Curriculum

Our curriculum is built on a firm foundation of sincere, respectful relationships which support all of our pupils to be self-regulated learners. We ensure that high quality, empathetic teaching provides equity for all of our pupils by prioritising their personal, social, health and emotional needs. In addition, to safeguard our pupils, we develop the skills needed to help keep the children safe and healthy, whilst building their self-esteem and resilience. Our Mental Health and Well Being page explains more about our approaches, which are at the heart of what we do and who we are.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

At Beaver Road we are committed to providing our children with an aspirational and inspirational curriculum. We use and build on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and The National Curriculum to ensure every pupil has the essential knowledge and skills they need to be educated citizens. Our staff personalise our curriculum using a Learning Challenge approach which is developed around the principle of greater pupil involvement in their work; all children are encouraged to express and discuss their ideas, thoughts and feelings.

From Nursery through to Year 6, our staff plan from broad enquiry questions that spark pupil’s curiosity and make meaningful connections across the curriculum. Graffiti boards are used as a preview activity to introduce a new concept and help students organise any existing knowledge about that topic. Subject leaders and teachers collaborate to ensure each term's knowledge and skills are sequenced to build on what children have learnt before. Every lesson links to the children's prior knowledge so the learning is manageable and meaningful.

When planning, we follow the principles of Andy Griffith’s teaching backwards approach. By starting with the endpoints, what needs to be taught and understood, teachers can sequence the proceding lessons effectively.  Our long and medium term planning, which can be found on each year group’s class pages, focuses on learning fewer things in greater depth to ensure a deep and secure understanding. Learners are involved in their own differentiation using SOLO taxonomy to understand where they are in the process of learning a concept and what they need to do to progress.

In order to respond to every child's learning needs, our curriculum continues to evolve. Through well resourced, meaningful teaching experiences, inclusive assessment opportunities and high-quality feedback, we enable all pupils, of every ability, to be independent successful learners. We are proud and passionate in making sure everyone in our school community feels valued. Curriculum planning incorporates the promotion of the fundamental British Values of tolerance, respect and empathy for others through the UN convention on the Rights of the Child, which is one of the many reasons we have been awarded and maintained the Gold Rights Respecting School accreditation. 

Kagan structures, which are instructional strategies, are intrinsic to the teaching and collaborative learning that happens every day at Beaver Road. Kagan structures are based on 4 principles: positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal participation and simultaneous interaction.

Every classroom at Beaver Road is an inviting and enabling environment. Working walls demonstrate the learning journey that is currently taking place, with key skills, vocabulary, models and methods displayed for the children to use whilst they learn. The celebration of children's work is also displayed to motivate and inspire children to achieve the best they can.

When our teachers have their planning, preparation and assessment time, a specialist teacher delivers Music to the children from Reception to Year 5, with the exception of Year 3, who have their Whole Class Instrumental Tuition delivered by a One Education Music Tutor. In all year groups including Year 6, two highly experienced sport coaches teach Physical Education and the Year group's Higher Level Teaching Assistant delivers another area of the curriculum. This subject is rotated half termly for assessment and monitoring purposes.

In addition to PE lessons, Beaver Road is represented at numerous sports competitions, such as netball, football, hockey, swimming, handball, tennis and basketball to name just a few. Music is highly regarded with several specialist peripatetic teachers providing brass, woodwind, percussion, singing and guitar lessons. Our school choir also has amazing opportunities to perform at events such Blue Peter, Manchester Cathedral and the Bridgewater Hall. 

At Beaver Road, we have skilled subject leaders for each area of the curriculum, who are well trained, ambitious and knowledgeable in their area of curriculum leadership. Using assessment data, lesson observations, planning, book scrutinies and discussions with the children on our curriculum subject enquiry afternoons, subject leaders are able to monitor and evaluate the teaching of their curriculum area. This information is then used to develop their subject to ensure the learning is appropriately sequenced across the school, enabling all pupils to build their knowledge and skills towards the agreed ‘end points’.

Links with other policies and documents

• EYFS policy
• Feedback and marking policy
• Teaching and Learning policy
• Curriculum policy
• English policy
• Maths policy
• Science policy
• Computing policy
• Geography policy
• History policy
• Art policy
• Music policy
• PE policy
• D&T policy
• MFL policy
• SEND policy
• Assessment policy
• Gold accreditation report
• National Curriculum programmes of study
• Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework

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