KJA Curriculum 

Kensington School has been at the heart of its community for over 140 years with multiple generations of the same family studying here.  The school and education provided has helped shape the local community, economy, and culture.  Kensington Junior Academy continues to serve this same community, ensuring that the curriculum diet we deliver will continue to meet the changing needs of its pupils and families.  Our intention is clear:

At Kensington Junior Academy we will ensure that our children are academically, socially and emotionally able 21^st century citizens.

In an ever-evolving world, we now interpret community to work on three levels: local, national and global.  Having a knowledge and understanding of these three areas best represents the global market we now live in and the one in which our children will go forward and contribute too.  Our intention is to provide children with a broad knowledge and transferable skill base that they can flexibly apply to help them meet the demands of their educational journey.

Alongside meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum, our bespoke KJA Curriculum will challenge children to answer three BIG questions:

Each term we will focus on one of the questions, building knowledge and experiences to help children articulate their responses.  We appreciate that whilst these are challenging questions, they are key to our children fulfilling our curriculum statement in becoming 21^st century citizens.  As a result of all their wider learning and experiences, children can leave us with a strong sense of self and ambition, belonging to a community that values them, and developing an understanding of their role in making life better for those around them on a local, national and global scale. 

Each year group will have a specific question that will help children build towards answering the BIG termly question.  The National Curriculum content for Science, History and Geography has been divided between the three terms in a way that ensures coverage, continuity, and progression.  Essential ‘sticky’ knowledge from this content is identified as the key components for learning – the understanding that pupils must have if future learning is to make sense.  Other foundation subjects are built into the wider topic content, to enhance understanding, coherence and encourage creative responses.  Some subjects such as RE, PSHE and PE are taught discretely, with wider curriculum links made if appropriate.  Our Mfl (Spanish - Speekee), Music (Charanga) and Computing (Purple Mash) curriculum is taught using online packages.

Every subject has been organised and planned so that the disciplinary and substantive knowledge is both sequenced and progressive as children move through school.  This will support children to not only ‘know more, remember more’ but also ‘to do’.  Please see individual subject links for this information.

Subject Leads have a detailed action plan to constantly moderate, evaluate and improve the outcomes in each subject.  Teaching staff follow a process model for each subject which carefully takes the children through a scaffolded approach so that they can begin to work and think like a… (historian, geographer etc).  Again, please see individual subject links for more information.

To help structure and cement children’s understanding and connection to their locality, each year group has a termly graphic displaying how the three ‘core’ foundation subjects drive each other.

Curriculum COGS

Careful consideration has been taken regarding metacognition and the children’s cognitive overload.  Consequently, its implementation follows a cycle of Link it, Learn it, Check it, Show it.

Each term concludes with an exhibition or assembly of learning, giving the children the opportunity to share and explain their learning to others and take pride in their achievements.  Parental feedback from these events is universally positive and comments on the confidence of the children to articulate what and why, they are learning particular subjects.

If you wish to find out more about our school curriculum please contact:

Mr C Oakland - Deputy Head via the School Office on 0115 9322920 or via e-mail to: info@kensington.djanogly.org