Curriculum overview

Our curriculum is underpinned by the academy's fundamental mission: ‘to begin the journey to provide every pupil with the opportunity to go on to a university or pursue the career of their choice.’ This is at the very core of our ‘why’ and defines us as a school.

The Ark Priory Curriculum aims to:

• give all our pupils a rich knowledge of the world in which they live; experiences to make sense of it; and the confidence to make judgements on what they see
• inspire young minds to keep learning, sharing a deep and meaningful foundation of knowledge that stimulates curiosity and inquisitiveness
• create future citizens who have the courage to engage with major global challenges such as the environment, community cohesion, and ethical decision-making
• equip pupils with the confidence and resilience to shape their own path through life

We set high expectations for all our pupils, and we do whatever it takes to meet them; our aspirations are no lower for our most vulnerable pupils. We strive for excellent teaching, because a teacher affects a pupil's achievement more than any other factor. 

To nurture a love of reading and develop fluent communication skills, we also dedicate more time to oracy, literacy and English. When children build firm foundations in English and maths, they find it easier to do well in other subjects too. That's why we prioritise depth in these subjects, giving our pupils the best chance of success. Every hour of every day is devoted to children learning, with no wasted time. 

We have designed our curriculum around the rigour and challenge of the Ark Base Curriculum and a number of other programs of study, with the addition of rich experiences and local knowledge. By the time our children leave us aged 11, they have a deep understanding of their local community and how it connects them to London, the UK and the world beyond. They understand what it feels like to try something new, and actively seek new opportunities. They take their love of success with them as they move on to secondary and further education. 

Our school values – explore, endeavour and excel, with the 'courage to fly' – are explicitly taught to our pupils throughout the curriculum. The values permeate school life at all levels, and are understood and modelled by all staff and pupils. There is clarity around the expected behaviours linked to each value.

We set challenging and aspirational targets for every child, every year. We are focused on absolute pupil progress and attainment, as well as achieving the quality of provision that makes Ark aspirations achievable. Leaders must ensure that the sum of individual pupil targets equate to our expected whole academy targets.

Our expectation is that 100% of children reach the Ark minimum attainment target, irrespective of starting points. Those pupils at or above expected on-entry attainment should meet Ark’s minimum level of progress, resulting in above average attainment.