Lily Lane is a happy and caring school where children are able to acquire the skills and knowledge to become confident and successful learners with high aspirations. Through excellent teaching, we ignite imaginations and make learning irresistible. We encourage children to make connections, so they develop a deeper understanding of our changing world and become responsible, resilient global citizens. Lily Lane is a diverse school, we are committed to equality for all and this is reflected in the content of our curriculum, our ethos and values.
We began to review our curriculum in March 2023 with staff and children and we are very proud to offer a modern, relevant and challenging curriculum to all our learners.
Our school curriculum is drawn from the National Curriculum for England, we believe this provides our children with a broad and balanced education that acknowledges the significance of English, Mathematics and Science but equally the importance of the Arts, History, Geography, Music, Languages, Technology, Computing, Religious Education, PSHE and British values in a modern world. Our curriculum supports children in becoming emotionally-literate, active learners that think critically, ask and answer questions and reflect on previous learning.
Our curriculum is designed with knowledge at its heart and we strive to inspire a love of life-long learning. Our curriculum is knowledge based. Subject documents (knowledge organisers) set out the core knowledge children will learn including key vocabulary which is explicitly taught. Maths, English and Science are taught as discrete subjects, however cross-curricular links are made to other subjects where there are high-quality opportunities to do so this enables children to make connections and develop strong subject knowledge.
Our curriculum and teaching is underpinned by ‘Active Ingredients’ (see below and download) that have been developed over time using EEF guidance and the best research into how children learn. Our curriculum has been designed to be carefully sequenced – showing clear progression – and academically rigorous. Careful thought has been given to ensuring clear progression of knowledge and skills and learning units have been planned to build upon children’s prior learning. Our school context and the area in which our pupils live has also been a significant factor in our curriculum design – learning opportunities have been planned to link carefully to the local environment so that children see the work they do in class as relevant, meaningful and linked to their life outside school.
At Lily Lane we believe that all children have a right to a good quality education (Art. 28 UNICEF Charter) and should have an opportunity to access the curriculum of their year group so they can become well-rounded citizens. We adapt our curriculum and pedagogy to meet the needs of all of our children, particularly those of children with SEND.