Curriculum Intent

 

At Ascot Road Primary School, belonging is at the heart of our curriculum and our school community. We believe that every child should feel known, valued and included, with a strong sense that they belong within their classroom, their school, their local community and the wider world.

Our curriculum is ambitious for every pupil. It is designed to provide children with the knowledge, skills, vocabulary and experiences they need to succeed academically, develop personally and become confident, responsible members of society. We want our pupils to develop a genuine curiosity about the world around them and to understand both their place within it and the contribution they can make to it.

Our values of Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Responsibility and Fairness are woven throughout school life and underpin the choices we make about what and how we teach. Together, these values create a culture of belonging in which pupils feel safe to learn, challenge themselves, express their views and celebrate the achievements and identities of others.

As a proud member of the Danes Educational Trust (DET), our curriculum is also underpinned by the Trust's DRIVE principles, providing a shared framework through which we ensure our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and responsive to the needs of our pupils and community.

Delivering the DRIVE principles through a culture of belonging

Our curriculum brings the DRIVE principles to life within the unique context of Ascot Road Primary School.

• Diverse: Our curriculum reflects and celebrates the diversity of our school community and the wider world. Pupils encounter a broad range of cultures, perspectives, histories, individuals and experiences, enabling them to see themselves represented within the curriculum while also developing their understanding of others. Through this, we develop Respect, Kindness and Fairness, encouraging pupils to value difference and recognise the importance of equality.

• Reflects and serves our community: We believe that learning is most meaningful when pupils understand its relevance to their own lives. Our curriculum makes purposeful connections with our local area and community, helping pupils develop a strong sense of place and belonging. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their community and environment and to understand how their actions can make a positive difference. At the same time, our curriculum broadens pupils' horizons, enabling them to look beyond their immediate experiences and understand their place within a diverse and interconnected world.

• Inclusive by design: We are ambitious for every child. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their starting points or individual needs, can access, participate in and succeed within the full curriculum. Teachers anticipate potential barriers and make appropriate adaptations while maintaining high expectations. Through Fairness, Kindness and Respect, we recognise that equity does not always mean providing every child with exactly the same support, but ensuring each pupil has what they need to thrive.

• Vocabulary and language rich: We recognise that language provides pupils with access to the curriculum and empowers them to communicate their thinking with clarity and confidence. Ambitious, subject-specific vocabulary is explicitly taught, revisited and applied across the curriculum. Through high-quality discussion, reading and opportunities for purposeful communication, pupils develop the language they need to express ideas, ask questions, explain their reasoning and engage fully with the world around them.

• Enables pupils to be prepared for the future: Our curriculum prepares pupils not only for the next stage of their education but also for their future lives. We provide the knowledge, cultural capital, personal qualities and transferable skills pupils need to approach new experiences with confidence. Through opportunities to demonstrate Honesty, Responsibility, Respect, Kindness and Fairness, pupils learn to make considered choices, build positive relationships and understand their responsibilities towards others. We want every child to leave Ascot Road knowing that they belong, believing that they can succeed and recognising the positive contribution they can make to society.

 

Curriculum implementation: How we bring our curriculum to life

To realise our curriculum vision, Ascot Road Primary School follows the Trust-wide primary pedagogical framework. This provides a consistent approach to high-quality teaching while recognising the distinct disciplinary knowledge, skills and approaches required within individual subjects.

Our teaching follows four key stages:

• Revisit and review: Teachers deliberately revisit previously taught knowledge and vocabulary through purposeful retrieval. This strengthens pupils' recall, identifies misconceptions and enables pupils to make meaningful connections between prior and new learning.

• Teach: New learning is introduced explicitly and clearly. Teachers draw pupils' attention to the important substantive and disciplinary knowledge within each subject and use modelling, explanation and carefully selected examples to support understanding.

• Practice: Pupils are provided with purposeful opportunities to rehearse, practise and refine their knowledge and skills. Appropriate scaffolding supports pupils towards increasing fluency, confidence and independence.

• Apply: Pupils use their developing knowledge and skills in increasingly complex contexts. Opportunities to explain, reason, solve problems, create and make connections enable pupils to demonstrate deeper understanding and apply their learning independently.

At the heart of this framework is a continuous cycle of checking for understanding. Teachers use questioning, observation, discussion and pupils' work to identify what has been understood, address misconceptions and adapt teaching responsively. Assessment is therefore an integral part of teaching rather than something that happens only at the end of a sequence of learning.

Our curriculum encompasses the full range of subjects within the National Curriculum and is carefully designed to provide every pupil with a broad, balanced and ambitious educational experience. Each subject has a clearly defined curriculum intent and a coherently sequenced progression of knowledge and skills from the Early Years through to Year Six.

Dedicated subject leaders oversee the development and implementation of their subjects. Through curriculum development, professional learning, monitoring and support, they ensure that teachers have the knowledge and resources required to deliver the curriculum effectively and that pupils experience consistently high expectations.

Alongside our academic curriculum, personal development is woven throughout school life. Pupils are given opportunities to develop character, leadership, independence and an understanding of their role within their community and society. Our values provide a shared language through which pupils learn to build positive relationships, make responsible choices and treat themselves and others with dignity and respect.

Our commitment to progression

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced and progressive, enabling pupils to build secure and connected bodies of knowledge over time. Curriculum content is mapped from the Early Years to Year Six so that new learning deliberately builds upon what pupils have previously been taught.

We recognise that progress means more than moving through curriculum content. Pupils make progress when they know more, remember more, understand more and can increasingly use what they have learned with confidence and independence.

Through careful curriculum design, high-quality teaching and purposeful assessment, we ensure that learning builds cumulatively over time. We want pupils to recognise connections within and between subjects and to develop increasingly sophisticated ways of thinking as they progress through the school.

Through this curriculum, our ambition is that every pupil leaves Ascot Road with strong academic foundations, rich experiences and a secure sense of belonging. They should understand the importance of Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Responsibility and Fairness and be equipped to demonstrate these values as they continue their educational journey and take their place within the wider world.

 

 

Measuring the impact of our curriculum

The impact of our curriculum is measured through both pupils' academic achievement and their wider personal development.

We evaluate how successfully pupils are learning the intended curriculum through a range of evidence. This includes statutory and internal assessment information, pupils' work, discussions with pupils, classroom practice and the extent to which pupils can recall, explain and apply their learning over time.

Regular pupil voice provides an important insight into pupils' experiences of the curriculum. We consider not only what pupils have learned, but whether they can make connections with previous learning, use subject-specific vocabulary accurately and explain how their understanding has developed.

Senior leaders undertake ongoing quality assurance through activities including learning walks, work scrutiny, pupil discussions and curriculum reviews. This enables leaders to evaluate the quality and consistency of curriculum implementation, identify strengths and provide targeted support and professional development where required.

Assessment information is used thoughtfully alongside this wider evidence to determine whether pupils are making appropriate progress and to identify individuals or groups who may require additional support.

Ultimately, the success of our curriculum can be seen in pupils who know more, remember more and can do more, while developing the confidence and character to use their learning positively.

We want pupils to leave Ascot Road as knowledgeable, curious and compassionate young people who:

• demonstrate Respect for themselves, others and the world around them;

• understand the importance of Honesty and integrity;

• show Kindness through their words and actions;

• take Responsibility for their choices, learning and community;

• understand and promote Fairness; and

• have a secure sense of Belonging, knowing that they are valued members of their community with the potential to contribute positively to the wider world.

These outcomes, alongside pupils' academic success, provide the clearest measure of the impact of our curriculum.

At Ascot Road we are deeply committed to creating an inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued, respected, and supported to reach their full potential. In accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and our dedication to diversity and inclusivity, our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

Our curriculum reflects the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities of our students. We incorporate diverse perspectives, cultures, and histories into our lessons, ensuring that all students feel represented and valued. Additionally, we actively challenge stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination through discussions, literature, and real-life examples, promoting equality and respect for all.  

 

At Ascot Road Primary School,  we are committed to providing a well-rounded education that not only equips students with academic knowledge but also fosters their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development. We do this through our PSHE scheme ‘Jigsaw’ as well as it being  woven through the subject areas within our curriculum.

Find out more about how SMSC education is at the heart of our curriculum