“With knowledge anything is possible.”

SHINE   LEARN   BELIEVE   BELONG

Swaffham Church of England Primary Academy is a primary school situated in the market town of Swaffham, Norfolk. We have historically been a Junior School but, as of September 2020, became a Primary School and welcomed our first Reception Class. We have around 220 pupils on roll, with one class each for reception, year 1, year 2, year 3, year 4, year 5 and year 6 and a class for our bespoke provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health special educational needs. Our demographic is predominantly White British with 13% EAL (English as an Additional Language) pupils. We are a Christian school, part of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust. Our school is set within extensive grounds including a large playing field and two garden areas.

Our Curriculum Development Journey

Our curriculum has developed over time and undergone fundamental changes as our school status changed from a Junior School to a Primary School.  Our curriculum development journey reflects this transition of our school with a new year group being added each year from September 2020; our first Reception cohort who have then become our first Year 1 and then our first Year 2 cohort.  As we start this new academic year, September 2023, we no longer take children in from a feeder school.  Our curriculum design and development throughout this significant transition period has been rooted in our school vision, values and core principles.

Our vision

To inspire children, their families and staff to SHINE, LEARN, BELIEVE and BELONG so our children achieve their very best, leaving us as confident, happy resilient learners.

Our core principles

Trust

One of the core ingredients of teamwork.

Everyone has a voice

Powerful learning happens when we talk it through together.

Inclusion

Every child is unique. Barriers to participation are understood and overcome.

Our school vision and values define how we do things around here.  We call this The SPA Way- the behaviours and habits we have agreed with staff, children and stakeholders that we expect within our school community.

We were delighted that Ofsted recognised the following strengths of our curriculum when they inspected us in June 2023:

'Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum they have constructed.  It is ambitious and well sequenced from Reception to year 6.  This ensures that learning builds year after year.'

'In most subjects there are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit learning.  This helps pupils to recall knowledge.'

'Pupils enjoy their learning across the curriculum.'

'Teachers make regular checks to identify gaps in learning.'

'In English and mathematics, for example, teachers identify gaps and provide extra support to help pupils catch up.'

'The teaching of reading is a high priority.  staff are well trained and deliver the school's chosen phonics scheme effectively.  Children in Reception learn the basics of reading well.  They are ready to develop their reading in Year 1.  As a result, most are fluent readers by the end of Year 1.'

'Leaders ensure that those who struggle with their reading receive the right support to help them catch up.'

'Pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors.'

'Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective.'

'A wide variety of visits and other activities supplement classroom learning.  Many pupils learn a musical instrument.  Such activities help to bring learning to life and broaden pupils' horizons.'

'Pupils have frequent opportunities to develop their learning and experiences beyond the classroom.  Many enjoy attending the range of clubs on offer.  There are also many and varied opportunities for pupils to explore life outside the school community.  These provide memorable experiences and help bring classroom learning alive.'

'The curriculum ensures that pupils learn about their own lives and those of others.'

'Pupils show tolerance of differences.  They understand that discrimination of any kind is wrong.'

'Pupils have a good understanding of healthy relationships.'

'Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when working online or offline and in their community.'

Our Curriculum Intent

We are aspirational for our children and believe that ‘with knowledge anything is possible.’  Our curriculum is ambitious and aims to provide all children with knowledge and skills which build year on year and equip our children to become confident and resilient problem solvers, reflective thinkers and responsible citizens who are excited to try new things, believe that they can make a difference in our world and achieve great things.

SHINE   LEARN   BELIEVE   BELONG

Providing inspiring opportunities and experiences that encourage all our pupils to shine forms part of our vision. Through our Trust's Curriculum Champion project, as a team of staff we have worked alongside other headteachers, teachers and school leaders  to explore the research around curriculum design and considered what progress in learning means to us and how to make sure that learning sticks. 

Our research showed us that 'progress means knowing more and remembering more', 'prior knowledge allows learning of new content' and that we must think carefully about how we sequence knowledge across our curriculum so that new learning sticks.  We recognise that learning must be broken down into bite-sized chunks, build year on year and be carefully planned within the whole curriculum so that transferable links can be made across subjects and across year groups. 

The role of the Curriculum Leader has evolved throughout our school's curriculum planning journey.  Curriculum Leaders have  planned out the core knowledge that we want the children to learn in their subject.  We call these 'The Big Ideas.'  Additionally, Curriculum Leaders have mapped out the vocabulary and progression of skills that build over time and these can be seen within our curriculum documentation which include; curriculum maps, learning jounrney, progression of skills, milestones and key assessment questions. 

We aim to offer hands-on, cohesive and challenging learning, highlighting human creativity and achievement. In developing our curriculum, we recognised a key statement from one of our children who said, ‘I rarely break free from Swaffham.’ This was a defining moment for us in determining what we wanted for the children of Swaffham. 

We aim to develop cultural capital by providing pupils with opportunities to discover what is beyond their own town. We want to open the doors of opportunity to each pupil, helping them to recognise the potential they have to achieve and succeed (believe), not just at school, but as educated citizens within their own community and on a wider scale.  With our curriculum we intend to excite our pupils about our world and inspire them to explore beyond Swaffham but also to appreciate and value their community (belong).

Implementation

Our curriculum is underpinned by four highly relevant world issues, known as the 'four Cs':

Each curriculum theme is blocked over approximately 9 weeks so that our whole school is exploring one theme at the same time.  This starts in September with CONSERVATION and each year group has a strand within this.

EYFS:  What on Earth?

Year 1:  Light up the World.

Year 2:  Going Wild.

Year 3:  Picture our Planet.

Year 4:  Under the Canopy.

Year 5:  Global Warning.

Year 6:  Full of Beans.

Curriculum subject areas are taught as discreet subjects and this can be seen in our displays in classrooms, the children's exercise books and class showbooks.

We foster a love of reading by ensuring that texts have been carefully selected for each year group within each of the four themes.  Our foundation curriculum design and implementation is cohesive with our English curriculum.

The 4Cs (CONSERVATION, CULTURE, CONFLICT, COMMUNICATION) takes our school through a full academic year.  Our Collective Worship themes are carefully planned to link with the 4Cs and give further opportunity for the development of spiritual, social, moral and cultural education as well as opportunity to celebrate our Christian distinctiveness within our local community and further afield. 

During a 9 week whole school theme, we take the opportunity to raise the profile of our curriculum and celebrate the children's learning through events such as our Open Classroom afternoons.

Review and Evaluation of our Curriculum

Through our Trust's Curriculum Champion project we have been provided with a number of tools to support the evaluation of our curriculum.  We are mindful that our school is still within a transition period as last year was our first full year with classes in all year groups. We regularly come together to hold 'curriculum conversations' as a whole staff team and also in smaller groups.  We have worked alongside another Trust to review our curriculum development and ensure that we are outward looking in our approach.

We conducted our first full review of our emerging curriculum in the second half of the Summer Term 2022.  This review highlighted many strengths and some areas for development- most of which were based upon sequencing of units of learning.  This led us to create Learning Journeys as a visual guide for staff to be able to see the transferable learning opportunity links.  This is a relatively new development and an area that we are continuing to refine as we deliver our curriculum and frequently reflect on its implementation and impact.  Our review also highlighted the need for more explicit learning milestone points to be mapped for each subject and this too is an area we are working on this academic year.  We were delighted that Ofsted acknowledged these are areas that we are developing. 

Further detail of each curriculum area can be found by clicking on the relevant icon below.  If you require additional information then please contact the school office.