Curriculum
The Learning Challenge Curriculum has been created with a strong sense of enquiry at its heart. The question-led units encourage pupils to research and present information taking full account of their ability to retain key knowledge and skills for the long term. We use the National Curriculum as a reference point and take opportunities to enrich learning by considering our context and locality.
The Learning Challenge Curriculum is a question-based approach to structuring and delivering the National Curriculum.
Through pre-learning activities, children identify what they know already and what they want to find out. This is then built in to weekly questions under the overarching learning challenge question. Each theme is mapped against the National Curriculum and our progression of skills in each subject.
This model gives the children some ownership of their learning and as a result are very engaged. Children are very positive about this approach to learning.
Learning Challenges are taught in a cross-curricular way.
This approach makes learning more meaningful for the children as they are able to see how everything fits together. Where cross-curricular links are not meaningful, subjects are taught separately.
We place a strong emphasis on the development of basic skills – skills that are necessary for lifelong learning.
Each year group has a set of ‘non-negotiable’ basic skills that are taught and expected to be applied. All children have daily phonics lessons until they are secure in their knowledge. We use Essential Letters and Sounds which is a Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme. Phonics is taught separately from the Learning Challenge Curriculum.
In order for children to know about their locality, community and heritage, some of our Learning Challenges are very specific to Hereford.
We use the local area and people to bring learning alive. We have specific whole-school challenges linked to national events. The Diamond Jubilee, Platinum Jubilee and Olympics have previously provided excellent opportunities for different Learning Challenges.
Celebration
At the end of each Learning Challenge, children celebrate the learning journey they have been on. When possible, we invite families in to share this learning celebration.
To find out more about the Learning Challenge Curriculum, you can follow the link to their website.
The Learning Challenge Curriculum
Riverside Learning Challenge Curriculum Overview
Reading
Phonics
Writing
Mathematics
Science
Geography
History
PSHE - RSE
Physical Education
Music
Modern Foreign Languages
Modern Foreign Languages Overview
