The RHS Curriculum
From the moment pupils enter the classroom in Reception to leaving in Year 6, Rutherford House School offers a broad, balanced, creative and enriched curriculum, providing opportunities for pupils of all abilities and backgrounds to succeed.
Our curriculum is accessible for all, including those with disabilities and special educational needs.
Our Curriculum Journey
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t know,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
–Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
In September 2019, we became a full school with our first Year 6 classes. This year coincided with us reflecting on the curriculum we deliver and how we can ensure it is as impactful as possible. We took a school leavers approach. Asking What do we want a Rutherford pupil to be like when they leave us? As the quote above suggests, we have thought carefully about where we want to get to in order to determine what we need to do to get there.
Consequently, we set out the intent, implementation and desired impact of our curriculum.
You will see these terms echoed across our subject curriculum pages:
Intent – what we are aiming to achieve, our wish for every child.
Implementation – how we set about achieving our goals, what tools we use and what learning looks like in our classrooms.
Impact – evaluating the knowledge, understanding and skills pupils have gained, considering whether these match our expectations and if we have been successful in giving pupils the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed at secondary school.
Our full Curriculum rationale can be found below:
Well-being and The RHS Curriculum
The curriculum is delivered by the finest teaching staff, but our belief is that children learn best when they are happy, motivated and excited by what’s happening in the class room. We place the utmost importance on ensuring that pupils’ physical and mental well-being needs are met.
Excellent achievements will be a by-product of the education on offer and not the only goal. The children’s wishes, rights and entitlements are at the core of all discussions and decisions concerning the curriculum and the quality of learning experience the school provides.
Our Educational Philosophy
We feel passionate that education is not restricted to the gaining of knowledge and the acquiring of essential skills but it also includes the personal development of each boy and girl, in its fullest sense; which includes building spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC).
SMSC is embedded within the curriculum and is delivered through assemblies, cross curricular discussions and games. It does not target external outcomes in the same way as many other subjects, but focuses upon a child’s internal development through their engagement and reflection upon issues which question and challenge children’s view of themselves as an individual, part of a community and the contribution they can make to society and the World.
On the pages below you will discover more information about the broad range of subjects on offer at RHS. Each subject leader has explained the Intent, Implementation and Impact of their subject and, where appropriate, pages include Curriculum Maps and Progression in Skills for each subject. These show the areas covered across a pupil’s time at Rutherford and how learning builds from year to year.
RHS Whole School Curriculum Map 2022/2023:
