Our Curriculum - 'Growing Together, Aspiring to Succeed'
Our motto of 'Growing Together, Aspiring to Succeed' is our ambition for all of our children.
Mount Hawke Academy is a school where everyone ASPIREs to be the best they can be as We Grow Together, working collaboratively, supporting each other's growth and development, emphasising the importance we place in unity, teamwork, and shared responsibility in fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential. ASPIRE stands for our core values which underpin all of the work we do here at Mount Hawke Academy - aspiring to succeed is at the heart of all elements of our learning.
A great deal of thought and planning has gone into developing our Mount Hawke Academy Curriculum beginning with our youngest children in Reception (Early Years Foundation Stage - EYFS), and it is on a regular review and evolution. The result is a rich and varied curriculum which provides daily teaching and learning of English and Mathematics, and also includes provision for the delivery of the rest of the National Curriculum. This is done through a wide range of topics and lessons over the different year groups.
Our Curriculum aims to:
- Develop inquisitive minds, a spirit of curiosity and a passion for learning from the beginning.
- Embed skills to prepare children for further learning and productive adulthood.
- Take learning beyond the classroom.
- Develop children to become reflective learners who have a sense of responsibility for their own learning and development.
- Build confidence and motivation within our children.
- Grow children who understand the importance of perseverance, resilience and tolerance, with high expectations and self-belief to fulfil their potential.
- Enable children to use their acquired skills and knowledge to observe, question and think.
- Ensure all learn to value others, their views, cultures and beliefs.
The MHA curriculum is designed so that our children know more and can do more, with a clear progression of knowledge and skills in each subject. Where appropriate, logical links are made across subjects and the explicit teaching of vocabulary features across all curriculum areas.
Reading is at the heart of all we do – from the day our children start with us we aim to foster a love of reading and books, and this can be seen through our school. Our physical environment celebrates books, with books and reading areas found throughout our building, and our adults and children share book talk and are regularly found reading in our library areas, in classrooms and outside.
We have a specialist instructor to support the teaching of PE and all of our children represent our school in a sport before they leave. The increased confidence and self-belief, as well as physical and mental health benefits from taking part in PE, are marked and are a noted part of the MHA child.
All subject leaders are given training and opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school.
Themed weeks, whole school activities and opportunities within and outside school all enrich and develop the children’s learning. After school clubs and events extend these opportunities further. Additional whole school programmes and approaches support quality teaching and learning, and the school is well resourced in terms of learning materials, books and technology. The outdoor environment and the local community are considered an opportunity for active learning for all our children. The school grounds have been developed so they can enrich different curriculum areas too.
Children have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through school-based and external exhibitions, performances, competitions and events involving other schools. Developing their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning.
Our teachers ensure that creative, challenging work is planned and that skills, concepts and knowledge are transferred between different areas of the curriculum. The themes selected for study are balanced both across the year and key stage. Links are made to ensure that children develop the self-confidence to move from the familiar to the unknown and challenge themselves in a secure and supportive learning context.
Members of staff meet regularly to share ideas and analyse data, in order to establish areas of strength and development; as a result, we are able to offer a curriculum which is appropriate and relevant to the needs of our children. This includes introducing intervention programmes to provide targeted support.
Our team of dedicated, enthusiastic teaching staff is devoted to delivering high quality teaching and learning. In doing so, they are well supported by an experienced and motivated team of support staff, who are committed to providing the best opportunities and guidance for the children they work with.
The MHA Long Term Plans below show our coverage. The EYFS document covers a school year for our children in Reception and the document below that is a two year rolling programme for Key Stages One and Two. Children follow Year A from 'odd year' Septembers - 2023, 2025, etc. and Year B from 'even year' Septembers - 2024, 2026, etc.
