At Clifton, our curriculum is designed to help every child flourish and become a confident, successful, well-balanced and self-motivated individual. Our curriculum reflects our school vision and values of Belonging, Collaboration, Joy, Kindness and Equity, ensuring that children experience a broad, ambitious and balanced education from Nursery through to Year 6.

We want children to develop secure knowledge, strong skills, curiosity and a love of learning. Our curriculum provides children with the foundations they need for their next stage of education, while also giving them opportunities to discover their interests, develop their talents and understand their place in the wider world.

Our curriculum meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum, alongside statutory requirements such as Relationships and Health Education and Religious Education. It also goes beyond these requirements to reflect our children, our community and the opportunities available in our local area.

Our Curriculum Design

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that children build knowledge and skills over time. Important knowledge is revisited, connected and developed as children move through the school, helping them to remember more and understand increasingly complex ideas.

Where this supports learning, subjects are brought together through shared themes and meaningful connections. We are careful, however, to ensure that each subject retains its own identity, vocabulary, knowledge and disciplinary skills.

Our curriculum is designed and monitored by our subject teams, with teachers working collaboratively to develop subject knowledge and ensure consistency across the school. As part of our wider partnership, we also work closely across Clifton, Milburn and Beaconside, as well as with our local cluster, to share expertise and develop curriculum and subject leadership.

Teaching Our Curriculum

Our children are taught predominantly in mixed-age classes. Our curriculum is therefore carefully organised into planned cycles which ensure that children encounter the required knowledge and skills at the appropriate stage and build on previous learning.

Where it supports children's learning, some subjects or aspects of learning are taught in year groups or smaller groups. Teachers adapt teaching to meet the needs of individual children, while maintaining high expectations for all.

We use teachers and teaching assistants carefully to maximise the impact of teaching and ensure that children can access the full curriculum. This may include pre-teaching, additional practice, post-teaching and targeted tutoring where appropriate. Our approach is designed to identify and address gaps in learning while continuing to provide appropriate challenge.

We recognise that children learn in different ways and at different rates. Our curriculum is therefore designed to be inclusive and ambitious, with appropriate adaptations and support so that pupils, including those with SEND, can participate fully and make progress.

Our Values Through the Curriculum

Our five school values are woven through our curriculum and wider school life.

Belonging – Children develop a strong sense of who they are, their place in our school and their connection to their local and wider communities.

Collaboration – Children learn to work with others, listen to different viewpoints, share ideas and solve problems together.

Joy – We want children to experience the excitement of discovering something new, developing a skill, asking a question or achieving something they once found difficult.

Kindness – Through our curriculum and relationships, children learn to respect others, appreciate differences and contribute positively to the lives of those around them.

Equity – We have high expectations for every child and provide the support, challenge and opportunities they need to succeed. We value diversity and seek to ensure that all children can see themselves and their experiences reflected in the curriculum.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

We believe that children learn through experiences as well as lessons. Educational visits, visitors, practical experiences and opportunities to work in our local community are planned as part of our curriculum where they add value to learning.

We make use of the rich local environment and resources around us, giving children opportunities to apply their knowledge in real-life contexts, develop independence and create memorable experiences.

As children move through Clifton, they are given opportunities to take on responsibilities, develop interests and talents, and participate in experiences that broaden their understanding of the world beyond our school.

Understanding How Well Children Are Doing

Assessment is an important part of teaching and learning. Teachers use ongoing assessment, questioning, discussion, observation and children's work to identify what children know, understand and can do.

Assessment helps teachers to identify misconceptions, address gaps in knowledge, adapt teaching and provide appropriate support or challenge. It also helps us to check that children are remembering important learning and making progress through the curriculum.

We use assessment information alongside our knowledge of each child to ensure that children receive the support they need and that high expectations are maintained for all.

A Journey from Nursery to Year 6

Our curriculum is a journey from the Early Years through to the end of Year 6. Children begin with the knowledge, language, experiences and skills they develop through the Early Years curriculum and build on these foundations throughout their time at Clifton.

By the time children leave us, we want them to have secure knowledge, strong learning habits, confidence in themselves and others, and the curiosity and resilience to continue learning.

Most importantly, we want our children to leave Clifton having experienced a curriculum that reflects our values, develops their understanding of the world and enables them to flourish as individuals and as members of their community.