“Working Together To Make A Difference”
At Pensilva, our curriculum is more than just a timetable of subjects. It is the heartbeat of our school. It reflects our core values 'To Live, To Love, To Learn' and is designed to inspire curiosity, foster a love of learning and prepare our children to thrive in an ever-changing world.
We believe that a high-quality curriculum should be rooted in the needs of our children, shaped by our local community and encourage children to open their eyes to the wider world. That’s why our staff team have worked collaboratively to create a curriculum that is unique to our school. It is progressive in structure and built around key concepts in each subject.
Intent
Our curriculum is designed to bring our school vision and values to life. We want every child to:
- Develop the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to live well, love learning, and grow into thoughtful, capable individuals.
- Be curious, creative and confident learners who are emotionally resilient and socially responsible.
- Feel safe, supported and inspired in an environment that nurtures their wellbeing and celebrates their individuality.
We define “curriculum” in the broadest sense. It’s not just what happens in lessons, but everything a child experiences at Pensilva. From classroom learning to playtime interactions, school trips to assemblies, we believe every moment contributes to a child’s development.
Our curriculum offer is made up of four key elements:
1. The National Curriculum
We deliver the full scope of subject-specific programmes of study, ensuring every child has access to the essential knowledge and skills they are entitled to.
2. Our Local Curriculum
We enrich learning by making meaningful connections with our local area. Our village has it own unique character through its natural environment, industrial history, range of businesses and community spirit. Children explore the local area, take part in community events and work alongside local organisations.
3. The Hidden Curriculum
We value the unplanned learning that happens through daily life at school. Things like how children interact, how they see adults model behaviour and how they learn to be part of a community. These experiences help shape character, values and social skills.
4. The Designed Curriculum
Our staff have carefully crafted a curriculum that is progressive and concept-driven. It identifies small steps of knowledge and skills in each subject, ensuring children build on prior learning and deepen their understanding over time. We also include enriching experiences such as Forest School, outdoor learning, educational visits and creative projects to bring learning to life.
Implementation
At Pensilva, our curriculum is delivered through high-quality teaching, inclusive practices and a rich programme of enrichment opportunities. We are committed to ensuring that every child receives the support, challenge and inspiration they need to thrive both academically and socially.
The REACH Model: Helping Children Reach Their Potential
Our teaching is structured around the REACH model, developed by our staff team and rooted in evidence-based practice, including Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and the Great Teaching Toolkit. This model ensures consistency across classrooms and supports all learners to make meaningful progress.
- Retrieval – Lessons begin with opportunities to revisit prior learning, strengthening memory and building connections.
- Explicit Teaching – Teachers model new concepts clearly, using worked examples and guided practice to ensure understanding.
- Application – Pupils apply their learning through carefully designed tasks that build fluency and deepen understanding.
- Challenge – Tasks are designed to stretch thinking, promote reasoning and encourage resilience.
- Help – Responsive support is provided through live marking, targeted questioning and small group interventions.
This structure helps children develop independence, confidence and mastery over time and ensures that learning is purposeful and progressive.
Inclusion at the Heart of Our Practice
We believe that every child deserves to succeed and inclusion is central to our curriculum delivery. Our classrooms are places where all learners are valued and supported through:
- Adaptive Teaching – Lessons are planned with flexibility, allowing teachers to respond to individual needs and provide appropriate scaffolds or extensions.
- Dyslexia-Friendly Strategies – We use a range of strategies including visual supports and multi-sensory approaches to make learning accessible to all children.
- Assistive Technology – Tools such as sound recorders and voice-to-text software help children overcome barriers and access the curriculum confidently.
- Flexible Groupings and Targeted Support – Children receive help when they need it, whether through pre-teaching, keep-up sessions or in-lesson support.
We also work closely with families and external professionals to ensure that children with SEND receive personalised provision that enables them to flourish.
Enrichment and Wider Learning
Learning at Pensilva goes far beyond the classroom. We offer a wide range of enrichment opportunities that help children connect their learning to the wider world and develop as well-rounded individuals:
- Forest School and Outdoor Learning – Encouraging exploration, teamwork and environmental awareness.
- Educational Visits and Visitors – Bringing learning to life through real-world experiences and expert input.
- House Team Events – Promoting collaboration and community across year groups, such as Maths Explorer Day, POWERs Day and World Book Day.
- Community Engagement – Involving children in local events, traditions and service projects to build a sense of belonging and responsibility. Examples include singing at the local memory cafe, participating in the village wreath laying service and collaborating with the sustainability farm.
Planning, Sequencing and Assessment
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure progression in knowledge and skills. Teachers use subject-specific progression maps and key concepts to plan lessons that build on prior learning and prepare children for what comes next.
Assessment is used thoughtfully to inform teaching, identify gaps and celebrate progress. We use a combination of formative strategies (such as questioning, feedback and pupil conferencing) and summative assessments to monitor learning and guide future planning.
Impact
We want our children to leave Pensilva with:
- A secure grasp of key knowledge and skills across all subjects
- The ability to think critically, communicate effectively and solve problems creatively
- A strong sense of identity, belonging and responsibility
- The confidence to embrace challenges and the resilience to overcome them
We monitor the impact of our curriculum through:
- Regular assessment and pupil voice
- Book looks, lesson observations and progress reviews
- Engagement with families and the wider community
- Regular engagement with the School Effectivness team and Curriculum Advisor at Cornwall Council
Our curriculum is never static. We continually review and refine it to meet the evolving needs of our pupils and the world they are growing up in.