At Derwent Vale, our goal is to ensure all our pupils become confident, successful learners who can work independently and collaboratively. We have high aspirations for them, but we also want them to have high aspirations for themselves and be keen to play a positive role within both our community and the wider world. Developing our pupils' understanding of British Values and their moral, social, cultural and spiritual understanding underpins everything we do. We do this within classrooms where oracy skills are celebrated and developed across a multitude of contexts and situations.

As a school, we provide a highly inclusive environment where all learners enjoy their education and make very good progress. Pupils at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. We challenge and support each and every child at Derwent Vale, providing encouragement, high standards, valuable opportunities to embed skills and the chance to develop at their own pace and learn in a style that best suits their individual needs. 

Our curriculum has been designed to promote a clear and logical progression of knowledge alongside a similarly graduated progression of skills. Put simply, our curriculum is mapped so that children learn what they need to know at the most appropriate time, with subsequent learning building on what has come before - thus developing our pupils’ skills and knowledge further. Revisiting learning and making links to both prior and future learning are all embedded within and across lessons throughout school. This enables our pupils to become secure, confident learners who use and apply their talents and thought processes across multiple areas. 

We utilise successfully proven curriculum materials from CUSP in Reading, Writing, History, Geography and Science. In French, Art, DT, Music, PSHE and RE, we support our curriculum with materials from Kapow - these resources provide the core knowledge our children need to learn. We have then adapted these to best meet the needs of our pupils and our community. Examples of these adaptations can be found in locally specific Geography and History units; our personalised process criteria in Writing; core text choices in Reading; residentials; our skills progression documents; our development of cultural capital and the many visitors and experiences we provide. Understanding and celebrating the backgrounds of our specific children is the best way to provide them with the brightest possible future.

Our subject leaders play a key role in ensuring our curriculum is successful. They lead a regular programme of monitoring, evaluating, reviewing, reflecting, enriching and improving learning by working alongside the Headteacher and Curriculum Lead. We have wonderful grounds, dedicated staff and hardworking pupils and our leaders ensure that the needs of individuals and small groups of children are met within our environment. High quality first wave teaching, supported by targeted, rapid and proven interventions ensure effective learning takes place across school and impact positively on pupil outcomes.

Our pupils thoroughly enjoy school - we know, because they tell us. Just ask them to show you the 'Positive Pupil Voice' floor book! Our curriculum promotes achievement, confidence and good behaviour in an environment where children feel safe to try new things. We provide pupils with memorable, rich and diverse experiences - both inside and outside the classroom. These opportunities allow all our pupils to understand how their learning sits within the real world and gives them the chance to apply their skills.

Please view the curriculum documents on these pages alongside the many PicCollages of learning that appear on the class pages and on our Facebook page.