Overview of Our Curriculum

Our approach

Our curriculum offer is designed in the following way:

Core Curriculum (Reading, Writing and Maths): Our core curriculum offer is entwined with our golden thread of ‘World Class Basics’. Through these subjects, we aim to empower children to develop holistically in all core subject areas.

By mastering fundamental skills in literacy and numeracy, children build a strong foundation for all future learning. This focus ensures they develop confidence, enabling them to excel and thrive in all areas of their education and beyond. 

World Curriculum (History, Geography, RE, PSHE):
Our ‘World Curriculum’ shares a common focus on understanding the world around us and our place within it. These subjects help children develop a broader perspective on different cultures, societies, beliefs and values. 

This curriculum offer enables children to: 

• Gain a broader understanding of the wider world 
• Develop critical thinking skills
• Cultivate empathy and respect for diverse perspectives and experiences 
• Become global citizens who are equipped to navigate an increasingly interconnected and multicultural world
  
  Each of these subjects have a common ‘Golden Thread’ of Lives of Children. 
  
  STEM Curriculum (Science, Design and Technology, Computing): 
  Our ‘STEM Curriculum’ provides a cohesive and integrated learning experience. By teaching these subjects in conjunction with each other, pupils will see the connections between the different disciplines and understand how they are all interconnected in real life. 
  
  This curriculum offer enables children to: 
  
• Develop critical thinking and reasoning skills
• Use hands-on, inquiry-based approaches
• Develop a holistic understanding of the concepts in each subject and better prepare them for future studies and careers in STEM-related fields. 
  
  Each of these subjects have a common ‘Golden Thread’ of People Who Changed the World. 

Arts (Art, Music, Physical Education and Modern Foreign Languages): 
Our ‘Arts Curriculum’ is centred around enabling pupils to develop a well-rounded set of skills and abilities. This curriculum offer is rooted in creativity and self-expression, helping children develop a more holistic understanding of arts and culture. 

This curriculum offer enables children to: 

• Cultivate imagination, emotional expression and cultural appreciation
• Enhanced communication skills
• Foster confidence, resilience and a passion for learning
• Collaborate with their peers to explore creatively with self-expression 
• Each of these subjects have a common ‘Golden Thread’ of Inspirational Opportunities. 

Golden Threads
At Somerlea Park, our ‘Golden Threads’ are overarching themes which have been carefully selected and developed relating to the school’s context. Each Golden Thread/Driver is woven through a selection of subjects to create cohesive learning experiences for pupils.

In addition, each thread enables pupils to develop a deeper understanding of the subject material, connecting their learning to real-world contexts relevant to their school community and wider environment. 

Lives of Children: Studying the lives of children throughout history, across different religions, and around the world, offers pupils a valuable perspective on how issues such as sexism, prejudice and gender stereotypes have affected young people through the ages.

By exploring these diverse narratives, pupils will compare and contrast the experiences of children in different eras, regions and cultural contexts, and begin to recognise common themes that have shaped children’s lives. 

People Who Changed the World: By understanding the stories of individuals who have made significant contributions to the world

Our curriculum drivers

At Somerlea Park, we are proud to deliver a curriculum that encompasses the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to enable children to become confident, lifelong learners. Rooted in our Curriculum Drivers of Aspiration, Communication and Equality and Diversity, we aim to foster a love of learning, curiosity and creativity.

Aspiration
We recognise that school is a critical factor for the future successes of children, and we endeavour to raise the aspirations of all children within our school community.

With our school rule of ‘Work Hard’, we aim to broad their horizons by showing them the world beyond Somercotes, exposing them to a wide range of experiences and learning opportunities.

Communication
Reading and Oracy is the cornerstone of our curriculum. On entry, an increasing number of pupils have limited communication skills.

We aim to instil in all children the conversational skills needed to meet their basic needs, to build relationships, resolve conflict and to express their thoughts and opinions.

This to ensure that all children can ‘Be Ready’ to access the curriculum and to use communication as a tool to be successful in life.

Equality & diversity
We recognise that the majority of our pupils come from a predominantly White British community.

As such, we acknowledge the vast importance of exposing children to a wide variety of cultures, ethnicities, disabilities and differences through our rule of ‘Be Kind’.

We strive to give our children a deeper understanding of tolerance and respect for others, whilst recognising our pupils’ vulnerabilities and how best to keep them safe within our community.