. We are a school where independence is celebrated and individuals can flourish in a productive and secure atmosphere. Our school has a tradition of celebrating and sharing success in everything that we do. We expect every child to attain the highest levels of academic achievement and believe all our children can be extremely successful learners. All pupils feel cared for because we provide a setting where every individual feels respected, valued and safe. All members of the school community, including parents and visitors, work together as a team to act responsibly, show courtesy, respect diversity and promote positive behaviour. 

General principles

Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:

• learn within a coherent and progressive framework
• experience the challenge and enjoyment of learning
• see clear links between different aspects of their learning
• learn in and out of the school enjoying relevant and exciting experiences which enhance their skills and knowledge

Through our exciting, stimulating and creative curriculum we aim for every child to enjoy learning and gain knowledge, skills and attributes which will enable them to lead happy, fulfilling and successful future lives. We live in an ever changing world and it is our aim to ensure that our pupils are ready to face these challenges and succeed in whatever they do. We take every opportunity to enrich the curriculum with outside providers, trips and visits, celebration days, whole school themed weeks and extra–curricular opportunities. This gives context to learning and also shows our pupils that education is relevant, fun and worthwhile. 

SMSC/FBV

Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:

• Spiritual - Explore beliefs, experience and faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity and reflect on experiences
• Social - Through our philosophy lessons children develop skills to articulate their viewpoints and appreciate diverse viewpoints. Through respect and understanding they develop the skills of conflict resolution.
• Cultural - Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in cultural opportunities (all children have musical instrument tuition); understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity
• Rule of law - Learn that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable for their actions and behaviour
• Democracy - Be part of a system where everyone plays an equal part
• Tolerance and respect - To respect and tolerate the opinions or behaviour of others
• Individual liberty - Be free to express views or ideas

We educate our children to be tolerant, respectful, positive members of our society upholding British values. We live in a culturally and socially diverse city which is not always reflected in our school community so we feel the responsibility to ensure that children are aware of our place in the world and the opportunities in our society. Our philosophy lessons encourage children to question the world around them and form opinions whilst always accepting that we can learn from diverse points of view. 

Well-being

Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:

• learn how to respect themselves and others
• build respectful friendships
• develop self-esteem and confidence in their abilities

Praise, encouragement and the raising of pupil's self-esteem is paramount to our teaching. Positive behaviour strategies are defined and used across the school and children's achievements are celebrated in class and in praise assemblies. We have a pastoral team which includes a learning mentor and a counsellor to remove barriers to learning and ensure that all children access an appropriate curriculum.

SEND

We provide an inclusive, accessible and ambitious curriculum for all children, including those with SEND. We embrace the fact that every child is different and strive to support all children in the best way possible. It is our aim to enable children to find their passion and talent so we believe it is essential that all children have access to the full curriculum and we work hard to remove any potential barriers. Our wider study lessons are adapted to support children with SEND so they can still meet ambitious targets. These adaptations may come in the form of, but are not limited to, pre-teaching, using manipulatives, word banks, task slicing and low writing output. Children with SEND have full access to all aspects of school life including extra-curricular activities, trips, school councils and wider responsibilities such as head boy/girl positions. SEND provision is the responsibility for all staff at our school and our review cycles are collaborative and continuous. 

Pupil voice

Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:

• say what they like and dislike about their learning
• make choices about things that are important to them
• express their opinions on a range of different topics and issues

We believe that children should be the central focus of every school activity. Therefore, the school council plays an important and pivotal part in school wide important decision making. We are all stakeholders in this institution and it is important to us that every child feels ownership of their school.  

Pedagogy

Our curriculum will be taught through a pedagogy that:

• promotes problem solving, creativity and communication
• excites, promotes and sustains children’s interest

Enrichment

We will enrich our curriculum by:

• Providing on and off-site subject or topic related activities
• Developing partnerships with external providers that extend children’s opportunities for learning
• Holding specialist curriculum days or weeks
• Welcoming parents and carers to take part in children’s learning and experiences

Exciting experiences fire children's interests, encourage learning and ensure that learning is memorable. Whenever possible topics will be started and enhanced by out of school visits, sparking curiosity and broadening horizons. Many of these experiences will be 'firsts' for our children and we acknowledge the responsibility fulfil their local and cultural heritage. 

Please contact the school office if you require more detailed information about our curriculum.