The reading-enhanced curriculum: where reading excites children to ask questions and learn new knowledge and skills.

Our curriculum has reading for purpose at its very core. Each unit of work has a high-quality, age-appropriate driving text assigned. These texts engage, inspire and deepen understanding. Supplementary texts and knowledge organisers support pupils to enrich their knowledge, vocabulary and curriculum skills. Every curriculum session begins with reading for purpose, from either the driving book or a supplementary text. Pupils use this to discuss new knowledge, deepen their enquiry skills and form links in their learning, making use of their oracy skills.

There are clear subject links in the long-term plan so that pupils make connections in their learning. The subject strands also link. For example, the skills within similarities and differences in history link to making comparisons in geography. Curriculum units are placed to give background knowledge for the reading strategy texts. This gives pupils another opportunity to show knowledge in a different context, build schema and reinforce retention of facts. All learning is mastery of skills, which are progressive through the year and key stage. They embed key skills and knowledge so that they are building on prior learning. There are many opportunities for pupils to practice their skills and knowledge. In the reading-enhanced curriculum, these are called take-aways and relate to different strands of each subject. To foster enquiry, all units have an overarching question, and each session has a threaded question. The questions and take-aways are used to assess pupil progress.

Influential people are also paramount to the curriculum, and feature in all subjects. They span different eras and link to the unit of work pupils are learning. By incorporating a range of people (e.g. historians, scientists, entrepreneurs), new learning is put into a real-world context. Developments within a subject are evident and pupils gain an insight into how their learning impacts on the world around them and inspires them for future careers.

Oracy is built into all areas of learning at The Parks Academy. It is key to our work in the academy as pupils develop effective communication skills with increasing skill and confidence through presentation and debate which allows them to speak in front of a wide range of audiences.

At The Parks Academy, we aim to give children a deeper knowledge of the world outside of their local community and show them what possibilities are available to them in terms of education, experiences, and achievements.

Every child is recognised as a unique individual. We celebrate and welcome differences within our diverse academy. Community involvement is an integral part of our curriculum. We want children celebrating local history and the successes and achievements of local people. When our children leave the academy, we want them to be prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain.

Reflecting the context of our Academy, the curriculum focuses on early reading from the very start of school. Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) makes a vital contribution to children’s early development and learning. We provide children with a wide range of teaching and learning experiences that are bespoke to their needs.

Children at The Parks Academy will leave with the knowledge and skills needed to support their next steps of education. They will have the ability to use these skills which is supported with high quality reading fluency. We firmly believe every child will be a success at The Parks Academy because ‘Together We Achieve’.

For further information regarding our curriculum, please speak to Miss Boulton or Miss Gibson.