Our Connected Curriculum

Kelsall Connected Curriculum

A Love for Learning

Our Mission: To inspire the highest quality learning in a creative, collaborative environment

At Kelsall Primary and Nursery School, a curriculum and environment has been designed that encourages ‘A Love for Learning’. We want our children to become ethical people with a motivating desire to develop as a learner; finding out more about the complex world they live in and the contribution they can make towards a better world.

Our curriculum intent is built on three core pillars:

• Literacy for life (and across the curriculum)
• The development of creative and critical thinking – putting knowledge to work.
• Inclusion and belonging

Our Connected Curriculum is underpinned by the belief that children learn best when subjects link and overlap and meaningful connections are made between learning experiences. Its aim is to develop the disciplinary skills of Literacy across all subjects e.g. to write like a Geographer, to read like a Historian, to speak like a Scientist. It is strongly rooted in high quality texts as we recognise that the brain ‘privileges stories'. The sequence of learning is carefully considered to ensure that knowledge and skills are progressively developed. Key concepts are presented early and repeatedly throughout the curriculum with deepening complexity, with the intention that deeper learning is achieved through a connected ‘conceptual fabric’

We believe that creative and critical thinking are essential skills our children need to have it they are to become ethical adults with a desire to change the world and not just maintain the status quo. Our curriculum puts great value on creative and critical thinking through six ‘habits of creativity’. We encourage the development of these skills through pedagogies and protocols and support children to put their ideas to work in meaningful and purposeful ways through first hand experience, access to experts and fieldwork.

We aspire to provide a curriculum that nurtures and promotes an appreciation of diversity. We are proud to be a ‘No Outsiders’ school and believe strongly that an inclusive education promotes a sense of belonging and prepares children to be great citizens. When we are getting things right for our learners with SEND, we are getting it right for all learners. Inclusive Practice means we use approaches that are effective for learners with SEND. This will provide all learners with opportunities to learn in small steps and carefully build upon their prior knowledge.

The impact of our curriculum is evident through the monitoring and evaluation cycle. Subject Leaders ensure and assure that curriculum implementation has fidelity to the learning intentions set out.