Garras Drivers

Garras Primary School Curriculum

We have designed a history and geography-rich curriculum that connects learning by building an understanding of ideas, concepts, chronology and themes through the framework of ‘here, there, then, now, and next’. These thinking threads create opportunities to learn from the past to equip children for an ever-changing and exciting future. They are further underpinned by high quality reading books that link learning meaningfully.

It is our curriculum ambition for every child to leave Garras School embodying our values and virtues.  These being:  respect, confidence, kindness, perseverance, and curiosity.

Implementation – our drivers are our ‘thinking threads’ that guide our curriculum choices.

At Garras we follow the National Curriculum as our main teaching framework however, our class structure requires us to follow a 2/3 year rolling programme which is carefully mapped to ensure it is progressive and sequential.

We teach early reading through Little Wandle from EYFS.  When children are off the programme, we teach reading fluency strategies.  These include echo and choral reading.  Teachers explore vocabulary in every lesson and use the different question types through VIPERS to check comprehension.  Teachers adapt learning with carefully constructed questions and stem sentences.

Mastery mathematics is embedded in our lessons using Mastering Number and White Rose.  Lessons are adapted well through variation and further scaffolded by modelling and fading.

Our curriculum is designed and adapted to ensure that all children acquire essential knowledge in small steps, leading towards end points with opportunities in each lesson for reactivation and recap to help children recall knowledge.  As a consequence, children use their knowledge to make links and connections and apply their understanding to other subjects, concepts and the development of skills.

We have robust teaching and learning strategies which are embedded so that they become habitual.  These include ‘Cold Calling’ and ‘Agree, Build, Challenge’, children demonstrate that they are highly engaged and responsive and enjoy the opportunity to participate fully with their peers.

We have specifically chosen Literacy Tree for writing as this gives us high quality books which we have been strategically linked to our school themes and drivers. They also offer rich and valuable personal and social capital.

We use Kapow as the foundation for our Geography and History curriculum. Geography and History Association have been chosen to support teachers CPD to deliver the very best lessons.  These link to our long-term planning and school drivers.  They build sequentially and chronologically.

We use a combination of carefully mapped Plymouth Science and Ogden Trust.  The Plymouth Science provides the objectives for learning and in some areas, this is enhanced by the Ogden Trust which offers high quality CPD, resources and enriching lessons.

Complete PE comprehensively guides our physical education and sport provision.  It provides teachers with step by step guidance and instruction to ensure children develop the skills and competencies to become increasingly active and inclusive.

Digital Learning Cornwall has been adopted to provide the essential knowledge and skills needed to thrive and manage online activity.  It develops the necessary learning to stay safe online and use technology with increasing ability to equip children for a future that is digitally progressive.  Project Evolve is used to teach our online safety; this is carefully integrated across the year.

Kapow provides the scheme of learning for our PSHE curriculum and offers a robust RSE framework as children progress through the school.

We use Kapow for Music, Art and DT which provides a knowledge-rich and progressive, small step curriculum for these foundation subjects. We use AccessArt Primary has been chosen alongside Kapow to inspire and enable high quality visual arts, teaching, learning and practise.

We use Kapow French from Year 2 to 6 to teach our modern foreign language and the school is highly invested in the ‘Go Cornish’ project.  The language, culture and history of Cornwall is celebrated and cherished in our school.

The Cornwall syllabus for Religious Education is our framework for teaching.  We use a question-led approach to develop understanding of people, cultures, faiths and relationships.

Garras has a supportive and thriving community and children experience varied and exciting opportunities which foster a sense of belonging and strong cultural capital.  Personal Development and social justice are very much a part of our planned curriculum. We have further developed our curriculum through the use of Lyfta; this 3D immersive education platform provides children with virtual experiences, places and people that they would not otherwise meet.  Thus, ensuring that we educate and embrace cultural diversity, social change, and equality, preparing children for a future that is respectful, caring and hopeful.