The Mount Stewart Schools Curriculum

Intent context

Our curriculum is knowledge-rich and concept-driven; we believe that learning should be progressive, purposeful and apply subject-specific skills every day. We want our children to leave the Mount Stewart Federation as culturally literate, well-rounded individuals. We aspire to produce entrepreneurs, collaborators, investigators, leaders and, ultimately, children who are equipped to deal with the challenges of modern life – wherever that may take them. At the centre of our curriculum, we have our Mount Stewart learner and the three core areas that our parents have identified as most important for developing their child at school. Surrounding this are our 7R's, which encompass our learning behaviours at school. We incorporate these behaviours into all aspects of school life. Finally, the outer edge shows the 20 core concepts that underpin our curriculum at Mount Stewart. These have been carefully chosen from the National Curriculum and are taught through various interesting and exciting focuses and themes. Our children are exposed to these repeatedly on throughout their journey through school.

Our curriculum has a clear purpose and is focused on the excitement and developing a love for learning. Our approach combines the rigour of a subject-specific approach with the flexible nature of a concept curriculum, ensuring children build on concepts taught before and make meaningful interdisciplinary links across different curriculum areas. We review our curriculum regularly to ensure that learning is bespoke to the needs and context of our learners and demonstrates a strong understanding of specific needs to succeed in life.

Implementation

Our curriculum will be implemented with our intentions as the drivers behind our actions. We build resilient, successful, respectable citizens by ensuring that we think about what we learn, who we are when we learn, how we act, and our place in the world. Our implementation plan ensures our curriculum keeps us focussed on these areas. Our curriculum structure at Mount Stewart comprises of our 20 core concepts that underpin our curriculum with the National Curriculum, which facilitates our starting point. We embellish and deepen further as a school but at the heart of this are learners being exposed to the core concepts through quality experiences and lessons with a large element of choice and need for independent thinking. Essential Questions allow enquiry, and learning opportunities are used before teaching to enable learners to become immersed in their learning. Visits and enrichment clubs allow learners even greater opportunities to find and develop their interests and personal talents. Visitors and parents coming into school to support learning at regular opportunities further strengthen our offer and deepen experiences

Impact

What do we hope will be the impact of our curriculum and how do we measure it? The Mount Stewart Curriculum cycle places the learner back at the centre of the curriculum and makes teachers think, "What will the experience be for the learner, and how can we make the absolute most of each concept?" The concepts promote learners making group and personal connections with the content due to having genuine freedom of expression and choice. It is beginning to produce learners who must think for themselves, be resilient and face challenges with strategies to overcome and progress.

The Mount Stewart Schools Curriculum Information

To help you gain a better understanding of the curriculum for Years 3 & 4 as well as Years 5 & 6, we have provided you with contact information for our dedicated curriculum coordinators.

For Years 3 & 4, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. S. Patel at admin@tmss.org.uk. Mrs. Patel is passionate about creating an enriching learning experience for your children, and she will be more than happy to address any questions or concerns you may have regarding the curriculum.

For Years 5 & 6, you can contact Mrs. R. Patel at admin@tmss.org.uk. Mrs. Patel has extensive experience in guiding students through this crucial stage of their education and is committed to ensuring that your child receives a well-rounded and engaging curriculum.

Whether you have questions about specific subjects, teaching methods, or extracurricular activities, our curriculum coordinators are here to assist you. We encourage you to reach out to them directly via email, and they will respond promptly to your inquiries.