Curriculum Overview
At Manor Primary School, every member of staff is committed to developing a love of learning through a curriculum in which children are inspired, excited and challenged.
Our curriculum is planned around a series of themes which maximise cross-curricular links whilst ensuring there is a clear development in the learning of key skills. A relentless focus upon the acquisition of basic skills underpins our whole curriculum, for without the ability to read and write and apply basic mathematical concepts to problems, children will be unable to access any other form of learning. As a school we have identified four curriculum ‘drivers’ which will be the golden thread through all of our projects. These have been carefully selected through consultation with staff, identifying the needs and interests of the pupils at Manor School. Please contact your child's teacher or the School Office if you would like to find out more information about our curriculum.
Pedagogy – How do we believe child
ren learn best?
As a school, our practice is rooted in the Principles of Instruction according to Rosenshine. Furthermore, we think of these according to the four strands according to Sherrington. The Principles of Instruction are applicable to all curriculum areas therefore much of the continuing professional development opportunities for staff and curriculum development that takes place as a school is transferable across the range of subjects taught.
Planning Expectations
Expectations for planning are based on the research which underpins our pedagogical beliefs. There is no requirement that written plans are produced. Lessons are planned using Powerpoint or Google Slides and follow an agreed format. This is due to our belief that children learn best when material is presented in a similar fashion, according to Cognitive Load Theory.
The theory identifies three different forms of cognitive load:
- Intrinsic cognitive load: the inherent difficulty of the material itself, which can be influenced by prior knowledge of the topic.
- Extraneous cognitive load: the load generated by the way the material is presented and which does not aid learning.
- Germane cognitive load: the elements that aid information processing and contribute to the development of 'schemas'.
CLT suggests that if the cognitive load exceeds our processing capacity, we will struggle to complete the activity successfully. In summarising CLT, De Jong (2010) states that ‘cognitive load theory asserts that learning is hampered when working memory capacity is exceeded in a learning task’.
