The Connaught Curriculum

At Connaught Junior School, the educational intent of our creative curriculum is to provide children, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, an education where children are fully immersed in their learning. This has been achieved through careful analysis of the National Curriculum and Skills Progression documents as well as our professional knowledge of our children and how they learn best. In order for the children to fully explore each curriculum area, the lessons are arranged and planned so that learning is built upon over a sequence of successive lessons, where children are challenged appropriately, which allows uninterrupted discovery to take place. We have found that deeper learning occurs which the children are thoroughly engaged in and become empowered to develop their own knowledge independently both in and outside of school.

Through this curriculum, we have implemented real-life opportunities for our children to experience, giving them a purpose for their learning; this creates a meaningful hook which children feel enthused to grasp and explore. We believe that if our children feel that every piece of work, which is presented in their one topic book, adds value to their learning journey, they will be more motivated to achieve to their highest potential. 

As a school, we have a clear vision in mind about the end point where the children become experts in this topic and we structure our curriculum to facilitate their ability to reach those goals. This is known at Connaught as a celebration and all learning prior to this contributes toward this final outcome. We ensure that the children get the opportunity to share their work and feel a true sense of pride about what they have achieved.

The impact is that our children become critical thinkers with the ability to evaluate the strengths and areas for development in the work that they produce. Due to this, they are resilient and reflective learners who are not afraid to take risks and appreciate the value of making mistakes.

By offering children the opportunity to discover a wide variety of academic, vocational and technical skillsets, we are equipping pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital to succeed in later life. In order to succeed in this, we have created a ‘Connaught Careers’ programme where both teachers and professionals from a range of occupations afford our children the valuable opportunity to explore vocational paths which they may not ordinarily experience; this aims to develop the whole child, allowing pupils to nurture their creativity and ignite their passions.

Our curriculum, both inside and outside the classroom, actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Equality is promoted and diversity celebrated.

"Pupils at this school are exceptionally will prepared for their future lives. They benefit from a broad and well-rounded education."

^{Ofsted March 2022}

"Pupils develop the confidence and curiosity they need to become life-long learners." 

^{Ofsted March 2022}

"Leaders at this school often talk about developing the Child Who Can, and they have made this aim a reality"

^{Ofsted March 2022} 

Connaught Curriculum Design

In order for children at Connaught to reach their full potential in all subjects, we build on prior learning by making links with topics covered in previous years. As well as this, the children are exposed to sticky knowledge and are assessed against questions to embed key facts. This information is shared with parents via the Theme Overviews at the beginning of each half-term.  

Each subject has an overview to ensure there is a progression of skills, from year to year and that learning has a purpose. Launch Days and Celebration Days mean that children are engaged in their learning from the word go and are consistently working towards a goal at the end of the unit where their learning can be celebrated. 

Pre and post assessments are done with the children throughout the whole topic being covered, where key facts are repeatedly referred to and built upon.

As part of TAMAT, The Alliance Multi-Academy Trust, we have developed an assessment system for all subjects across the curriculum. Each school in TAMAT has their own individual curriculum, but children are assessed against the same standards.