Our curriculum is based on this philosophy, to study and learn from the past whilst preparing our pupils for their future. This isn’t limited to our history curriculum; we can learn so much from the past in all subject areas; how the world has changed over time environmentally, socially, morally, and economically in geography, PSHE, RE; how art and design have both reflected the past and how innovations have changed the future; how science through the ages has driven ways of life and altered the course of history.  Pupils can learn from the actions and mistakes of others as they strive to make sense of our world and play their part in shaping its future.  

We have carefully designed our curriculum to meet the needs of our pupils, whilst covering the full scope of the National Curriculum. Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff serves a unique community that brings together children from many different backgrounds and increasingly from different countries around the world. They bring with them wide-ranging cultural experiences, enriching our school community. Our pupils speak many different languages. For many of our pupils, developing English language and vocabulary is a high priority, including pupils whose first language is English. For this reason, we have put language, literature, and vocabulary at the heart of our curriculum. We take every opportunity to broaden our pupils’ language skills. 

This begins straight away in our Early Years Department. Here, our pupils engage in a rich variety of experiences that encourage and develop confidence and communication. Our Talk Boost Programme ensures that any pupil needing an extra “boost” with their speaking skills gets the essential support they need. As pupils progress through the academy, they are exposed to increasingly complex vocabulary which has been carefully planned in all subjects to give our pupils the words they need to make sense of the curriculum and open the door to their learning in a much wider sense.

At Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff, we build upon the contextual strengths of our community, making full use of the global nature of our pupils and families and using the rich artistic and strong cultural heritage that we are so lucky to have here in the Potteries. We want our pupils to be proud of their local area and understand the significance of the history surrounding the Potteries and how this has shaped the present and will continue to shape the future here in Stoke-on-Trent. 

The local area is identified as one of high deprivation, with high levels of unemployment.  This makes our links with industry and the world of work essential for our pupils. We are passionate about improving life chances and creating opportunities outside of their usual experiences and environment. We aim to create pupils who are keen to play their part in making a positive difference to society and have strong work ethics.  

With this in mind, our pupils study local history and local people who have had a significant impact on the wider world. They are encouraged to recognise these contributions to our local area and the wider world and develop a sense of pride in these connections. 

Our history curriculum explores local inventors, artists, and craftspeople who have had a significant impact not only within our local area but also in the world beyond. Our art curriculum is designed to explore the work of the famous local pottery designer, Clarice Cliff, whilst our geography curriculum incorporates fieldwork studies of local areas of natural beauty such as the Peak District. 

Creating ethically minded young people isn’t just about careers and employment; we are also determined to play our part in shaping pupils’ moral development. Our pupils need the courage and knowledge to make good moral choices in life. We have prioritised moral development throughout our curriculum; in history, pupils learn about gender bias when studying the Ancient Greeks and why personal choice in faith is important through their studies of the Anglo-Saxons and Scots. In geography, our pupils study the rainforests and the effects that humans have on them as well as learn about inequalities in wealth in Brazil and considering equity through Fair Trade. Our PSHE curriculum and carefully selected texts build regular opportunities to explore moral dilemmas and issues within society. Running through all of this is our clear focus on values; our Co-op values and Ways of Being support our pupils in becoming well-grounded and caring young people who look to do the right thing at every opportunity. Pupils learn about each value through a carefully planned series of lessons from Reception to Y6 

Pupils in our Academy have the opportunity to build the leadership skills they will need for the wider world by taking part in our Co-op Young Leaders initiative. Roles such as librarians, prefects, book monitors, reading buddies, and school councillors all offer valuable experiences to develop communication, leadership, cooperation, and a sense of responsibility. 

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that key knowledge is built as pupils move through the school. This means that teachers are fully aware of the whole school curriculum and build in regular opportunities to revisit concepts and knowledge to help pupils to commit learning to long-term memory and also address any missed learning. We use principles based on sound educational research to ensure that our pupils experience the best educational practices to maximise their learning and are fully engaged and supported.

In line with current educational research, lessons are carefully structured to ensure that real learning is taking place and new knowledge is embedded in children’s long-term memory. Each lesson begins with an opportunity to revisit previous learning, followed by new knowledge and concepts which are introduced in small steps. Children are provided with lots of opportunities to practice what they have learned, using shared models and examples. Children’s independent learning is then scaffolded as they demonstrate their application of new knowledge and skills. As children work increasingly independently, teachers routinely check understanding and give meaningful feedback to move to learn forward. Our staff receive regular CPD to develop their pedagogy and ensure that staff has the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high-quality lessons.

At Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff we bring the curriculum to life in a variety of ways. Each topic is enhanced with carefully planned educational visits and experiences which ensure that our pupils explore the local area and beyond. Pupils apply their practical skills in real-life situations and contexts. For example, Y4 pupils visit a river setting to apply fieldwork skills to observe, measure and record so that they are able to understand river features and later explain their importance. 

Our frequent family learning workshops are very well attended and strengthen the links between home and school. Other events include music concerts, performances, and local community projects and events, including our well-being and careers fairs. 

Within our EYFS, pupils needing additional support in language and communication participate in our Early Talk Boost and Talk Boost interventions. Sessions are carefully designed to develop confidence in essential aspects of communication in small group settings.

By planning for specific vocabulary progression across all subject areas, our pupils learn the vocabulary needed to understand increasingly complex key concepts and build their confidence in using the correct terminology across all subject areas.

Our pupils develop their speaking, listening, and presenting skills further through elements taken from the English Speaking Board programme. Planning and delivering presentations, reading aloud, and performing poetry ensure that our pupils develop skills and confidence through a progressive and supportive framework.

To provide a rich curriculum that offers our children the opportunity to explore deeper social and moral issues alongside key knowledge, we have structured our topics around enquiry based learning. Each topic has a question that consists of two elements: the first part of the question focuses on key knowledge and skills that are taken from the National Curriculum; the second part of the question focuses on deeper critical thinking skills which range from applying their learned knowledge to different situations to reflecting on social and moral issues linked to the areas they have studied.

We believe in using the power of narrative to engage our children fully in their learning and encourage them to take a personal interest in the topics they study. We harness the many benefits of storytelling by using this approach to introduce new topics to our children, promoting opportunities for empathy,  connection, and context. Our teachers are trained in engaging children in subjects through the use of narrative and are able to capture children’s attention and interest in a meaningful way across all areas of the curriculum.

Our timetable is structured to maximise the amount of time that children spend immersed in their learning experiences, with larger blocks of time in the afternoon being devoted to the foundation subjects. Our subjects are taught discretely in Key Stage One and Two so that children are clear about the knowledge and skills they are learning and which area of the curriculum they are learning about. In the Early Years, a topic-based approach is taken as our children link their learning experiences together through themes such as ‘All About Me’ and ‘Our Big Wide World’.

At Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff, we make full use of the range of technology available to us to inspire and support our children’s learning. Our IT suite and portable devices are used to develop children’s computing skills through the Purple Mash Scheme of Work and enhance learning throughout the curriculum. 

We also use our devices as a powerful tool to gather individual and whole class feedback in real-time, supporting our assessment for learning. Our intervention programmes also involve the use of IT to deliver programs such as Nessy Spelling and Reading, Numbots, and Times Table Rock Stars.

Unique to our school, is our link with the local pottery industry and we are proud to be able to offer our students a curriculum that reflects this link across many of its subjects. For example, in Y1, pupils study how local life has changed from the Queen was a child to when she was an adult; In Y4 pupil study how local life centred around the pottery industry (including Spode) changed during the industrial revolution and in Y6, they study the impact of Clarice Cliff as a revolutionary female figure in the pottery industry. To strengthen this local connection further, each year group studies the local pottery designer, Clarice Cliff, learning about her life and artistic contribution to the pottery industry as they build their skills progressively through a series of art projects. 

Reading is a key component of our curriculum. Every opportunity is taken to develop pupils’ reading skills and their love of reading. Our well-stocked library is a wonderful space in which to develop this love of reading. Pupils regularly borrow books to read for pleasure in addition to their reading development books. Guided and whole-class reading sessions are carefully planned to build reading skills over time. English lessons are centered around rich texts chosen for the quality of language and their links to topics. Pupils explore text structures, features and language and learn to replicate these within their own writing.  

As a result of our carefully planned curriculum, all of our children make good progress academically, socially, creatively, physically, and emotionally. They are able to set high expectations of themselves and know how to achieve their goals by working towards specific targets that they have planned for themselves. Our children take pride in their work and realise their potential to achieve success in the world of work, recognising the value of hard work and determination.

Our clear focus on our locality and heritage develops a deep understanding of the history of our local area and the impact that events and people have had on a national and global level and instills a sense of pride.

Pupils are confident in holding discussions about what they have learned and how they have developed new knowledge and skills, identifying where they have linked new knowledge to existing knowledge, and using a range of strategies to support their learning.

Our children demonstrate the Co-op Ways of Being through the behaviours we see every day; in the classroom, in the playground, moving around the school, and in the many leadership roles that they choose to take on.

They recognise themselves as unique individuals who each have something special to offer and are able to show care and support for their peers. They see the worth of kindness and compassion and value friendship, trust, and respect in their relationships.

Our pupils are able to consider the information carefully and use this to make the right decisions for themselves, choosing to be resistant to influences that might not support them in achieving their goals. They can make choices that have a positive impact on their local community and recognise small changes that they can make that will help them become responsible global citizens.