Curriculum Intent:

Our aim is to provide a curriculum that raises children's personal aspirations by providing them with the skills, knowledge, understanding and vocabulary to achieve their highest potential.  The National Curriculum is delivered in a creative way that ignites children's appetite for learning.

In addition to this, we take deliberate curriculum actions that are specific to our community and to the children who attend the school, that will help them to achieve their very best.

East Acton’s curriculum is built on a foundation of skills that are practised and extended each year, and on knowledge and vocabulary that informs and enriches understanding.  All children have wide curricular experiences that broaden their horizons and deepen their learning.

• Our school context is that we have high numbers of children for whom English is an additional language (74%) which is in the top 20% of all schools.  We also have high numbers of children with Special Needs (19%) and children eligible for Free School Meals (39%).  Our mobility is also high compared to national average.
• Due to our school’s context, the East Acton curriculum has a strong emphasis on a structured approach to the teaching of reading, writing and maths because we recognise that children cannot access the curriculum without a good working knowledge and understanding in these areas.  However we still ensure we provide a wide range of real life activities and experiences to stimulate these areas of learning.

It is our intent that through our curriculum provision:

• All children have access to a range of wider experiences and opportunities – visits, trips to the local and wider area, cultural enrichment to bridge the gap, in particular, for those children who do not typically have these experiences.

• There are increased opportunities to learn and use an extended vocabulary in all subjects.
• We work in partnership with parents to help them feel confident in ways to support their children’s learning.
• We raise personal aspirations and equip the children with the knowledge, skills, vocabulary and mind-set to attain them.

Our school values are the bedrock on which our curriculum is delivered:

Values:

• At East Acton Primary School we believe all children should acquire the skills to become independent life-long learners.
• Within a safe, happy environment, we encourage children to become confident, reflective and resilient individuals who aim high and achieve well.
• With the support of parents, carers and the local community, we encourage children to be positive citizens who respect each other and take pride in all they do.

Key words that link strongly to our school values are:

Resilience, Perseverance, Nurture, Ambition, Inclusion, Enjoyment, Respect and Pride.

Together with the 5 British Values of Democracy, Rule of Law, Mutual Respect, Equality and Diversity and Individual Liberty we believe these values will help the pupils of East Acton to thrive as they grow up and to contribute positively to their community and the wider world.

We work in partnership with parents and carers, ‘Growing Together” and helping each child to achieve their highest potential.

Learning environments are: Calm, nurturing, supportive, purposeful, support risk-taking and encourage independent learning, cooperation and creativity.  We have high expectations of behaviour and academic performance and we expect all our children to work hard and to do their best.

Curriculum Implementation:

The learning journey is mapped out year by year, subject specific content ensures there is clear progression, consolidation and extension of skills and knowledge.  Where appropriate we teach subjects using a cross-curricular approach and encourage children to make links.  This helps children to see that learning is connected, relevant and purposeful.  Children tell us that learning is fun and we all know that when we enjoy doing something we are more likely to learn, develop an appetite to learn more and to retain the skills and knowledge that have been gained.

Themed weeks and immersion days raise the profile of subjects and areas of learning and provide children with new experiences, as well as opportunities to enrich and deepen learning.

Curriculum Impact:

Our curriculum provision creates engaged, inquisitive, happy children, who work well collaboratively and independently using a broad range of skills, an improving vocabulary and academic knowledge.  Our curriculum creates memorable learning opportunities set out in a sequence which builds on prior learning and deepens children’s understanding. Children have high aspirations for their futures, and they are equipped with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to reach these goals as they move to the next phase of their education.