Our curriculum

Our children benefit from an exciting and engaging curriculum which has been developed to ensure that learning is irresistible for children. We ensure learning includes memorable experiences that inspire, motivate and engage all children. The curriculum is sequenced in a logical and progressive way to ensure children can make connections between subject areas to ensure learning contexts are authentic and meaningful. This ensures that children develop a depth of knowledge which enables them to apply their thinking and, in the longer term, remember the content they have been taught and connect new learning with existing knowledge.

The aim of our curriculum is to develop:

• Avid and fluent readers
• Ambitious and curious learners
• Confident writers
• Problem solvers
• Effective citizens who nurture and support others

We do this by providing children with:

• An Early Years curriculum that launches children’s curiosity and provides the foundations for future learning
• Knowledge that interconnects and is closely linked to the area we live in
• Quality first teaching, with equity for all at its heart
• A rich variety of memorable experiences, that challenge
• Access to an immersive reading spine, that will nurture a lifelong love of reading and literature
• Opportunities to write across a wide range of meaningful contexts
• Learning and challenges that create fluent mathematicians who can reason and solve problems
• Exposure to, and understanding of, the Arts, fostering a love and appreciation of the Arts in all forms
• The chance to be leaders, and become fluent and articulate speakers
• Experiences that make them inquisitive, fostering curiosity and thirst for scientific and technological discovery
• The opportunity to develop an understanding of how to care for their bodies and minds
• An environment that is inclusive, and celebrates diversity, ensuring representation
• A Charter for Living and Learning, that advocates the rights of the child and enables global citizenship through British Values

Our curriculum recognises our location in Southwest England and ensures knowledge and understanding of the deep history and varied geography that permeates the region, from the expanses of Salisbury Plain to the rich urban cities of Bath and Bristol.

Equality and diversity are woven through our curriculum, ensuring it represents all cultures and backgrounds and that children develop their knowledge and thinking as global citizens. Children are taught about significant figures, who are carefully selected to ensure they are presented with a diverse range of people.

Our wider curriculum is carefully curated to support the development of the whole child, encompassing academic excellence alongside personal growth and wellbeing. At River Mead School, we believe in providing a holistic educational experience that goes beyond traditional subjects. Our approach includes:

A rich play curriculum at playtimes and lunchtimes: We understand the importance of play in child development and provide ample opportunities for children to engage in creative and imaginative play during breaks.

School parliament and leadership opportunities: Students are encouraged to develop leadership skills through various roles such as Sports Leaders and Ambassadors.

Celebrating achievements: We recognise and celebrate the achievements of our students through initiatives such as Star of the Week, Hot Chocolate Friday, and Reader/Writer/Mathematician of the Week.

Extra-curricular clubs, visits, and visitors: We offer a variety of extra-curricular clubs, educational visits, and opportunities for visitors to enhance our students’ learning experiences.

Enrichment opportunities: Our students benefit from a range of enrichment activities including author visits, performances in local theatres, music and dance events, as well as participation in sports fixtures.

Outdoor and adventurous curriculum: We believe in the importance of outdoor learning and provide opportunities for children to engage in outdoor activities, including residentials, to promote teamwork, resilience, and personal growth.

Our curriculum is inclusive, ensuring good progress and attainment for every child. Appropriate scaffolding enables children to succeed, both in the classroom and through additional learning support.

Alongside our mainstream curriculum, we are mindful of and consider:

• The development of our Resource Base Curriculum
• Learning that has been missed due to the pandemic
• Children may have access to an adaptive curriculum and personalised learning plans where they have additional needs
• Interventions that are targeted, timely, and evidence-based are provided where catch-up is indicated

In Early Years (Nursery / Reception), we plan for children to have rich experiences in all the areas of learning. Teachers ensure the environment, interactions, and routines are of a consistent high quality, to support the children’s progress towards independence and to enable them to be successful in the next stage of their education.

Ensuring the impact of our curriculum on the children is crucial, in terms of progress and attainment as well as building their confidence and understanding of the world to enable them to participate fully in all the opportunities they may be presented with in life. In order to understand what children know, remember, and can do from the taught curriculum we use a range of assessment and also undertake regular reviews and a range of monitoring and evaluation activities.

Our assessment is through key approaches, including:

• Elicitation
• Individual and class conferencing / feedback
• Pre-teaching
• Responsive teaching and the routine checking of children’s understanding and remembering
• Regular checking of books by teachers and leaders and discussions with children about their learning
• Summative (standardised) assessment twice a year (more frequently for phonics and maths fluency)

We measure the effectiveness of our curriculum by checking:

• Children know more, remember more and can do more
• Staff have the knowledge and skills to effectively deliver the planned curriculum
• Children are respectful and supportive of each other, and value difference
• Children are highly motivated and strive to achieve their very best
• Children develop confidence, talents and interest