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Our Trust of Schools

Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

Our vision at Cranbrook Education Campus is to deliver a broad and balanced, coherently-sequenced, ambitious, and rigorous curriculum. 

Our curriculum is underpinned by the following principles: 

  • Knowledge rich – containing the key knowledge for all subject areas. Pupils use knowledge organisers from Key Stage 2 that contain key information for each topic to self-quiz and improve what is stored in their long-term memory. 
  • Culturally diverse – full of cultural capital with a specific focus on vocabulary development and being politically informed. 
  • Geographically relevant – linked to local, national and international topics to help create a sense of place and belonging with a focus on British Values.
  • Fun and exciting – lessons are engaging, creative, energetic, active and fluid 
  • Rigorous and aspirational – providing challenge and clear feedback on how to improve. 
  • Linked to life skills – a focus on financial awareness, health and nutrition, being physically and mentally healthy, environmentally conscious and confident about sex and relationships. 
  • Supportive of character development – supports personal development, a love for learning and a growth mind-set 
  • Curiosity driven – providing opportunities for exploration, problem-solving and working scientifically 
  • Contextually informed – personalised to meet the specific needs of pupils. 

In the Secondary Phase, the School year is divided into three cycles of twelve weeks. Each cycle comprises ten teaching weeks, during which students cover new topics in preparation for examinations and assessments at the end of Year 11. 

The eleventh week is an assessment week when all students in Years 7-11 complete tests and other assessments in every subject to analyse their strengths and identify areas for further development.   

In the twelfth week, known as the Super Teaching Week, teachers re-teach areas that have been identified as areas for development from the assessments.  

Curriculum Implementation

Early Years  (Nursery, Preschool & Reception)

Children in our Early Years Phase (Nursery and Reception) follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). The EYFS Curriculum has seven main areas of learning;

The Prime Areas-

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Communication and Language
  • Physical development

The Specific areas-

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the world
  • Expressive Arts and Design

Our youngest children in Nursery focus on our three Prime Areas, with the Specific Areas given a more equal weighting as children get older and gain more experience and confidence. We work alongside children individually, in small groups, as a whole class base, but mainly through our “continuous provision” learning activities, which are planned to encourage children to develop their learning independently through exploration and challenge. Children in our Early Years phase and are encouraged to have fun, explore and investigate during their learning, and develop independence and confidence to prepare them for a wider curriculum as they move through the school.

The “Characteristics of Effective Learning” are at the heart of the Early Years Curriculum and explore the different ways in which children learn. They highlight the importance of playing and learning, active learning and thinking critically. All the learning experiences we plan for the children allow them to utilise and develop these skills.

A practical, playful approach to learning, based on the needs and interests of our children, is delivered mainly through a skills based curriculum. This skills based learning approach to the curriculum focuses on planning and providing opportunities for learning based on the skills and next steps which are relevant to both individual and groups of children, and we review this regularly, ensuring children are taught with a “stage not age” approach. This allows children to make rapid progress at a level appropriate to them as an individual. We follow the principles of “The Curiosity Approach” where we use real and authentic resources to promote a sense of awe, wonder and discovery whilst enabling children to develop these skills.

Our learning environments, both inside and outside, are stimulating and exciting, and relevant to the needs and age/stage of our children. Natural backing and resources promote a calm atmosphere conducive to learning, whilst easily accessible resources develop children’s ability to access the curriculum independently.

Nursery Curriculum Map

Pre-School Curriculum Map

Reception Curriculum Map