Curriculum Principles
Our vision for education is rooted in the Avanti Way, framed through the ‘Tree of Life’ concept: Spiritual Insight (roots) – to go deep; Character formation (trunk) – to grow strong; Educational excellence (crown) – to give back.
At KAPSC, we have structured our curriculum around the following principles:
- Knowledge rich
Our curriculum recognsies the importance of establishing, developing and deepening knowledge over time. f Literary Professor E.D. Hirsch from the 1970’s, our curriculum focuses on developing the necessary body of knowledge, or what Hirsch refers to as ‘communal knowledge’, for our pupils to access and master the entirety of the curriculum. Michael Young, of the Institute of Education, refers to ‘powerful knowledge’ as the knowledge that allows individuals to go beyond their own personal experience and deeply understand their natural and social worlds.
Our curriculum aims to capture this powerful knowledge and make sure our pupils have secured understanding of this knowledge during their journey with us. Each subject discipline has a carefully planned sequence of knowledge that empowers pupils to engage with and drive their evolving understanding over time. Each lesson has clearly defined points of knowledge to ensure that learning cumulatively grows. Each lesson also has a sharp focus on subject-specific vocabulary, with key concepts being visited and revisited regularly, to ensure long-term retention of knowledge.
- Experiences
Our curriculum recognises that pupil learning sits within a wider landscape of experiential understanding and experience. This concept draws upon the findings from the UCL Rapid Evidence Assessment of Experiential Learning that found ‘positive effects for experiential learning approaches related to children’s motivation, engagement, agency, wellbeing, and academic achievement.’ In order to ensure equity and equality, we have agreed a charter of experiences that complement the academic curriculum but also the wider personal development curriculum.
- Flourishing individuals
Our curriculum exposes pupils to a board and balanced curriculum allowing them to find interests, awe & wonder and curiosity. It recognises the importance of character in our pupils’ evolution as individuals. It addresses character both explicitly, through the study of philosophy, religion, and ethos, but also implicitly through the delivery of our subjects. For example, pupils study a core set of texts in our literature spine, each with a clearly defined character-driver question that enables teachers and pupils to explore a core value or virtue, linked to the story.
Reflective of our ethos, our curriculum is designed to develop consciousness. Consciousness concerns an individual’s own awareness of their own unique thoughts, ideas, memories, and perspectives. This is embedded in the curriculum itself, particularly through our Yoga, Meditation and PRE-curriculum- unique aspects of our curriculum offer- that enable pupils to develop an awareness of self and others. In doing this, we ensure our pupils are ready to take their place in wider society, as global citizens who understand themselves well and have the ability to use this understanding to self-regulate and manage their own internal worlds.
- Researcher – informed practice
Our curriculum design and delivery are guided and informed by the evolving evidence base from educational research and cognitive science. We are selective about the evidence that informs the curricular, as to ensure that our curricular decisions are both grounded in the ‘best bets’ and that colleagues practice is enhanced NOT overwhelmed by research. We ensure the evidence base that we have selected (see teaching & learning framework) are integrated into staff’s existing schema and craft expertise around what works in the classroom and adopt an ethos of ‘meeting colleagues where they are’ in terms of professional learning. A culture of continuous improvement means that we regularly revisit the evidence to refine and augment our collective understanding.
The Avanti Curriculum Framework below details the substance of our unique, rich and holistic curriculum offer, rooted in our collective purpose as a trust:
The-Avanti-Curriculum-Framework