Curriculum aims
At Parkstone Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child achieves their full potential through a culture of high aspirations, inclusion, excellence and care.
We believe that every child deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them successfully for the next stage of their learning and for life beyond school. We develop pupils who are confident, resilient, responsible and articulate, enabling them to make a positive contribution to their community and wider society.
Our curriculum is ambitious for all pupils and is designed to provide the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that children need to succeed. Carefully sequenced from the Early Years through to Year 6, it ensures that pupils build secure foundations, connect new learning to prior knowledge and develop increasing levels of expertise across all subjects. We intend that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, access the full curriculum and achieve highly.
Our curriculum reflects the context of our community whilst broadening pupils’ horizons and aspirations. We want children to develop a deep understanding of the world around them, appreciate diversity and demonstrate respect for others. Opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are woven throughout school life, helping pupils to become active, informed citizens who are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum because we recognise that it is the gateway to future learning and achievement. Alongside a strong emphasis on communication, language and vocabulary development, we ensure that pupils acquire the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to access the wider curriculum and achieve success across all subjects.
Beyond the classroom, pupils benefit from a rich programme of enrichment opportunities, educational visits, visitors, clubs and leadership experiences. These opportunities enhance learning, develop character, promote wellbeing and help children discover talents and interests that may shape their future aspirations. Through these experiences, pupils learn to work collaboratively, solve problems creatively and develop confidence in themselves as learners and leaders.
As a result, pupils at Parkstone enjoy learning, feel safe, behave well and achieve highly. They leave our school with the knowledge, character, confidence and aspirations needed to thrive in the next stage of education and to contribute positively to society.
If you would like more information about the curriculum, please email admin@parkstone.het.academy
‘Pupils talk with pride about the ‘leading learner’ badges
they get for reading regularly, arriving on time and trying hard.’
‘Staff are happy, and morale
is high.’
‘Teachers use ‘pinny time’ to revisit the sounds that children have been
taught, as they learn through play.’
‘Leaders’ relationships and sex education and health education
curriculums give pupils an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships.’
‘Classrooms are oases of calm. As a
result, pupils are happy. They feel safe at school.’
‘Pupils who are falling behind in their phonics get extra help to catch up.’
‘ Subject leaders benefit from meeting staff in
other trust schools to exchange ideas and good practice.’
‘Children in early years learn phonics as soon as they start school.’
‘Pupils thrive at this inclusive school.’
‘Pupils are very positive about their
mathematics work.’
‘Pupils discuss and analyse texts during their
‘reading mastery’ lessons.’
‘In mathematics, teachers make daily checks on pupils’ understanding. This ensures that the work pupils do is suitably challenging.’
‘Pupils could talk about rainfall and temperature graphs, as well as the impact of the River Nile on Egyptian settlements.’
‘Reception children get opportunities to explore numbers all the time.
Daily mathematics lessons help them to count with speed and confidence.’
‘Teachers model language and sounds accurately. This means that Reception children get off to a strong start with their reading.’
‘One pupil told the
inspector that, ‘school is amazing because teachers include everyone.’
‘In Reception, phonics is taught every day.’
‘Teachers say that leaders listen to their views and help them to manage their workload.’
‘All
adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour.’
‘Pupils enjoy the books their teacher reads to them.’
‘Teachers have strong subject
knowledge and use geographical vocabulary with precision.’
‘The governing body challenges leaders on the actions they are taking to improve the school.’
‘The reading curriculum is well organised.’
‘Leaders
have provided teachers with the phonics training they need.’
‘The geography curriculum is a strength of the school.
Leaders have carefully set out what they want pupils to know by the end of each year.’
‘All pupils know the school rules.’