Curriculum
Our Intentions: Dunston Primary Academy believe that the curriculum incorporates the full range of experiences offered by the school and is not simply a list of programmes of study to be followed. It is our intention to create a curriculum where children make accelerated progress from their starting points in all subjects as a result of passionate focused teaching and a well planned and sequenced curriculum. Each subject will be taught with equal rigour. Additionally, children will develop a growth mindset which equips them to be successful at solving problems and seeking solutions. This will be fuelled by their learned resilient, aspirational and optimistic outlook.
Our Implementation Strategies: Through our understanding of the Dunston locality, we recognise the importance of creating rich, vivid and focused experiences that engage all children in order ensure both progress and deep long lasting learning. Over time the children will benefit from a blend of teaching styles. Direct teaching will be used to allow children to develop either new knowledge or a skill. Through inductive teaching learners will follow a prescribed process of ‘teach and do’ in order to enhance their knowledge or understanding of a concept. Exploratory teaching methods will also be employed which provide learners with the opportunities to use previously learned knowledge and skills to develop their learning to create something of value.
To ensure that all pupils develop a growth mindset all learning environments will promote positivity and a ‘can do’ culture. This will be strengthened through Dunston’s policy of ensuring that positive exchanges exceed negative ones by 5:1. Children are taught to be creative thinkers, independent enquirers, team workers, effective participators, self-managers and reflective learners. The curriculum will also explicitly teach the qualities of resilience, honesty and empathy, equipping Dunston pupils with the skills to become successful, respectful and caring citizens.
There will be regular monitoring and evaluation of the above implementation strategies. This will incorporate the analysis of assessment data, work scrutiny, lesson visits and pupil interviews. The pupils will also contribute to the school improvement cycle through the Pupil Parliament. Proactive middle leaders and appropriate assessment structures also support the implementation process.
The Impact of our Curriculum: will show that pupils make good progress from their starting points in all National Curriculum subjects. Additionally, the pupils will demonstrate that they are prepared for the next stage of their learning journey. Children will have made progress in the key concepts, skills, knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum subjects. The pupils will be able to make links between those subjects through our concept based curriculum. Our learners demonstrate their ability to ask new questions and find imaginative answers using their creative mind. Their understanding and empathy for different people and cultures will show that they have developed a respectful mind. Finally, they will have an ethical mind which equips them to behave responsibly as they pass to their next stage of education.