Intent

At Hallwood Park Primary School and Nursery, we provide a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum that is carefully designed to meet the specific needs of our pupils and community. Hallwood Park serves a community with higher-than-average levels of disadvantage, including pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND).

Our curriculum intent is closely aligned with our Pupil Premium strategy, which prioritises:

  • high expectations for all pupils

  • strong foundations in language, reading and mathematics

  • removing barriers to learning through high-quality teaching rather than narrowed experiences

Our curriculum is intentionally knowledge-rich, language-rich and carefully sequenced. We believe that if we are getting the curriculum right for our disadvantaged pupils, then we are getting it right for all pupils. This principle underpins both our curriculum design and our use of Pupil Premium funding.

Language is central to learning at Hallwood Park. Vocabulary development and oracy are prioritised across all subjects to support disadvantaged pupils in accessing learning, expressing their thinking and building confidence. This directly reflects our Pupil Premium focus on closing gaps in language, comprehension and academic confidence.

To support this intent, we have selected and adapted high-quality curriculum approaches:

  • Humanities are taught through Opening Worlds, a knowledge-rich, text-led curriculum that promotes literacy, oracy, cultural capital and long-term knowledge retention, ensuring all pupils access powerful knowledge regardless of background.

  • English is delivered through our adapted Pathways to Read and Write, prioritising high-quality texts, explicit modelling and writing in meaningful contexts to support disadvantaged pupils to succeed.

  • Phonics and early reading are taught using Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS), ensuring early gaps are identified and addressed quickly through a consistent, evidence-based approach.

  • Mathematics follows White Rose Maths, adapted to support secure understanding, reasoning and confidence for pupils who may need additional structure and repetition.

  • Science and foundation subjects are supported through Kapow Primary, ensuring disadvantaged pupils experience the full breadth of the curriculum and develop subject knowledge alongside their peers.

Implementation

Our curriculum intent is implemented through carefully sequenced knowledge and skills plans, supported by strong medium-term planning. This mirrors our Pupil Premium strategy focus on high-quality teaching as the primary lever for improvement.

Medium-term plans:

  • build progressively on prior learning and prepare pupils for future learning

  • identify essential vocabulary, particularly where disadvantaged pupils are most likely to experience barriers

  • plan regular opportunities for retrieval and structured talk so pupils know more and remember more

Teaching is adaptive and inclusive, with scaffolding, modelling and feedback used to support pupils to catch up and keep up without narrowing the curriculum. This approach is underpinned by our teaching and learning framework, informed by EEF research, and aligned directly with our Pupil Premium priorities.

Parents and carers are kept informed about curriculum content and are supported to engage with their child’s learning, reflecting our commitment to partnership working outlined in our Pupil Premium strategy.

Impact

The impact of our curriculum reflects the intended outcomes of our Pupil Premium strategy. Pupils:

  • build strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics with KS2 results in line with or above national average in all areas

  • develop a wide and ambitious vocabulary, enabling access to all subjects

  • retain key knowledge and make meaningful connections across the curriculum

  • become confident speakers who can articulate their thinking

  • experience a full and enriching curriculum, regardless of disadvantage

As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve well, gaps are reduced, and pupils leave Hallwood Park with the knowledge, confidence and skills they need to thrive.