Our exciting and innovative school curriculum is designed to motivate and inspire our children. The integrated curriculum at Pokesdown Community Primary School has been planned with our school motto of Today’s effort, Tomorrow’s world directly at its core. We passionately believe that every learner at Pokesdown Community Primary school is unique, special and an individual who sets out on a path to explore the world where boundaries are flexible, horizons endless and mysteries abound.

We have designed our integrated curriculum to ensure that our learners become resilient, determined and questioning explorers who chart their way through unknown lands in their quest for answers and new knowledge.

We feel strongly that all children should be aware of the lives of other children in our world - reflecting the inequalities as well as the positives.  It is important for children to become resilient and being aware of the diversity in society will aid them in becoming the agents of social change in the future. 

Our integrated curriculum has been designed to ensure that it can confidently prepare our children for the academic rigour required during their school career. It embraces history, geography, science, DT and art and is driven by English. Maths, PE, computing, RE, French, music and RHE are taught discretely.

HOW WE DELIVER OUR INTEGRATED CURRICULUM

Each year group plan and teach at least 7 projects a year. The projects vary in lengths from 1 to 6 weeks and they do not fall into neat half term blocks! Although projects can be taught over a half term holiday, they are never planned to be taught over a longer holiday. The titles of our projects are crucial as they trigger the experience for the children’s memories. The title must have meaning for the children as it holds the learning together.

LEARNING VALUES

We have six Learning Values:             

Collaboration

Creativity                           

Emotional Intelligence

Independence

Spirituality

Thinking

These learning values drive our curriculum. The lead learning value and the lead subject always define the outcome of that project’s learning. The value of thinking is always the second learning value in every project.

LEAD SUBJECTS

All National Curriculum subjects are covered throughout the course of the school year and projects are planned to ensure that all National Curriculum knowledge and skills are taught. Each of our projects is lead by 3 subjects. English is always one of these 3 subjects. The lead subject is the most important and the other two lead subjects develop the understanding in the lead subject. This ensures integration rather than subjects taught alongside each other.

APPLICATION SUBJECTS

Each project also includes 2 application subjects. These are subjects where skills and knowledge have been previously taught – one strand per subject – it is a chance to extend and explore key skills and knowledge.

PROJECT HOOKS

 The hook begins the journey of the learning in the new project. It is designed to motivate and challenge the children and is directly linked to the outcome, giving it purpose and meaning.

HOME LEARNING PROJECTS

Home Learning is given with every project. It is linked to the outcome, has a focus on writing and reading. It is often 3d – but not necessarily.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

The outcome is the most important part of the project and gives the reason and context for the learning, which is always shared with an audience. The majority of outcomes are shared with parents, who are active participants, and must be a planned for event linked to the project – for example a museum, science fair or travel show.

If you'd like to know more about our curriculum - please get in touch.