Curriculum Statement

Curriculum Statement

The Rothwell Schools curriculum aligns with the Pathfinder Schools Curriculum Vision Statement and is underpinned by our Vision and Values: Curiosity, Independence, Aspiration, and respect.

Principles and Purpose

At the Rothwell Schools, we provide an ambitious, structured, academic curriculum that puts the children at the centre of their learning. This prepares individuals well for their next stage in learning and for the wider world in which they live.

Our curriculum enables learners to build on their previous knowledge to ensure they continue to grow academically, physically, mentally and build on their personal characters. We aim to inspire a love of learning alongside equipping pupils with the knowledge, skills, understanding of concepts and vocabulary they need to excel in life. We provide pupils with the cultural experiences to develop as confident, responsible citizens.

Our curriculum is designed to enable every pupil to be the best that they can be. As a school we promote ‘making mistakes’ as a way of learning and provide children with a safe environment to do this in. We support children to be inquisitive and to ask questions to find out more. We nurture confidence and self-esteem and encourage collaboration and independence from our pupils.

Inclusion is at the heart of our schools and we pride ourselves on offering a nurturing and safe environment for all of our pupils. We know that if children feel safe and cared for, they are able to access learning more readily.

“Education is the most powerful tool which you can use to change the world”. Nelson Mandela

“Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think”. Albert Einstein

Breadth and Balance

Our curriculum is aligned to the National Curriculum.

The Long-Term mapping grid,  gives an overview of what the children will be learning each year as they move through our schools.  We consider the discrete blocks of knowledge, skills and concepts for each subject area and aim to make clear links across themes and between subjects to deepen pupils’ understanding.  Core areas of learning are revisited so that pupils develop a deeper understanding with prior learning being built upon.

We also offer enrichment opportunities to create a rich diet of learning experiences for our pupils to help them to become well-rounded individuals.

Accessibility

The school has prepared and will implement the following accessibility plan to increase the extent to which disabled students can participate in the curriculum, improve the physical environment of the school to increase the extent to which disabled students are able to take advantage of education and benefits, facilities or services provided or offered by the school, and improve the delivery to disabled students of information readily accessible to students who are not disabled, within a reasonable time and in ways which are determined after taking into account the students’ disabilities and any preferences expressed by them or their parents.

The school will keep the Accessibility Plan revised as necessary, 3 year review due September 2024.

below is an extract from our Accessibility Plan for 2021-2024. The full plan is available as a download from our Policies page.

Enrichment

We aim to provide engaging learning experiences both within and beyond the school building. Our Enrichment offer helps children to embed knowledge and skills taught within the core offer but also supports pupils to engage in new activities or experiences that help them to engage in the wider community and teach them important life skills. These experiences often spark a child’s interest and promotes high engagement in learning.

Children enjoy themed learning days where they are immersed in different learning activities based on specific subjects. They also enjoy trips and visits from external agencies too!

The development of cultural capital at Rothwell Schools is built on an equitable approach – one size does not fit all and our focus is on children being given the support they need as an individual to develop and succeed. The use of our Pupil Premium Funding supports our Enrichment offer.

British Values

Across the school curriculum we work to ensure we actively promote life in Modern Britain. We follow Jigsaw RSHE programme where British Values is embedded within the lessons. We also dedicate assemblies, led by our RSHE leads, where British Values are explored further with the children and as a result our children are aware of individual liberty, democracy, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Our Curriculum : Schemes Used

At the Rothwell Schools our curriculum is designed to ensure all children are receiving a high quality, progressive, broad and balanced curriculum.

Within our schools we use the following schemes to drive our teaching and learning: