Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

Our whole school, local and hidden curriculum has two simple phrases at its core:

• Reading, Relevance, Resilience – For All
• The Charles Darwin Way – Be Safe, Be Ready, Be Respectful.

The curriculum at Charles Darwin Community Primary School firmly underpins the school Vision and Aims. It is the totality of the children’s learning experiences.

We believe that all children have the right to a broad, balanced, challenging and relevant curriculum, which provides continuity and progression and takes individual needs into account.  At Charles Darwin we believe that this can only be achieved through an unremitting focus on the acquisition of speaking and listening and reading skills and the development of reading confidence; this is the gateway to all learning and is our absolute priority.
We aim to give all of our children, regardless of starting point, the academic and personal skills to enable them to become confident, resilient, independent learners and young people. Prioritising reading in all forms as well as the basic skills of writing and maths through a broad, balanced, relevant and fun approach ensures our children meet the needs of the EYFS & National Curriculum. They also benefit from a local curriculum which reflects the schools’ individual nature and community and includes a large number of “off timetable” initiatives and events and a hidden curriculum which emphasises, promotes and reinforces the values and experiences we wish our children to acquire.

Curriculum Implementation

The taught curriculum is designed to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and the National Curriculum whilst being tailored to the needs of our school community. This means a strong emphasis on speaking and listening and reading from a child’s very first days in Reception right through to their participation in the Y6 leavers’ assembly.  Alongside this we place a strong emphasis on providing opportunities to enhance personal and social growth, citizenship skills and the development of children’s cultural capital.

At Charles Darwin we believe in providing children with a relevant, real life curriculum, designed to build upon their prior learning and to enable them to make links across subjects.  This integrated approach to the curriculum ensures our children gain a rounded and joined up understanding of each area of learning.

As a school we have agreed that children at Charles Darwin will

• Get to spend time with and look after our school dog Ness
• Learn to swim
• Get the chance to do all sorts of free after school clubs
• Represent the school in a range of sporting and non-sporting events
• Explore Marshall’s Arm Nature Reserve and Delamere Forest
• Have a snowman building competition and a snowball fight
• Learn Spanish
• Be buddied and be a buddy
• Go to the High schools for different lessons
• Learn to play a musical instrument
• Build a den
• Enjoy lots of different themed weeks
• Explore our local area
• Be given responsibility for something
• Visit local places of worship
• Help our local community
• Go on residential visits
• Go on a train
• Visit museums, theatres and art galleries
• Have their achievements celebrated in assembly
• Learn about the sort of jobs you could do when you leave school
• Enjoy baking and cooking
• Attend lots of Our School Comunity Association functions
• Perform in assemblies, nativities and productions
• Take pride in doing things “The Charles Darwin Way”

Assessment

How We Assess Learning at Charles Darwin

At Charles Darwin Primary School, we use a variety of assessment strategies to ensure every child makes excellent progress and receives the support they need to succeed.

Ongoing Assessment in Lessons
Teachers continuously assess learning throughout each lesson by observing pupil engagement and understanding. Skilled questioning is used to check comprehension and address any misconceptions. Regular marking and feedback help children understand how to improve their work. In addition, self and peer marking are encouraged to develop pupils’ ability to reflect on their own learning and provide constructive feedback to others.

These strategies enable teachers to identify gaps in understanding early and adapt their teaching to ensure all children can access the learning and make progress.

Formal Assessment Across the Curriculum
In every subject, a Prior Learning Check takes place at the start of each unit. This helps us ensure that children have the necessary knowledge and skills to access new learning. Where gaps are identified, lessons are adapted and targeted support is provided.

In some foundation subjects, we have introduced a Progress Pause mid-way through units to monitor progress and ensure pupils are on track. At the end of each unit, all subjects include an End of Unit Check, allowing teachers to assess pupil understanding against the expected outcomes.

Tracking and Reporting Progress
Assessment data is recorded in our tracking system and reviewed regularly to inform planning and intervention. Parents receive updates on their child's progress three times a year—at two parent consultation evenings and through an end-of-year report.

Statutory Assessments

We also carry out the following national assessments in line with government requirements:

• Reception: Baseline Assessment to determine each child’s starting point
• Year 1: Phonics Screening Check in June
• Year 2: Phonics Screening Check resit (if required)
• Year 4: Multiplication Tables Check
• Year 6: End of Key Stage 2 SATs

These statutory assessments help us monitor progress and ensure every child is achieving their potential.

Curriculum Impact

The impact of both our whole school, local and the hidden curriculum is evident in the consistently strong outcomes our children enjoy both personally and academically.

Results, books, displays and, most importantly Charles Darwin children themselves, are evidence of the school’s success.  

Charles Darwin children consistently demonstrate good personal attitudes and attributes; they are empathetic, inclusive, confident and resilient in all they do. They follow “The Charles Darwin Way”.

Children at Charles Darwin have a strong sense of community; they tell us they are proud of their school. They tell us that in addition to great lessons and brilliant teachers and teaching assistants what follows is what makes Charles Darwin Community Primary School different to other schools and so special to them:

• We have Ness the dog.
• We do millions of after school clubs; I know other schools don’t do that!
• We all get to go swimming; that’s fantastic!
• We love our trips and residentials; we go on loads.
• Juniors get to learn Spanish, recorders and ukulele.
• We play and learn outside a lot, including splashing in puddles and playing in the snow.
• We do brilliant shows at Christmas and in the summer.
• Our infants do Christmas and Easter craft days and we do the Easter bonnet parade.
• Our mums, dads and grandparents get to join in.
• We do loads of sport including competitions, tournaments and trying new activities. Everyone gets involved and we celebrate what we’ve done in assembly.
• We do special days and weeks like Around the World Week, environmental, science, geography, art and sports weeks plus loads more.
• We do special events and things for our local community and for charities.
• We try hard to be resilient; it’s Mrs Bennett’s favourite word!
• There are No Outsiders at Charles Darwin: we are all different and we are all special.
• We do things ‘The Charles Darwin Way’.

For more information about your child's curriculum please contact the class teacher via the year group email or the school office.

For information about how we ensure our curriculum is accessible to those with disabilities or special educational needs please see our Accessibility Plan.