Curriculum
Springfield Primary School seeks to provide an exceptional learning environment where all pupils aspire, contribute and explore - this is referred to as the Springfield ACE:
Aspire – to be engaged, in a world of opportunity
Contribute – to be inclusive, making a positive difference
Explore – to be curious, independent in thought
A culture of high aspiration is the central premise of the Springfield ACE, ensuring that pupils have a platform in realising excellence. The vehicle for this is a broad and balanced curriculum in which pupils academically flourish and emotionally thrive. The Springfield curriculum is consciously informed through pupil demography, with clarity regarding their starting points and how best to support excellent progress for all pupils. Five strands embody the curriculum:
English - The English curriculum enables children to develop as strong readers and writers, which is underpinned through developing high-functioning oracy within the Talk for Writing Programme. A culture of early excellence in reading has been created through the home-school partnership, which provides the foundation for reading development. The school has introduced Read, Write, Inc. to assist early reading. From these foundations the DERIC model informs whole school quality-first teaching. Resources and extra-curricular opportunities enable children to develop a life-long love of reading. Texts are carefully selected to afford rich writing opportunities and these link to all aspects of the curriculum. Within lessons there is an explicit focus on teacher modelling and direct vocabulary instruction, in order to create independent, skilled writers
Maths - The maths curriculum follows the pedagogy of Teaching for Mastery. The five core principles of this approach include: representation and structure, mathematical thinking, fluency, variation and coherence. Children learn through the explicit teaching of small steps, operating under one learning objective. Within this, mathematical, conceptual knowledge is deepened through effective questioning. This is supported by the explicit teaching of mathematical vocabulary and exposing children to conceptual and non-conceptual variation. Greater depth is secured through children making mathematical connections through refined skills in reasoning.
GLF wider curriculum, including the foundation subjects - The curriculum has been reviewed, refined and successfully tested over the years and provides children and staff with a powerful and unapologetically ambitious start to their educational journey. Our interdisciplinary curriculum ensures that explicit links are made between the different subject areas as children move through the curriculum, maximising both retention of learning over time and the understanding of how knowledge is used in the wider world to solve problems. The foundation subjects support the wider curriculum. Children’s understanding of wider culture is developed through the teaching of French. Musicality is fostered in children through exposing children to a rich array of music, with opportunities to play a wide range of instruments. Progressive spiritual, social and moral awareness is cultivated through a broad exploration of different faiths within the teaching of religious education. Physical education ensures the positive emotional and physical well-being of children.
Wellbeing and inclusion - Pupil well-being and safeguarding is intrinsic in the support we provide for all children. Through the Jigsaw PSHE curriculum, teachers deliver well-focused lessons that develop children in their: personal, social and health education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development. In this, we prepare children for life, helping them really know and value who they truly are and understand how they relate to other people. Our Thrive specialists and designated safeguarding leads provide further support for vulnerable children and their families. Children are supported in realising their full potential, irrespective of their individual starting points. They have bespoke pathways which afford them the opportunity to academically and emotionally thrive. This is achieved through a blended curriculum, at the core of which is quality-first teaching, intervention and wider agency support. Provision is regularly evaluated following the plan, do, review model to ensure excellent progress. Alternative curriculum provision, (Busy Bees and The Rainforest) is provided for pupils with specific barriers to learning (SEND, behaviour and emotional), enabling them to effectively engage in the curriculum. Children for whom are Disadvantaged are well-supported in their learning through exceptional classroom provision, including support for resources and curriculum enrichment.
Extra-curricular - Pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities for extra-curricular activities both in school and through wider partnerships in GLF and local schools. We have an extensive club offer, which is updated termly, with staff members and outside agencies providing excellent provision. School trips link to our engaging curriculum and these experiences lead to the acquisition of further knowledge in different environments.
Each strand ensures the quality of education, which is underpinned by an unfaltering commitment to inclusion. Pupils learn best through positive home school partnership and in this, families and the wider community, play an important and active role in all aspects of pupil development.
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