Connected Curriculum

We have started the journey of using Edison’s Connected Curriculum. This is designed to be used as a starting point for exciting, engaging and motivating learning which we are continuously developing to suit St. Andrew’s CEVA Primary School and our I ASPIRE values. The Connected Curriculum recognises the value of a school providing a balance of thematic and discrete teaching with an emphasis on both knowledge and skills.

The Connected Curriculum is a structured framework of Learning Units. Foundation subjects History, Geography, D&T, Art, Music and the Core Subject Science are connected by theme and mapped to the requirements of The National Curriculum in England Framework Document (NC) for KS1 & KS2; the Early Years Foundation Stage Learning Units are aligned to the Development Matters guidance and statutory Early Learning Goals/Early Years Outcomes.

There are many suggestions and opportunities to teach reading and writing within the Learning Units and where possible, link mathematics teaching and learning. The school teaches RE, PE, PSHE and Spanish (KS2) mainly as discrete subjects but, where relevant, links and opportunities in the Connected Curriculum Learning Units are made.

Opportunities to develop the use of ICT as a tool to support learning in other curriculum areas and links to programming activities are detailed in the Learning Units. The teaching of the programming/coding aspect of computing can also be usefully linked with the Connected Curriculum Learning Units through the use of Rising Stars ‘Switched on Computing’.

The Learning Units are based on or include key questions – these provide a starting point for enquiry. Contexts for learning are suggested in the Starting Points but the response of the learners to the questions and the learners own questions may also determine the starting point. End Products within the Learning Units are intended to give purpose to learning; to support teachers in planning complete learning experiences and to provide an opportunity to evaluate progress.

Each Learning Unit has one or two focus subjects. It is intended that there is more emphasis on the focus subject/s. For example, when history is the focus subject of a Learning Unit then this is the time to ‘get under the skin’ of the skills and deepen understanding of what it is to be an historian.

Science, as a Core Subject, is a focus in three of the KS1 & 2 Learning Units each year and included in all the Learning Units. In both Key Stages there are many opportunities to work scientifically. The Science Programmes of Study for both Key Stages are covered and there are also many opportunities to revisit skills and concepts.

In Key Stage 1 & 2, the Curriculum Map is divided into 6 sections. The EYFS Learning Units contain banks of ideas linked to the Development Matters statements/Early Years Outcomes and are designed to run over a seasonal term. There are 6 Learning Units.