At Seaburn Dene Primary School, we are committed to providing all children with learning opportunities to engage and enthuse them in their education. 

At Seaburn Dene Primary School, we base our learning on a broad and balanced curriculum and strive to deliver a wide, memorable and varied learning experience. Our curriculum is underpinned by our four core values:  children are expected to show respect and kindness to one another. We celebrate good manners, honesty and a determination to work hard. We are committed to fostering an environment where children are happy, confident, independent and have the aspiration to be the very best they can be.

The curriculum is designed to: 

• Build on children’s prior learning.
• Provide memorable first-hand learning experiences
• Allow the children to develop interpersonal skills
• Build resilience.
• Enable children to become creative, critical thinkers.

Curriculum Rationale

• SDPS Rationale.pdf

Intent statement:

Our curriculum intent focuses on our core values:

Aspiration: Grow and develop our learners’ learning (What we learn)

To equip each child with the knowledge, skills, values and love of learning to prepare them for life beyond Seaburn Dene.

Determination:: To develop the ‘grit’ and resilience of our learners (How we learn)

To develop perseverance and independence in our learners which will prepare them for the everyday challenges of life in the modern world.

Respect and Kindness: To develop our learners’ understanding of their place in the community and wider world (Who we are)

To understand and respect themselves and others, develop social skills and understand life in a diverse society. To build a moral compass and to engage in the culture they live in while understanding the cultures and beliefs of others.

Implementation Statement:

The highest standards of education in English and maths are provided. There is a commitment to staff training and the provision of challenge for our pupils. We strive, at every key stage, to ensure our children reach their full potential and to assess and monitor progress to ensure this is continued throughout their time with us. 

The skills taught within English and maths are embedded throughout the whole curriculum through a planned link to basic skills and all learning will be explicit to pupils. 

In addition, the curriculum will be implemented using the school’s drivers at the heart of our decision making. By ensuring we think about what we learn, who we are when we are learning, how we act when we learn and who we are in the world, we build kind, respectful, determined, aspirational pupils. Outcomes may be designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum, but also to develop the knowledge and skills needed for learning and for life. 

In order to ensure that progression and balance is maintained, the programmes of study are then developed into medium-term plans (Curriculum Unit Plans - CUPs) which clearly highlight the learning objectives, assessment opportunities, national curriculum links as well as links to our knowledge and skills progression (KASP) documents for each subject.. These topics are designed with the end in mind, working towards a final project, conceptual questions, a presentation or an event. Teachers then translate these plans into smaller units, where the specific needs of the learners are addressed. 

The local community surrounding the school, local heritage and geography are frequently used as starting points for engaging interest to enrich children’s learning experiences. Knowledge organisers form an overview of pre-teach content and a means of tracking knowledge, skills and understanding. Knowledge is regularly revisiting, enabling this to be committed to longer term memory.

Music and the performing arts have a high profile in the school and we retain a specialist music teacher. Each child receives a weekly music lesson and is given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. The school provides opportunities for ensemble and solo tuition and performances, both in school and beyond. This aspect is enriched by innovative projects through links to local bodies, such as We Make Culture and we make full use of the skills of a wide range of professionals and performers for children to work with throughout their time in school

The curriculum is regularly reviewed, monitored and evaluated by subject leaders. All subject leaders are given training and the opportunity to keep enhancing their subject knowledge, skills and understanding, so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues in school.

SEND

As a school we are proud to be inclusive and to reflect the local community in which we live. We believe that all children are entitled to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum through which we support children with additional needs. All children are encouraged to achieve their full potential and to be included in the social and academic life of the school. We are committed to ensuring the curriculum is not narrowed for our pupils with SEND and they have the same experiences as every other child. The delivery of the curriculum may be adapted and scaffolded but the learning is challenging and focused on each individual reaching their full potential. 

Enrichment:

We aim to enrich the curriculum wherever possible. This is through many planned experiences in school and out: lessons, topic days, school council, assemblies, clubs, sports, trips and visits, workshops, residential camps, fund raising, and community work.  Outcomes may be designed to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum but also to develop the skills needed for learning and for life. Our vibrant and rich curriculum is designed so that the subject specific skills are scaffolded within a context each term.

Impact Statement:

Our children will:

1. Have secure English and maths skills which will support them in their next phase of education and beyond.
2. Have experienced a broad and balanced curriculum, which meets individual needs, challenges, motivates and inspires. This will prepare children academically, physically and emotionally prepared for life in secondary school, in modern Britain and the wider world.
3. Develop, over time, a deep understanding of concepts within subject areas which secures knowledge and skills into long term memory
4. Have a wide range of experiences (SDPS80)  including a residential experience by year 6,  visit to a theatre, art gallery, farm and factory.
5. Engage in an education based on experience, knowledge, understanding, vocabulary and skills which builds ‘cultural capital’ for our children 
6. Be physically fit and healthy, understanding the value of healthy lifestyles for life.
7. Be confident, respectful, resilient, responsible and engaged young people who are engaged in school and their wider community.

For more information about the curriculum at Seaburn Dene Primary School, please speak to you class teacher. In addition, here is a link to the national curriculum, which also sets out content by subject and year group.

• Link to the National Curriculum