We deliver a curriculum which equips children with powerful knowledge, maximises their cognitive development and nourishes the whole person and the talents of the individual. The curriculum therefore liberates and empowers, providing pupils with the confidence to understand and shape the world around them, to be active and economically self-sufficient citizens, and to ‘enter into the conversation of mankind’ (Michael Oakeshott, English philosopher and political theorist).
Hundreds of United Learning teachers and leaders have been involved in developing our Common Curriculum as a core academic curriculum, which we provide. Our curriculum is based on these key principles:
We believe that all children have right to learn what is in the United Learning Curriculum; schools have a duty to ensure that all children are taught the whole of it.
Taking the National Curriculum as its starting point, our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that powerful knowledge builds term by term and year by year. We make meaningful connections within subjects and between subjects.
We ensure that foundational knowledge, skills, and concepts are secure before moving on. Pupils revisit prior learning and apply their understanding in new contexts.
The core content – the ‘what’ – of our curriculum is stable and in line with what the best schools are teaching, but we ensure we bring it to life for our own local context in South-East London. Equally, teachers will adapt lessons – the ‘how’ – to meet the needs of their own classes.
We are committed to the idea of ‘the mirror and the window’, that pupils see themselves in our curriculum, ensuring diversity and equality, but that our curriculum takes all pupils beyond their immediate experience, building cultural capital and aspiration.
Our curriculum, which includes the taught subject timetable as well as spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, is intended to spark curiosity and to nourish both the head and the heart.
The Curriculum is intended as a concise specification of knowledge and content to be taught and learned; it is for schools and teachers to decide how to teach and bring it to life.
Part of United Learning. United Learning comprises: UCST (Registered in England No: 2780748. Charity No. 1016538) and ULT (Registered in England No. 4439859. An Exempt Charity). Companies limited by guarantee. VAT number 834 8515 12. Registered address: United Learning, Worldwide House, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, PE3 6SB. Tel: 01832 864 444
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