Driffield Northfield Infant School

Curriculum

Here at Driffield Northfield Infant School we are proud of the broad and balanced curriculum we offer all our children.  Here is some key information but if you would like to know more please do not hesitate to contact the school office who will arrange a time for you to come in and have a chat.

Principles of the Northfield Curriculum

Here at Driffield Northfield Infant School our curriculum is not just a series of documents for planning teaching, it is the heart and soul of everything we do and can be felt within the ethos across the school. To prepare children for ‘life’s journey’ it is essential that we provide a curriculum that not only builds the foundations for that journey in an academic sense but also develops children’s independence, resilience and enthusiasm for learning, giving them the self-confidence, courage and belief needed to grow.  Our curriculum offer extends to the wider community with every member of Team Northfield, whether that be staff, governors, families or external agencies understanding how their contribution to each child’s journey cannot stand alone and must embrace the school aims to provide the very best for each of our individual children.

Curriculum Intent

The curriculum is built around the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (2021) and National Curriculum (2014), ensuring all statutory requirements are fulfilled.  Progression through each term is carefully planned and sequenced, scaffolding their skills and knowledge in each subject, building on what has been taught before, working towards clearly defined endpoints for each year group.  A cross-curricular approach has also been developed to ensure subjects interrelate, providing purpose and meaning to the use of new acquired skills and knowledge of how to make connections within the wider world.

The content for the whole curriculum has been carefully planned to ensure it meets the needs of the specific needs school community.  Content is relevant to children’s existing experiences, whilst offering experiences to broaden horizons, develop cultural capital and ensure pupils value, celebrate and respect the unique nature of themselves and others.  Therefore, our Code of Behaviour and Learning Behaviours are intrinsic within everything we do and form an essential element of our Northfield Curriculum.

Curriculum Drivers

There are key drivers to our curriculum which are those elements which underpin learning and development in all areas.  The Northfield Curriculum focuses on both the academic drivers and those which promote the personal development and well-being of all.

Fundamental Curriculum Drivers

• Emotional resilience, Self-regulation and Self-esteem

Children need to emotionally ready to learn, through confidence and a belief in themselves.  They need to have their individual needs met, be supported in recognising their feelings and have trust in those around them to feel safe and secure. Our curriculum provides them with the skills to develop this and also recognise how they too can support, value and respect the needs of others.

• Language, Communication and Early Reading

These are the cornerstone to all learning and development opening up opportunity for all, across all subjects and the key to future success.  Vocabulary development, opportunity to talk, phonics, writing and developing a love of reading are incorporated throughout the whole curriculum.

• Number Confidence and Fluency

Number fluency and strengthens children’s foundational mathematical knowledge, giving them confidence to apply their understanding of number flexibly, choose appropriate strategies, develop efficiency and accuracy as they move through the stages of their school life.

• Creativity, Exploration and Enquiry

Through carefully planned provision and lessons our curriculum ensures children have possibility to explore the world first-hand and ask questions, whilst being given opportunity to consolidate newly learnt skills in purposeful ways.

The curriculum is planned using a topic approach and subjects are matched and taught alongside one another as much as possible to provide purposeful links and ensure every opportunity for application of new knowledge and skills are exploited at all times.  There is an overarching topic for the whole school with each year group tailoring this to meet the specific needs of the cohort and year group learning objectives in the most effective way each term.

Whole School Long Term Topic Plan

The expectations of the EYFS Framework and National Curriculum have been developed into ‘I can’ statements which are clear and easy for children to understand and support the development of our learning behaviours.

Click these links to access information about each curriculum area:

English           Maths           Science         Computing          History           Geography        Art        Design & Technology

Music             Religious & Worldviews Education              Personal, Social, Relationship & Health Education (PSRHE)

Physical Education           Outdoor Learning