Curriculum Information

Our Curriculum Vision

We engage and challenge all learners through an inspiring, relevant and ever-evolving curriculum.  Through a rich and varied range of opportunities, we empower children to become resilient, reflective learners, equipped with the knowledge, skills and motivation to enable them to become the best they can be as young people and adults.

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Curriculum Design

As a trust, we have worked together to develop a curriculum befitting the 21st Century. We offer a curriculum that is interesting, stimulating and relevant to the needs of children growing up in a fast and ever-changing world. Core threads run through all aspects of our curriculum: technology; outdoor learning; global learning; safeguarding; and equality and diversity. Each school interprets and personalises the curriculum to respond to the needs and interests of their children. We believe that all areas of the curriculum are important in developing knowledgeable and inquisitive minds.

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Our Core Curriculum Threads

As a trust and a school, we are constantly working together to develop a curriculum that is interesting, stimulating and relevant to the the needs of children growing up in an ever-changing world.  All areas of the curriculum are important in developing knowledgeable and inquisitive minds.  The following 'core threads' run through all aspects of our curriculum:

INTERNTAIONAL, GLOBAL AND LOCAL UNDERSTANDING

We encourage children to think about their place in the world, locally, nationally and internationally.  We want to recognise and understand similiarities and differences between themselves and others, and between their community and others'.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

We love the diversity of our community, and we aim to develop a culture where all are welcomed and valued, and where no one - child, family member, staff member or visitor - has to 'leave themselves at the door'.  Our curriculum acknowledges and celebrates human diversity.

OUTDOOR LEARNING

Being outside, in the open air, is good for you.  We want our children to understand the benefits, for physical and mental health, of being outside.  We also want them to develop an appreciation and love of the great outdoors, and to make the most of our wonderful outdoor space.

TECHNOLOGY

As technology presents people with ever more opportunities and challenges, we want children to know how to use it selectively and safely to support their learning.

WELL-BEING, SAFEGUARDING AND SAFETY

At New Valley, nothing is more important than children's  physical and emotional wellbeing.  We will continune to use the curriuculum to maintain and develop a culture in which children feel safe and are safe, and where they are able to articulate their concerns appropriately and comfortably.

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A Strong Basic Skills Curriculum

At New Valley we have a firm belief that all children have the right to experience an ambitious and rigorous basic skills curriculum. Often known as the core curriculum, we have developed and continue to do so, a thorough and rigorous curriculum in reading, writing and mathematics.  Each has its own intent statement and well-developed progression of learning. Whilst these are stand- alone curriculums, we also take advantage of the cross-curricular links that bring these subjects to life and afford meaningful contexts for learning.

Reading Intent Statement:

Our children will be young readers, developing the fluency and confidence to successfully comprehend, enjoy and understand a wide range of texts and media. They will develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information, and know that reading is an open door to expanding their world and to all other learning opportunities. Our children will explore genres and appreciate the work of a wide range of authors, developing preferences and making discoveries. They will acquire a wide vocabulary, develop a range of reading strategies, experience unfamiliar settings and unpick hidden meanings. They will learn to read and write as an author, to interpret, predict and enjoy reading aloud with developing prosody.  Above all, they will develop a critical appreciation and love of reading and literature.

Writing Intent Statement:

Our children will be young writers, becoming articulate and imaginative communicators, well-equipped with the basic skills they need to express themselves effectively in written form. We want our children to view writing as a lifelong skill that we continue to develop whatever our age.

Our children develop a genuine love of language and the written word, through a text-based approach which links closely to our reading curriculum. Children master the knowledge and skills required to choose and use the appropriate genre, form and formality. Children will write for a purpose and a variety of audiences to ensure they see themselves as real writers. We encourage children to take ownership of their writing, from initial ideas through organising, planning and editing to final publication if appropriate, and to mirror this process throughout the wider curriculum.

Mathematics Intent statement:

Our children will be young mathematicians, developing curiosity and a critical appreciation of the subject, and securing the skills, knowledge and understanding required to underpin an understanding of the world around them. Through becoming fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, our children will develop a flexible, deep and lasting understanding of mathematical procedures and concepts. They will develop the ability to abstract patterns, reason mathematically, solve problems, follow lines of enquiry, conjecture generalisations and justify decisions based on proof. They will apply their mathematical knowledge through all areas of their studies including science, technology and the arts and gain skills necessary for financial literacy and to everyday life.