Curriculum and Assessment
'A rich curriculum that is unique to our federation'
Our federation’s bespoke curriculum has been carefully designed to meet the needs of our children as they move through our mixed-age class structure. Its design takes this into account whilst ensuring learning is coherent and sequenced.
Since 2019 and our 2024 EY inspection, the federation has continued to reflect and build upon our school's curriculum inspection findings (Weston Ofsted, 2019; Whitchurch EY 2024) which noted our 'innovative approach to the curriculum' which was described as ‘unquestionably ambitious and varied’. We continue to focus on 'enabling pupils to thrive in an ever-changing world by developing their subject knowledge and by teaching them to be independent learners'.
Our curriculum is not static. We value flexibility, recognising that our curriculum is 'a never-ending story' (Myatt, 2021) in order to ready our pupils for their next transition.
The National Curriculum is just one of our curriculum ingredients. Whilst we make sure the children reach their clear end points through appropriate content coverage, we also enhance their learning through the inclusion of other equally important aspects, creating a 'rich curriculum that is unique to your federation' as well as focusing on the holistic development of all of our children.
Curriculum Policy - Implementation
River Wye Federation Vocabulary
The River Wye Curriculum
Our curriculum intent outlines these areas:
Broad Foundation
We believe fundamentally that children should have the opportunity to produce meaningful work. At the heart of our curriculum is the philosophy of meaningful learning, where every Learning Journey engages students in real-world tasks with clear, purposeful outcomes. Each of our Learning Journeys are designed to give our children a sense of purpose from the very beginning. By focusing on work that holds lasting value, we lay a broad foundation for learning that is relevant and extends far beyond the classroom.
Diversity and Inclusion
We recognise that each child is an individual that brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives to their learning. Our Learning Journeys are designed to foster pupil ownership and ensure that all voices are heard and valued. We put the children at the heart of our planning, considering each cohort and their individual interests. This fosters our inclusive environment, providing learning experiences that celebrate the diverse backgrounds of our children, encouraging everyone to contribute meaningfully.
Knowledge Growth
Through purposeful and engaging Learning Journeys, we aim to promote deep knowledge growth. Our goal is not just to make learning enjoyable but to ensure that it leads to meaningful outcomes in subject knowledge, skills, and personal attributes. We take our children’s prior knowledge and experiences into account and work alongside them to build new schemata. Continuous assessment is woven throughout each journey, allowing us to provide timely feedback, guide individual progress, and ensure that learning remains on track. Expert engagement and real-life connections are integral, grounding learning in a way that is relevant and challenging, while supporting ongoing achievement and personal development.
High Standards
High standards are at the core of our approach. We are committed to quality first teaching, where staff are fully aware of each child’s progress and continuously guide their learning. Throughout each Learning Journey, we focus on producing high-quality work and experiences. This is driven by setting clear expectations, offering ongoing feedback and promoting peer learning. Our approach ensures that students not only meet but exceed their potential.
Equity and Ambition
We believe in providing equitable opportunities for all students to succeed. Our curriculum is designed to challenge all learners, ensuring that every child - regardless of background or ability - can thrive. We set ambitious goals and encourage students to push the boundaries of what they can achieve, supported by a strong growth mindset culture. With ongoing support and feedback, students gain the confidence to take ownership of their learning and strive for the highest standards in all areas of their education.
Holistic Development
Our focus is on developing the whole child. Meaningful Learning Journeys encourage not only academic growth but also emotional, social, and creative development. Through reflective practice and peer learning, students become confident in their abilities and aware of the steps they need to take to improve. We foster holistic development by integrating real-world challenges, growth mindset principles, and a focus on personal responsibility, preparing students to contribute meaningfully to the world both now and in the future.
When considering such meaningful Learning Journeys, we keep in mind these wise words from Professor Tim Brighouse,
“There are always those adventurers in education who are wanting to push the frontiers of what is possible and are driven by a passionate belief in what schooling should and could be like. It is such people who have always found ways to unlock the future for many youngsters who would otherwise spend their lives realising only a fraction of their potential.”
Assessment principles
‘Assessment for learning’ is at the heart of our practice. Leadership, teaching and assessment are inextricably linked. In essence this means quality first teaching where staff know exactly what each child do and where to take their learning next. Children having a sound understanding of their own learning, knowing how well they are doing and how to improve is in integral part of this.
This is achieved through giving children ongoing feedback and developing peer learning which enables each child to make good progress. This happens in our school through listening carefully to children, through effective questioning, through giving children time to improve and through a continuous focus on quality first teaching.
As a result of this approach children talk with confidence about their learning, about having a growth mindset and about the steps they need to take in order to make progress.
All staff, together with governors, evaluate summative assessment of children’s learning as individuals, groups and cohorts. This includes analysis of data, book trawls, taking to children and learning walks. Moderation across our federation is key. Information is shared with parents via homework tasks, parent meetings and ongoing access to our school’s tracking system.
