Curriculum

In This Section…

At Fairfield we, SHINE in everything we do!

At Fairfield Spencer Academy, we provide high quality teaching and learning for all pupils, every day, so that no-one gets left behind. Our SHINE curriculum is underpinned by our SHINE values.

Our SHINE Values:

  • S – Successful
  • H – High Expectations
  • I – Independent
  • N – Never Give Up
  • E – Equality

 

  …To be KIND

Fairfield Spencer Academy Curriculum Intent #SHINE

We are proud to have a knowledge-based curriculum which stimulates our children into asking searching questions, shapes their learning and enables them to develop into independent thinkers and learners.  Our curriculum is engaging, exciting and innovative, encompassing and celebrating all curriculum areas, helping to ensure that our children develop the knowledge and skills they need to excel, and become creative and curious citizens.

Our ‘SHINE Curriculum’ is underpinned with relevant, up-to-date research and represents our high expectations, it is challenging and designed to address the disadvantaged gap. Everything that we do is based upon our knowledge of our children and we pride ourselves on our ‘whatever it takes’ ethos.

Our curriculum is broad and balanced, with every subject meeting or going beyond the National Curriculum requirements. We plan with the children’s needs and interests in mind. Where possible, teachers plan for cross-curricular links, however we realise that, occasionally some units of work need to stand alone.

We continuously build upon previous learning as we expand, broaden and deepen the knowledge and skills of our children using carefully planned sequential learning and regular retrieval practice.  This layered, systematic approach has led to a progressive and diverse curriculum which allows our children to holistically develop their knowledge, vocabulary and understanding of their local area, as well as the wider world.  Our fully inclusive approach allows us to adapt to the learners individual needs and promote challenge.  Reading permeates and strengthens our curriculum.  Each theme is enhanced by quality texts.

 

Please click here for more information and to see our Fairfield library.

Our SHINE Curriculum allows learning to make sense!

It is…

  • Owned by our children
  • Underpinned by research around how children learn best
  • A passport to the world through a love of books
  • Developed around challenge and questions that promote enquiry
  • Enhanced by real life experiences and inspirational people to create lifelong memories
  • A vehicle to promote curiosity whilst having lots of fun!

 

Overview of Themes from Reception to Year 6

Our community is at the heart of our teaching and learning. Topics have been selected to embrace the wider community in which we live – celebrating our diverse family, links with local organisations and local places of worship – as well as expanding children’s knowledge of events and places they wouldn’t ordinarily visit or know about.

Subject leaders play a large role in the successful delivery of our ‘SHINE Curriculum’ with regular monitoring, evaluation and review of the curriculum.  Our ‘SHINE Curriculum’ ensures children leave Fairfield Spencer Academy with ambition, drive and enthusiasm equipping them with the tools to thrive and SHINE in whatever path they choose to undertake.

Subjects are taught to a high standard – click below for individual subject intents and curriculum maps.

View our SHINE Curriculum Portfolio here
Literacy STEM Humanities Arts
Writing Maths History Art
Reading & Phonics

Reading Overview

 Science Geography PE
Writing Overview Design and Technology RSHE – SCARF Music
Languages Computing RE  |  NCC Guide
Oracy

 

Long term plans for Reception to Year 6

Our long term plans (Learning Journeys) indicate what is taught in each subject, in each year group, throughout the academic year.

 

Knowledge Organisers

2025/26

Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
EYFS EYFS EYFS EYFS EYFS
Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year 1
Year 2 Year 2 Year 2 Year 2 Year 2 Year 2
Year 3 Year 3 Year 3 Year 3 Year 3 Year 3
Year 4 Year 4 Year 4 Year 4 Year 4 Year 4
Year 5 Year 5 Year 5 Year 5 Year 5 Year 5
Year 6 Year 6 Year 6 Year 6 Year 6 Year 6

 

Click here to view our previous year’s knowledge organisers.

Why we do it…

In recent decades, cognitive scientists have confirmed the need for a knowledge-based curriculum for two reasons:

 

Knowledge frees up your brain’s capacity for thinking

Cognitive scientists have found that our brain works at different speeds, depending on whether we have learned something already, or whether we are relying on “working memory”. Working memory is new information you can keep in your head and is very limited (holding between three and seven pieces of new information). That is why learning your times tables by heart is useful. Completing more complex calculations is made more simple if knowledge of tables is already ‘locked in’. For this reason, we have daily fluency lessons and all lessons begin with a ‘connect back’ to active prior knowledge and free up the brain’s capacity for thinking.

We learn new things by connecting them to old things

The way in which the brain stores new information, and makes inferences and discoveries, is by connecting to existing stored knowledge (schema). You cannot have skills without knowledge, because you cannot evaluate something you do not know anything about. You also cannot come up with new ideas without jumping off existing ones. At Fairfield, to help children make connections to prior learning we have ‘connect backs’ at the start of every lesson, regular retrieval practice and prior learning sections on our working wall learning journeys to make connections to previous learning explicit to our children.

To find out more about our curriculum, please contact Shamara Sadler, Principal via: ssadler@fairfieldspencer.org.uk

 

Documents

English – Supporting Information

Mathematics – Supporting Information

Science – Supporting Information

Design and Technology – Supporting Information