Outwood Centres of Curriculum Excellence

All Curriculum Excellence Centres:

  • Have a named Curriculum Excellence leader who is committed to securing continuous improvement in the curriculum area and will take a role in sharing and developing practice across the Trust.

  • Have identified an area of the curriculum that they will prioritise appropriately and invest in making a prominent feature of the academy.

  • Have a strategic action plan for how they will develop in-reach and out-reach work in the curriculum area.

  • The academy is a member of the relevant national subject association.

  • The academy is committed to achieving national recognition for the quality of its curriculum provision and standards.

In addition, our Bronze Level Centres:

  • Have a completed OGAT Quality Improvement Framework for the subject which is updated termly by the subject leader. The leader is aware of the strengths and areas for improvement as a result of this evaluation and is ensuring that the academy is making tangible progress towards securing improvements in these areas;

  • The subject leader is committed to engaging in professional research as a result of subject associated journals and uses evidence to inform both improvements and innovations in curriculum practice. The professional association membership is being used to support this. The subject leader engages in relevant CPD and cascades information to staff within the academy and across the Trust.

  • It is clear that the academy has given appropriate prioritisation to the curriculum area and this is evident within:

    • The academy’s physical environment

    • Staff professional development

    • Whole school events and celebrations

The academy has started to work towards the achievement of national recognition through an appropriate quality mark/evaluation framework. This will be achieved through the submission of a self-assessment checklist with supporting evidence. The director of the curriculum area will assess and award this level of achievement.

In addition to this, our Silver Level Centres:

  • The academy has achieved a nationally recognised standard for its curriculum provision. This may involve the achievement of a national quality mark.

  • The academy actively contributes to the improvement of standards and provision in the curriculum area across the Trust.

This level of achievement will be awarded when the school has achieved the national accreditation for the subject area.

Additionally, our Gold Level Centres:

  • Are the flagship standard for curriculum standards and provision that the Trust aims for. This includes:

    • Having strong classroom practice in relation to planning, teaching and assessment in each phase of the school: EYFS, KS1, KS2.

    • Pupil voice evidence a high level of pupil enjoyment and engagement in the subject

    • There is strong provision for the subject and associated skills across all 4 layers of the curriculum - Intrinsic, Academic, Enhancement and Elective.

    • The leadership of the subject is strong and able to support other subject leaders within the Trust

Standards and outcomes are high.

  • The academy has partnered with other academies to drive improvements in the curriculum area using the aspiring leadership model.

  • The academy leads enrichment opportunities across the Trust adding value to curriculum provision in all primary academies.

This level of achievement will be awarded by the central leadership team within the Trust. It will be assessed through a focussed review and follow up discussion and recommendation from the primary school improvement team.