Our Curriculum and Teaching & Learning Explained
Russell Street School Curriculum
Russell Street School’s curriculum provides exciting experience-based integrated educational opportunities for pupils of all backgrounds that allow each child to develop the long-term knowledge and skills needed to reach their full potential, in order to take full advantage of opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
Pupils will:
- develop the appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding that goes beyond the National Curriculum, so that children can flourish, reach and exceed their potential academically, physically and artistically.
- develop the behaviours learners need to succeed in the world, such as concentration, perseverance, imagination, co-operation, the enjoyment of learning, self-improvement and curiosity.
- lead happy, healthy, constructive lives in which they can aspire and experience success. Well-being, in terms of both physical and mental health, is essential for effective engagement with school and wider life.
- have a holistic set of values that prepares them for life in the modern world in a diverse and ever-changing community.
- understand spirituality in themselves and others, develop social skills and understand society, build a firm set of personal morals, and to engage in the community they live in and understand the cultures of others.
Knowledge is empowering, unlocking doors, providing a foundation for achieving success, reaching a deep understanding and being creative. (Teaching WALKTHRUs – Tom Sherrington & Oliver Caviglioli)
We have built a knowledge-rich curriculum that is planned and sequenced so that new & ambitious knowledge and skills build over time. When building the curriculum, we have considered a range of knowledge forms:
a) Declarative/Substantive: The key facts all children should know.
b) Procedural: The things children should be able to do (skills).
c) Experimental: Knowledge that can only be gained first-hand by experiencing or doing certain activities.
d) Disciplinary: The action taken within a particular subject to gain knowledge i.e. how we gain substantive knowledge. For example, in history this might mean using evidence to construct a claim. Meanwhile, in science it might mean testing hypotheses. In music, it might mean reading and writing notation.
e) Attitudinal: Expressions of personal beliefs or feelings.
Our Skills and Knowledge overviews detail the exact core concepts that our children should know in as much detail as possible. They ambitiously promote good progress and high-level skills and knowledge in all subject areas
Our Unit Plans then sequence this knowledge content into a coherent flow using small steps (to not overload working memory) in order to form schema. Children assimilate new learning connecting it to what they already know - new knowledge building upon prior knowledge, building towards challenging goals. Elements are regularly returned to, supporting children to accumulate knowledge over time, supported by practice and retrieval strategies. Authentic connections (that allow knowledge areas to be mutually reinforcing and enriching) have been highlighted between subjects and concepts.