Curriculum Rationale

Our curriculum has evolved over many years and the current model is the result of constant review and amendment to ensure relevance:

John Blake’s report (2014) Completing the Revolution led us to evaluate curriculum delivery to ensure teaching materials were rigorous to support the well-constructed, robust progression expectations of each subject.

The outcome of our curriculum recovery discussions from the Covid-19 pandemic were an agreement that:

• Catch up is a narrow focus on curriculum goals focused on getting all children to same end point

• Recovery has a defined end goal whilst acknowledging impact wider than missed learning and focuses on where children are rather than where we want them to be.

Mary Myatt’s book Back on Track challenged senior leaders to consider the extraneous load within the curriculum. Finalising our curriculum essentials has enabled Hopwood to sustain the excellence seen in our curriculum and standards today. 

Curriculum Intent

Hopwood’s curriculum meets the statutory expectations of the national curriculum. Our personalisation, reflects the schools context and ensures learners understand diversity and equality whilst maximising opportunities to enrich subject content and fulfil our Experience Promise.

Diversity recognises, celebrates and values difference. It takes account of the differences between people, places and groups of people.

Equality ensures everybody has equality of opportunity to succeed. It ensures individuals are not treated differently or discriminated against because of his or her characteristics.

Opportunity boosts children’s cultural capital by maximising experiences. By going beyond routine classroom provision and teaching experiences, learning is enhanced and relevant.

Curriculum Implementation 

Subjects are taught discretely though links are made to support coherence where relevant. For example, in Year 4 the Water Cycle is both a science and geography study. Content is taught through three approaches collaboration, digital learning and creativity. Teachers identify appropriate opportunities where these three approaches can be used effectively to embed knowledge and apply skills. 

Essentialism has become our mantra and our relentless focus on four essentials per unit of work is supported by retrieval practice and cognitive load theory. Reflecting on Learning Opportunities (ROLO) is a whole school approached developed by Hopwood to complement the retention of subject knowledge.

Further information about each subject in the National Curriculum is below.

For further information in relation to the Equality Act 2010, please see the "Policies' section for the relevant policies.