Learning Means The World
We have recently embarked on a new and exciting curriculum journey called ‘Learning Means the World’. It is a curriculum that is outward-facing, relevant, nurturing, and inclusive and has been developed to help guide our pupils to be educated and responsible global citizens, developing their cultural understanding, as well as teaching them all about the wonders of human creativity and achievement.
THE FOUR ‘LEARNING PATHWAYS’
Pupils will be organised across four ‘Learning Pathways’, each of which highlights four really important traits for effective learning at each stage…
Explorers |
Pathfinders |
Adventurers |
Explorers |
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Curriculum maps for each Learning Pathway can be found on the class pages.
THEMATIC UNITS OF WORK
The ‘Learning Means the World’ curriculum across the school is divided into 28 ‘Thematic Units’ or topics of study.
These Thematic Units are cross-curricular in nature, covering the traditional ‘Foundation’ subjects like, history, geography, art, design technology, religious education, music, dance and drama, the core subjects of science and computing, as well as more contemporary areas of study, such as sustainability and personal wellbeing. All are set within a global context, but allow for exploration of local aspects within of the main theme. Maths, English, RE, modern foreign languages (MFL) and some aspects of PE will continue to be taught discretely under the new structure.
Throughout the year each class will also include three additional themes that focus on specific key skills and knowledge needed to ensure pupils fully cover all aspects of each subject. These have been carefully selected and provide curriculum cohesion and continuity.
The Dimensions ‘Learning Means the World’ Curriculum is underpinned by four highly relevant world issues, known as the four Cs…
Communication |
Conflict |
Conservation |
Culture |
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Communication
Many of our children are articulate but, for some, vocabulary is lacking and speech and language can be a barrier to learning. Children have a voice and should be nurtured in how to use it. We want the children to feel confident to speak, knowing that when they speak up, they will not be judged. Our new curriculum provides a wealth of opportunities for pupils to develop their language and vocabulary, helping them to articulate their learning, express their thoughts and opinions clearly, developing confidence, and nurturing their critical thinking skills.
Conflict
All children have the right to be happy and to go home happy. Having a developed understanding of sources of conflict, and recognising the impact of that conflict on relationships will make a difference to their own choices. We want pupils to be able to independently manage conflict, whenever it may arise, in a constructive, timely manner. Through the ‘Learning Means the World’ new curriculum we can provide our pupils with a range of invaluable strategies to deal with conflict issues in a positive way.
Conservation
Our children should be encouraged to fully appreciate, and benefit from, the world around them and all that the local area has to offer. We are lucky to have large grounds with a pond, trees and mature wooded areas. The ‘Learning Means the World’ curriculum has been developed to enthuse the children to be more actively involved in conservation, ecology and with developing the world around them in a sustainable way.
We feel they will do this best through a curriculum that puts sustainability at its heart, employing a more structured approach to developing environmental awareness and appreciation than before.
Culture
We are a multicultural school made up of children and families from a variety of backgrounds. The new curriculum is designed to promote understanding of each other’s cultures, encouraging appreciation of cultural roots, the importance of heritage and how to behave in a respectful and tolerant way towards others, regardless of faith, ethnicity or background. We actively and explicitly promote friendship, respect, tolerance and understanding through ‘Learning Means the World’.
Curriculum Intent
At Swanton Morley, we have designed and implemented an aspirational curriculum that is both immersive and progressive. We use a carefully planned model, with both breadth and depth, that is highly relevant and purposeful, and that truly broadens pupils’ outlook and views by promoting global perspectives.
We aim to offer hands-on, cohesive and challenging learning, highlighting human creativity and achievement. We strive to help our pupils realise the full potential they have to achieve and succeed, not just at school, but as educated citizens within their own community and on a wider global scale. We want the pupils’ learning to be ‘outward-facing’, enabling them to become well-rounded and happy individuals who, not only care about themselves, but about others and the environment.
We want to provide all our children with opportunities for learning which leads to maximum growth and development is our top priority, including designing and implementing a curriculum that is best suited to their needs. We want to provide them with a curriculum with both breadth and depth, that is highly relevant and purposeful, exciting for both staff and pupils, and that is aligned to the locality and all it has to offer.
Our curriculum is inclusive, challenging the more able, whilst directly addressing specific areas for development.
Our intent is to raise standards across all subjects, to enable our pupils to access and engage with their learning to ensure both academic and personal success.
Subjects taught in addition to those in the ‘Learning Means The World’ curriculum
Click on thew icons below to download (or view in a new tab) PDF versions of the school’s curriculum for each subject.
Physical Education (PE)
Foreign Languages (FL)
Religious Education (RE)