At Green Oaks we are very proud to have an ACORN curriculum.

A: Amazing Attitudes – our curriculum is underpinned by our School and British Values where a focus on culture, sports and the arts provides a wider knowledge of the world and supports our children in finding their place in society and how they relate to it. We teach local and global environmental awareness so that children have a better awareness of understanding their role in conserving the Earth’s finite resources through a more sustainable lifestyle.

C: Community – everybody matters, everybody is included, our differences are celebrated. Children at Green Oaks develop a strong sense of identity. They are provided with the tools to be self-aware and are taught the value of diversity and heritage.

O: Oracy & Vocabulary – our children will explore the world through spoken language, written word and know that reading for knowledge and pleasure gives us the POWER to succeed and that being a confident orator gives us great communication skills and prepares us well for the future.

R: Relationships – we value opportunities to develop empathy; the importance of co-operation and collaboration; learning to debate and compromise and treat each other with kindness. These are the foundations of our daily practice in school. 

N Navigators – Our school and curriculum supports positive Social, Emotional and Mental Health for every individual. Our children are taught to be self-aware and how to self-regulate, as well as being conscious of the needs of others.  We want our children to be aspirational, resilient and learn from mistakes. We want them to be confident to navigate through the world around them.

Aims of our curriculum

Our ACORN learning curriculum will enable:

• Our children to be successful, knowledgeable individuals who enjoy learning and make progress.
• Our children to have the words and skills to confidently communicate.
• Our children to be positive members of their local community and global citizens with cultural capital: knowing how to lead healthy, safe and fulfilling lives. 

Focus for Learning

Our ACORN learning curriculum will teach:

• The value of vocabulary and the pleasure of reading.
• Knowledge that sticks and can be recalled by pupils throughout their learning journeys and into adulthood.
• Skills that progress across a breadth of subjects and support pupils to be capable learners.
• Amazing attitudes that help our children to become individuals who have self-belief, perseverance and acceptance. Children who are resilient, respectful, curious, optimistic, courageous, responsible, honest and compassionate.

Intent 

Our curriculum is driven by the need to prepare our children for lifelong learning.  At Green Oaks, we offer a rich and vibrant curriculum which is ambitious for all learners.  Through our curriculum, we develop the essential knowledge, skills and understanding which are the building blocks for later life.  Our curriculum encompasses not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum but goes beyond the experiences of the classroom to ensure that our children are exposed to the richest and most varied opportunities that we can provide.  Our aim is to enrich every child's school experience by creating an environment where they are encouraged to succeed and be the best they can be.  At Green Oaks, cultural capital prepares children with the essential knowledge and skills for their future.  The exploration of new skills and experiences help to nurture resilience, curiosity and creativity.  The curriculum is further enhanced by our commitment to Values-based Education (including British Values) and, through this, we provide learning experiences which promote confident, self-motivated pupils, eager for lifelong learning.  Reading and developing a rich and varied vocabulary underpins every aspect of our curriculum intent.

Implementation 

Key concepts that will impact on children’s future learning are identified and form the key vocabulary that will be covered.  These are our ’Sticky Words.’ Our curriculum design allows the children to connect past, present and future in their learning and to build upon existing knowledge and skills to ensure that these can be applied in all areas of the curriculum.  In this respect, our curriculum allows for the accumulation of knowledge and skills, for the children to build on what they know and embed knowledge to enter the long-term memory – making it stick! Themes have been planned with the children’s needs in mind, ensuring that the local community plays a part alongside the wider world.  In order to broaden the children’s experiences, visits and visitors are carefully planned to support and inspire the learning. As part of our planning, we ensure regular recaps of subject content and an opportunity to deepen the children’s understanding of their learning through performing class assemblies to their parents.

At the heart of our curriculum is the use of books and language to promote understanding.

‘Cognitive psychology has shown that the mind best understands facts

when they are woven into a conceptual fabric, such as a narrative.’

Stephen Pinker

Professor of Psychology, Harvard University

Impact 

Our cohesive curriculum places the learners at the centre and allows them to make connections in their knowledge, skills and understanding that are vital across all subjects. At Green Oaks, we strive to ensure that our children’s attainment in core and foundation subjects is in line with or exceeding age-related expectations.  We intend that our children will be fully prepared for their next stage of education; ready to contribute positively to society as a whole. Our work on promoting social skills, including values, resilience and well-being enables the children to become the very best version of themselves.

At Green Oaks Primary Academy, children in KS1 and KS2 follow the National Curriculum. Children in Foundation Stage follow the Early Years Foundation Curriculum. Our teachers bring the National Curriculum alive by making links between the individual subjects and applying them to topics. Each half term teachers will produce a curriculum plan that shows the links between different curriculum subjects and how they can be linked by overarching topics.  We call this the Big Picture.

Vocabulary that can be transferred to learning at other points of a child's education is what the curriculum is based on.  This vocabulary is carefully considered for each topic to ensure it is meaningful, transferable, and ambitious.  In classrooms you will see these words displayed as 'sticky words.'