Curriculum Overview
INTENT
‘Our carefully sequenced and values-led curriculum drives progress through establishing powerful knowledge which fosters a lifelong
love of learning’.
Pupils at Paignton Academy will receive a rigorous, coherent and intelligently sequenced curriculum which builds on previous learning.
Our curriculum is grounded in the strongest available evidence about how pupils learn and retain knowledge in their long–term
memories.
Our academic curriculum is the body of knowledge we know our pupils need to learn as they progress from one year to the next. They
need to know more, remember more and do more at each and every stage.
Our deep understanding of our local context instills a profound moral purpose throughout the taught and non-taught curriculum and
ensures that we maintain the very highest expectations of our pupils. With this, the curriculum can have a transformational impact on
their lives.
Our 7 Core Values support our shared work in developing our pupils as kind, confident people who are able to lead happy, succ essful
lives and have a positive impact on the wider world.
Principles of the Curriculum
Values Driven
Everything we do is driven by our seven Core Values of Ambition; Excellence from all, for all; Character; Outstanding Relationships;
Love of Learning; Community and Pride. Our values reflect our deep understanding of our local context.
At the heart of our Core Values is Ambition. Our broad, balanced and intelligently designed curriculum fosters ambition and allows
pupils to develop our school values by what they learn and how they learn.
Subject leaders design every aspect of our curriculum with our Core Values at the heart of their planning and delivery.
Taking into account our pupils’ context, we aim to provide guidance and encouragement to support our families. We structure our
school to ensure we know every child and work closely with families to better be able to remove barriers to their learning. We teach
a pastoral curriculum through tutor time, assemblies, enterprise and careers activities and our overall safeguarding culture which
nurtures our pupils and ensures their wellbeing.
Coherently sequenced & Knowledge Rich:
Our curriculum is built by each subject carefully selecting and sequencing the most powerful knowledge that is to be taught. This core
knowledge is not merely bound by exam specifications but is helping unlock future understanding.
Our curriculum is not simply a set of encounters which children form ad hoc memories; it is designed to remember in detail to be
stored in our pupils’ long-term memories so that they can later build on it, forming ever wider and deeper schema.
This knowledge has been intelligently mapped across the curriculum to allow a deeper understanding and meaningful connections to
be made. This will support progression.
Powerful knowledge can enable students to acquire knowledge which will take them past their own experiences. It also develops both
cultural capital and cultural literacy, preparing pupils for life beyond Paignton Academy.
Research informed:
Our curriculum and sequenced learning is supported by high quality and up to date educational led research. We provide opportunities
for our curriculum team leaders to engage in relevant research training to support the development of their curriculum and
pedagogical practices through such providers as South West Institute for Teaching, Leading Schools South West and the Education
Endowment Fund.
Our curriculum is designed with long-term memory in mind to ensure that pupils’ knowledge, expertise and understanding are
reinforced by frequent and systematic revisiting.
Our researched informed approach to the curriculum respects the integrity and heritage of each individual subject. We recogni se that
each subject is different; each has its own unique knowledge and pedagogical demands. Therefore, there is not a one size fi ts all
approach. The curriculum is the progression model. Assessment is therefore carefully designed and undertaken at appropriate times.
