Introduction to Plaistow Hill's Curriculum

Our Commitment to Children

At Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery School, our focus is on placing children at the centre of everything we do. Our dedicated and compassionate team is committed to providing opportunities for growth and ensuring all children have enriching experiences that inspire a life-long love of learning.

Community and Collaboration

We are fortunate to be at the heart of our community and work collaboratively with leaders across our trust of 18 schools to develop our curriculum. This collaboration helps us celebrate diversity and foster a greater understanding of others through teaching acceptance and empathy. Our school values and comprehensive PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic) education program are integral to our curriculum, uniting us as a school community.

Curriculum Foundations

Our knowledge-rich curriculum is primarily based on the National Curriculum and is influenced by the local history and surroundings of Plymouth. This approach ensures our content is relevant, accessible, broadens horizons, and raises aspirations. Geography, history, and core subjects are key drivers of our curriculum, complemented by diverse enrichment opportunities that make learning memorable and enjoyable.

Inclusive and Research-Based Education

We believe everyone is entitled to an outstanding education. Our inclusive school community follows a curriculum grounded in cognitive science research. This helps our pupils know more, understand more, and do more. Knowledge and skills are taught progressively through a spiral curriculum, allowing for key concepts to be revisited, thereby supporting long-term memory retention and encouraging deep thinking.

Focus on Oracy

Recognising the importance of oracy skills, we have placed oracy at the core of our curriculum. These skills significantly impact life chances and opportunities. By building strong foundations around talk and fostering a love of words and reading, we enable our pupils to access a broad and balanced range of subjects, supporting their overall development and promoting a positive attitude to learning.

Enrichment and Extracurricular Activities

Our curriculum is enriched with a variety of after-school clubs. Dedicated specialist PE coaches run a diverse timetable of sporting clubs to engage children in various sports, enhancing their overall learning experience.

Curriculum Evolution

We are proud of our dynamic and evolving curriculum. As our school community and city demographics change, and as external factors influence the needs of our children, our curriculum will continue to be evaluated and refined. By constantly improving our understanding of how children learn, we ensure that what we offer leads to positive outcomes for all our pupils.

Teaching Our Curriculum

Our teachers plan the following:

Knowledge Organisers: Outlining essential knowledge and vocabulary all children must master.
Lesson Cycles: Carefully planning for progression and depth in each subject.
Low-Stakes Quizzes: Regular testing to support learners' ability to retain information and increase working memory space.
Enrichment Activities: Including trips and visiting experts to enhance learning experiences.

Measuring Curriculum Outcomes

We measure the impact of our curriculum through:

Reflection on standards achieved against planned outcomes.
Tracking gains in each quiz.
Pupil discussions about their learning.
Sampling pupils' work across the school to demonstrate mastery and greater depth of understanding.

OFSTED FEEDBACK

The curriculum is well adapted to pupils' needs, is interesting and informative and stimulates pupils to work hard.

Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery School

Year 2 Parent