Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure that all of our pupils, including the SEND and disadvantaged, achieve to their full potential. It is driven by the need to prepare our pupils for lifelong learning.  At Oakdale, we offer a rich and vibrant curriculum which is ambitious for all learners.  Through our curriculum, we develop the essential knowledge, skills and understanding which are the building blocks for later life.  Our curriculum encompasses not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but goes beyond the experiences of the classroom to ensure that our pupils are exposed to the richest and most varied opportunities that we can provide.  Our aim is to enrich every pupil's school experience by creating an environment where they are encouraged to succeed and be the best they can be.  At Oakdale, cultural capital prepares pupils with the essential knowledge and skills for their future.  The exploration of new skills and experiences help to nurture resilience, curiosity and creativity.  The curriculum is further enhanced by our commitment to Values-based Education (including British Values) and, through this, we provide learning experiences which promote confident, self-motivated pupils, eager for lifelong learning.

The Oakdale Junior curriculum plan and organise learning in order to ensure our pupils:

• Develop an outstanding academic knowledge and understanding of the objectives of our curriculum and learn and progress well

• Have positive learning attitudes so that they enjoy coming to school, develop inquiring minds and acquire a solid basis for lifelong learning, helping them become more independent and take ownership of their learning

• Have good personal, mental, social, emotional, spiritual development and good behaviour.

Curriculum Newsletters for each year group give more information about what your child will be taught each term. These can be found by visiting our Year group pages. If you wish to find out more about our curriculum, please speak to your child's teacher in the first instance. Should you require more information, please contact a member of the Senior Leadership Team via the office email account.

Curriculum Implementation

The curriculum design at Oakdale ensures that the needs of whole cohorts, individuals and small groups of pupils can be met within the environment of high quality teaching, supported by targeted interventions where appropriate.

Our schemes of work follow a cross curricular approach enabling pupils to make real links between subjects. This gives them opportunities to apply English and Maths skills across all curriculum subjects and build on previous knowledge. 

We have planned our curriculum, both core and foundation subjects, through a topic approach.  Where possible, enrichment opportunities are planned in to allow learning from direct first hand experiences. These opportunities include visitors and visits to the local area and beyond.  In addition, we have whole school focused days to enrich our pupils curricular experiences further. These include a focus on reading, maths, wellbeing and diversity.

The skills of, and a love for reading is prioritised at Oakdale through:

• time set aside for independent reading.
• carefully planned reading activities in lesson times.
• selection of high quality texts, including classic and modern texts and poetry.
• targeted intervention and support for identified pupils.
• providing a wealth of opportunities to apply reading across the curriculum.
• support for pupils joining Key Stage Two with gaps in their phonics knowledge.
• ongoing assessment to ensure gaps are addressed quickly and effectively.
• Whole school library and individual class book corners.
• staff and pupils sharing a love of reading with others.

Curriculum Impact

At Oakdale we strive to ensure that our pupil’s attainment in core and foundation subjects is in line with, or exceeding national expectations when we consider our pupil’s varying starting points. We measure this carefully using a range of strategies. The impact is that pupil's will be academically, physically, as well as emotionally prepared for next part of their learning journey and for their future life.

Our pupils develop behaviours and habits to become effective learners. The impact is seen through their development of growth mindset so that our pupils do not give up until they are proud of what they have achieved. Pupils understand that making mistakes are part of the learning process and they are highly motivated to succeed and achieve.

Our learners will be successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens We measure this not just by the learning our pupils demonstrate, but in the learning behaviours we see each and every day in all pupils in classrooms, on the playground, in our corridors, when they are representing our school and in the many roles we give them. The impact of this intention is seen in the daily interaction of all members of our community, including staff, governors and children from other schools too.

Pupils will make decisions for the right reasons and in the best interests of their wider community. They will show tolerance, embrace differences, be able to decide what is right and what is wrong, and will be resilient to the influence of others. They will go out into the wider world wanting to make a real difference in their own life and to that of others as well. Please see the links below for an overview of each year group’s curriculum coverage.