Intent

Our Curriculum Intent - What it is?

  • Our curriculum intent sets out the principles and rationale for design (why we're setting out to do what we do).

  • It ensures that everyone in our school and beyond is clear about what we're working towards.

  • It helps define the ambitious curriculum we have set using the national curriculum as a starting point.

  • It shows the coverage of learning.

  • It sets out what our curriculum leaders have defined as key concepts (threshold concepts) and knowledge in a progressive way.

Context

What do we know about our school?

Mission

What do we want to achieve?

Vision

What does success look like?

Our Context

Specific information about our school that helped form our thinking and design.

  • Our children come to school with varied learning experiences that they have gained through their lives at other settings, at home or within other schools, we recognised that whilst talent was equally spread, opportunity was unfortunately not.

  • Our children are compliant, focused and well-behaved but our purpose is to inspire our children to have aspirations, goals and ambition beyond what they think is possible.

Our Mission

At Oakfield we set out to ensure we develop children ...

  • of good character

  • who achieve excellence

So that ...

  • they are prepared for their future

  • they make a positive contribution to their communities.

We strive to ensure ...

  • all are included and work hard to fulfil their potential regardless of background or starting point.

  • pupil choices are not limited by postcode, self-belief, opportunity, or circumstance.

Our Vision

Specific information about our school that helped form our thinking and design.

Live - Preparing children for life.

  • We believe in preparing children for life, helping them to find their place in the world.

  • We do this by ensuring the things we do have a purpose beyond our school boundaries and ensure we keep things relevant.

Love - Love ourselves, learning, our community, and each other.

  • We want children to love themselves, being confident, proud and happy individuals.

  • We want children to love learning, finding something that they have passion for and excites them.

  • We want children to love where they live, taking care of their environment and people around them.

Laugh - At themselves and with each other.

  • We want to develop children who have a sense of humour, can be confident to laugh at themselves, the staff and with others.

  • We want learning to be fun - hands-on and inspiring.

  • Sometimes we even do things just for fun, to make lasting positive memories.

Learn - More than you ever thought was possible.

  • We want learning that focuses on developing children who are confident readers, writers and mathematicians.

  • We want learning that extends beyond the academic and truly values a wide range of subjects.

  • We want children to learn HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

Our Curriculum Breadth - What's in it?

👉 At Oakfield, we have one curriculum that we think of in two parts. Both are equally important but have different characteristics.

Academic Curriculum

Our academic curriculum consists of individual subjects that support pupils' to know more and remember more.

Personal Curriculum

Our personal curriculum is centred around giving pupils life skills and opportunities to enable them to grow their individual characters.

Academic Subjects

The following subjects are taught:

  • Art, Computing, Design Technology, English, French, Geography, History, Maths, Music, & Science

Personal Subjects

The following subjects are taught:

  • Personal, Social & Health Education, Physical Education and Religious Education

👉 Each subject has its own page where you can find out more information.

Cultural Capital

  • Cultural capital gives our children the vital background knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand British values.

  • Opportunities for our children to develop their cultural capital are planned within in the curriculum design and supported by school visits and experiences.

Personal Skills

British Values

Enrichment

Curriculum Drivers - Habits of Mind

  • Curriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth.

  • They are derived from an exploration of the backgrounds of our children, our beliefs and our values.

  • They are used to ensure we give our children appropriate and ambitious curriculum opportunities.

  • Our curriculum drivers are: creativity, self-management, empathy, collaboration, resilience, reflection and curiosity.

  • We believe that focusing on these key areas through all areas of the curriculum will support our children in their overall development.

Rationale - Why?

Why did we design our curriculum the way we did?

  • We passionately believe that all children, whatever their individual circumstances, should feel secure, included, valued and challenged in all aspects of school life.

  • Our physical location within the New Forest provides opportunity to help children understand how to use their environment and protect it for the future, something our children are incredibly passionate about.

  • Our curriculum gives children hands-on learning so that they can do more than listen, think and respond - our children become individuals who are focused, curious, creative, independent, self-managed, resilient, empathetic and reflective as we believe these to be the keys to success.

  • We use evidence informed research-based approaches to help inform why, what and how we deliver our curriculum and lessons.

  • We recognise that a curriculum has to be broad, balanced and offer pupils opportunities to grow as individuals as well as learners. We strive to enable our children to leave Oakfield as skilled and well-rounded individuals, successfully prepared to take on the challenge of secondary school and adulthood.

  • Through a combination of learning techniques, we aim to ensure pupils enjoy learning and feel prepared for life after school. We also offer our pupils new and exciting experiences through extra-curricular activities that are designed to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.

  • We recognise that pupils should be challenged in their schooling; learning from failures and celebrating successes. We intend for our curriculum to be empowering, enabling pupils to develop their interpersonal skills, creativity and independence.