Our curriculum

Curriculum Intent

At Lincoln Carlton Academy we aim to create a haven where every child can flourish, and our curriculum is a key component in bringing this to life.

We know that every child is unique and we value their individuality. One in every five children at Lincoln Carlton Academy has a Special Educational Need and 4.8% have an Education, Health and Care Plan. The Indices of Deprivation puts our catchment area in the 30% most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. Therefore, our curriculum has been designed to ensure that children achieve their full potential, regardless of their individual starting points.

Our curriculum will:

Put Personal Development, Personal, Social, Economic and Health Education (PSHE) and pastoral support at its core to support our most vulnerable children and ensure they are ready to learn, regardless of their starting points.
Prioritise reading, not just during English lessons, but throughout the entire programme of study, as we know that reading is the key to unlocking all other curriculum areas.
Immerse the children in the heritage and rich history of our stunning city to build their cultural capital.
Cover all aspects of the National Curriculum and in addition, reflect the unique challenges of our local context.
Be bold and courageous, offering a broad range of learning experiences; in classrooms, outdoors and in the wider community.
Be meaningful, fun and exciting for all.
Provide an education that will equip our children with the knowledge and skills required to be independent and responsible citizens in an ever-changing and evolving society.
Motivate, engage and enthuse all children - including our most disadvantaged children - by offering unique experiences and creating lasting memories.
Teach a broad and rich vocabulary for children which will be beneficial in multiple contexts, both across the curriculum and in the wider world.
Build knowledge in small steps in order for children to learn more, remember more and make connections with their prior learning.
Provide progressive teaching of knowledge from year group to year group.
Enable children to apply their knowledge and solve problems across a range of subjects and areas.
Recognise and utilise the connections between non-core and core subjects, valuing equally the learning offered by both.
Develop a sense of community where children understand the fundamental strands of British values.

There are four key drivers of our curriculum at LCA:

Ensuring children are ready to learn.

The Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) and pastoral support is placed at the heart of our curriculum offer. We recognise that children who are ready to learn will have improved behaviour for learning and in turn will achieve well.

Delivering a coherently planned, well sequenced, broad and balanced curriculum

Our highly ambitious curriculum has been designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and more. It has been carefully planned and sequenced by subject leaders to ensure that children build their knowledge in small steps. This will mean that children will learn more, remember more and make connections with their prior learning.

Reading as the key to curriculum success

The teaching of reading is prioritised right from the very earliest days of the EYFS Reception year. Reading is prioritised, not just during English lessons, but throughout the entire programme of study. Children are encouraged to practise reading at every opportunity. We deliver an approved Synthetic Phonics Scheme (Little Wandle) and this includes a robust programme of ‘Keep Up’ and ‘Catch Up’ to ensure that all children are able to read well and access the wider curriculum.

Sharing the heritage and history of our beautiful city

Lincoln is an incredible city with a rich history, culture and heritage. Leaders recognise that not all children in our school community have been exposed to this and so our curriculum has been designed to build cultural capital for all through educational visits, workshops, visitors and the handling of artefacts. It also supports children to develop a sense of community and learn how the fundamental strands of British Values are woven through our lives.

Curriculum Implementation

At LCA, the curriculum is delivered using a variety of approaches and resources. Core subjects are taught discreetly, and this learning is then applied throughout the wider curriculum. Foundation subjects are also taught discreetly, and these are sometimes linked to an overarching theme. More detail about subject specific approaches can be found on the individual subject pages of this website. Some of the ways in which we further enrich the children’s learning are outlined below…

A local history and heritage

As a school we are privileged to be situated a stone’s throw from the heart of the historic city of Lincoln. We want to ensure that our pupils learn about their local community and its history and have designed our curriculum to do this. The pupils will learn about:

Lincolnshire as an agricultural county
Lincoln Cathedral and its history
Lincoln Castle and the Magna Carta
Bomber County and the Dambusters
Roman Lincoln
Famous figures from Lincolnshire

WOW Days

WOW Days provide the opportunity for children to be immersed in new, exciting, and inspiring experiences that create lasting memories of their time at primary school and contribute to their educational outcomes.

WOW days are planned for every year group with at least three taking place during every academic year and are usually at the beginning of a topic to immerse the children in their new topic. Each WOW day will involve some of these key ingredients:

A different timetable to other days to add an extra element of excitement.
A visitor who delivers a workshop or experience.
An element of awe and wonder where a scenario has been set up for children to ‘stumble upon’ as they arrive in school.
Hands-on, practical activities.
A multi-sensory approach which might include elements of drama, music, multimedia, art or perhaps the chance to dress up.
A different learning environment – the outdoors, the hall, the classroom changed or decorated to make it feel like a different space.
A chance to work with other teachers or support staff who are experts in their subject.

Experiences and school trips

Each year group has a programme of experience days and school trips planned for the school year. These are always linked to a subject area or theme that they are working on and are designed to add a different dimension to the learning in the classroom.

Curriculum Impact

At the end of their time at Lincoln Carlton Academy, learners will:

Be ready for the next stage of their education. This means they will have developed learning behaviours that prepare them for life at secondary school as well as having acquired the knowledge they need for their next steps.
Have recognised and developed their skills and talents.
Have fond memories of the primary experience at LCA.
Have developed their character including their resilience, confidence and independence, and this will help them keep physically and mentally healthy.
Have a sound knowledge of the heritage and context of their local community.
Have the knowledge and skills to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who contribute positively to society, developing their understanding of fundamental human values, their understanding and appreciation of diversity, celebrating what we have in common and promoting respect for all.

Parents and carers can also find out more about the National Curriculum by clicking on the link below.

national curriculum for primary schools

For any further information about the curriculum, or if you require, paper copies of the information on the website are available free of charge from the school office on request.

The long term plan for each subject can be found by clicking on the link below:

Long Term Plan 2023 2024