“You can take it and make it your own and make it personal to your school.”
Stoneham Park Primary Academy, University of Winchester Trust
Hear it from Stoneham Park Primary Academy.
“You can take it and make it your own and make it personal to your school.”
What was your expectations before implementation and how has the reality compared?
So, it’s made curriculum mapping much easier. There’s much less workload, particularly for the subject leaders to see that real overview across the school and the child’s journey across the school. It has easy to follow learning journeys as well with clear guidance of what must be covered but also that flexibility around how we teach those non-negotiables and what must be covered. It’s way more supportive and adaptable so you can take it and make it your own and make it personal to your school.
“Teachers are excited to plan and teach these lessons.”
How has the curriculum changed the way teachers plan and teach lessons?
So, as part of the SLT and being a teacher, it has changed it to be an opportunity for allowing the children to be really creative within each lesson. We have lessons where children are able to be problem solvers and think critically all within each unit. It has made it a much more enjoyable teaching experience for the teachers but also for the children who are on that learning journey. It’s thinking about that outcome for the children but also thinking about the journey they have gone on to get to that outcome, which makes it really fun. Teachers are excited to plan and teach these lessons, and it focuses on providing really rich learning experiences that children might not have had before. So, it’s providing those opportunities for children who may not have experiences of these things are getting to have flavours of exciting activities.
“Each lesson has an open-ended outcome, allowing all pupils to achieve in their own way.”
How does Dimensions Curriculum support children with SEND or EAL?
It allows the teachers to adapt the lessons, providing that low threshold but high ceiling opportunity within each lesson, within each unit. It’s got a real emphasis on practical hands-on learning: supporting their understanding, removing barriers such as writing in history or writing in geography, removing that cognitive overload, but providing lots of opportunities for talk; lots of visual hands-on learning, and each lesson has that open-ended outcome, allowing all pupils to achieve in their own way.
“Emphasis on practical hands-on learning”
“Visitors always mention the real buzz within the classroom.”
How has the curriculum been viewed by OFSTED or external visitors?
It has been recognised as a really strong, thought-out curriculum with positive feedback on pupil engagement and their excitement in the classroom. Visitors often mention the breath of opportunities that it provides for the children and the buzz within the classroom. Hearing that talk from the children on their knowledge learnt from each lesson as well has been commented on a lot.
“It allows schools to have consistency, but allowing for individuality.”
What would you say to another MAT considering a thematic curriculum?
So, from personal experience being part of the Winchester MAT I would recommend Dimensions Curriculum. It has allowed subject leaders to come together and use all their creative adaptations within subjects. So, sharing ideas, sharing resources across schools, allowing all the opportunities to collaborate and share that best practice, while reducing that workload. It allows schools to have that consistent curriculum approach but allowing for individuality between each school.
“Pupils achieve in their own way”
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