Vision

Our curriculum is carefully mapped out to ensure there is a clear progression in knowledge and skills in all subject areas. It is topic based so children learn in engaging, purposeful contexts.  Our topics are designed to help children make links in their learning, deepen their understanding and develop their problem solving and creativity.  Each topic represents a body of knowledge that will be useful to children as life-long learners.

We celebrate diversity in our school community and help children to understand that they are part of a wider global community.  Our topics are also relevant to our children as East Enders and Londoners.  We want them to experience London first hand so they feel part of the city they are growing up in.

At Columbia, we are passionate about learning and have high expectations of all our children.  We want them to become reflective learners, happy to take on a challenge and improve the quality of their work.  We think carefully about how children understand and remember what we are teaching them.  It is important to us that children learn to work collaboratively and appreciate the contributions of others.  We know that this helps develop their thinking and gives them confidence and communication skills which will stay with them for life.

Language and literacy are at the heart of our curriculum so that all children can access learning irrespective of their starting points.  Each topic is enriched by being linked to carefully chosen texts.  We prioritise reading because we know that it is the gateway to all learning.  We plan work on vocabulary and specific language structures to help children understand, discuss and write about the topics they learn about.

We continue to refine and improve our curriculum, looking for new ways to keep our learning current and staying open to fresh ideas and approaches.

Our Curriculum

We have mapped out what we want the children to know and be able to do in each subject across the school.  This is based on the National Curriculum and our School Curriculum.  We integrate this learning into cross-curricular themes to make it more meaningful and cohesive, whilst ensuring children’s knowledge and skills progress in each subject area.

Our Knowledge and Skills Progression documents (see below) show how subject content progresses throughout the school.  Our Curriculum Map shows when each topic is taught. Our Knowledge Organisers show the key knowledge and skills we want children to know in each topic.  These are used in class and shared with parents to support learning.

Curriculum Progression

The following documents show how the curriculum progresses across the school.

Art and Design Knowledge and Skills Progression

Computing Knowledge and Skills Progression

DT Knowledge and Skills Progression

Early Reading Knowledge and Skills Progression

English Knowledge and Skills Progression

Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression

History Knowledge and Skills Progression

Maths Knowledge and Skills Progression

MFL Knowledge and Skills Progression

Music Knowledge and Skills Progression

PE Knowledge and Skills Progression

RE Knowledge and Skills Progression

Relationships and Health Education Knowledge and Skills Progression

Science Knowledge and Skills Progression

Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Unit follows the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum’ and provides a balance of structured teaching and play-based, experiential learning.  The children are based in their own rooms for some parts of the day and spend other parts of their time engaged in self-initiated and free flow activities throughout the whole setting, including the outside play area.

To request further information about our curriculum, please contact the Office Manager (see contact us) and request an appointment with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.