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Our Thematic Curriculum

 

Our Core Curriculum Threads

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Our Curriculum Intent

Herne Junior School

Our curriculum is broad and balanced, giving opportunities across all subjects and areas of life and where every individual child is valued. We believe that excellent learning experiences, underpinned by high quality teaching, set in a highly nurturing environment is essential for every child to achieve and develop well in all areas. Subject leaders have developed a progression of skills and knowledge and identified key technical vocabulary pertinent to their subject to be taught in each year group. Key assessment opportunities are in place from Year 3 through to Year 6 to judge attainment and progress. Our staff receive excellent continual professional development which ensures that they teach with confidence, expertise and experience.  This approach ensures children experience learning that is built on solid foundations, and which is meaningful and engaging. They develop a true love and thirst for learning which enables them to be securely ready for each stage of their education

We aim for our curriculum to:

  1. Be underpinned by our values, vision (see below) and unique concept of HARMONY.
  2. Develop the whole child – through knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes and foster a love for life-long learning.
  3. Be broad, balanced and have a clear progression in subject knowledge and skills
  4. Be filled with rich first-hand purposeful experiences, give children rich ‘hooks’ into their learning and offer children a variety of ‘outcomes’ to present or share their learning.
  5. Be flexible and responsive to individual needs and interests
  6. To actively promote being a good British Citizen (promoting our countries values) and to be a respectful and responsible Global Citizen, with a particular focus on the environment.
  7. Make meaningful links between areas of knowledge across subjects, enabling our children to begin to understand issues locally, nationally and internationally and to recognise how they can contribute to an even better world
  8. Develop a sense of spirituality, moral integrity, cultural respect and social adaptability in order to thrive and succeed in a diverse and ever-changing world.
  9. To celebrate our local community and appreciating the rich history of living in a 12th Century Market town and living in the South Downs National Park.

Our Vision

“Knowing Every Child” highlights our mission to get to know each and every child in our ever-expanding school which has seen our school grow from 370 children in 2012 to 480 children in 2019; a 30% increase in under a decade, equating to nearly four extra classes across the school.

 

“Inspiring Every Mind” underpins our aspiration to provide great lessons and memorable experiences for our children during a crucial period of learning which lays the foundations for their later lives. This requires fantastic teaching at every level and includes the robust leadership of adults in the school to achieve this aim.

 

“Achieving Every Day” our ambition that each and every child (and adult) can look back at their day, month, year and time at Herne and feel confident that their time here has led to a sense that they have achieved something they can be proud of.  This could be academic achievement or pastoral achievement, but either way, it would be something we can recognise and celebrate when appropriate.

 

Our curriculum takes on three key principles which we call ‘The Three I’s’.

  1. The INTENT of our curriculum is to develop every child’s personal, social and moral integrity whilst providing full coverage of the national curriculum expectations within our unique curriculum. Our curriculum is relevant, meaningful, engaging and ambitious for all of our children. It is based on a highly effective, four-year journey, building on prior learning. It is purposeful, relevant and aspirational, where language and learning are linked and applied across subjects.  It is broad and rich to provide opportunities and experiences beyond the norm to equip and prepare children to live and succeed in an unknown and ever-changing future world.
  2. IMPLEMENTATION Teachers and LSAs present learning clearly and systematically. They are highly skilled, well trained and enthusiastic. They ensure our curriculum implementation is both well planned and dynamic to allow for unique opportunities as they arise. Reading, Phonics, Writing and Mathematical understanding are the bedrock so children can successfully access other subjects now and as they move through life. Staff have strong subject knowledge due to excellent subject leadership and continual professional development. Our assessment processes ensure that all children are supported and challenged appropriately.
  3. The overall IMPACT of the curriculum is measured by evaluating both the knowledge and skills our children have gained and acquired against the expectations of the national curriculum as well as the personal and social attributes and qualities they have developed with absolute secure readiness for the next stage of their education.