Our Curriculum Intent: It’s The Smawthorne Experience!

At Smawthorne Henry Moore Academy, we are proud to offer an ambitious, progressive, and inclusive curriculum that reflects our vision, our mission, and our deeply held values. Our curriculum is the heartbeat of the school — exciting, enriching, and designed to inspire every child to achieve their full potential. We believe that learning should be meaningful, purposeful, and memorable, providing children with the firm foundations of knowledge, skills, and values that will serve them throughout their lives.

We welcome every child and their family into our community and are committed to providing a quality education for all learners. Our curriculum is carefully crafted to meet the needs of every child, ensuring that prior knowledge is celebrated, new learning is secured, and progress is visible year on year. Through consistently high expectations, we empower children to surprise themselves daily with what they can achieve.

Pupil voice sits at the centre of our curriculum. We listen to our children, value their perspectives, and actively involve them in shaping their school journey. This reflective approach enables us to deliver a bespoke learning experience that responds to the individuality of each pupil. Aligned with the values of Accomplish MAT, our curriculum embodies care, empowerment, and the celebration of uniqueness, ensuring that every child feels seen, valued, and proud of who they are.

Our curriculum is designed not only to equip pupils with knowledge but to nurture curiosity and deepen understanding. Through a knowledge-rich approach, children are given the opportunity to apply their learning in creative and meaningful ways, both in school and in the wider world. Carefully planned visits, inspirational visitors, and enrichment experiences allow pupils to make connections between their learning and real life, while also creating lasting memories that enrich their childhood. From becoming Sports Play Leaders or School Ambassadors to working with artists, coaches, and community leaders, pupils are offered opportunities that broaden horizons, spark ambition, and build pride in belonging to SHMA.

At the heart of our curriculum lies literacy and language. We know that these skills unlock every other area of learning and are key to future success. A love of reading is nurtured across the school so that children can access the full curriculum with confidence and joy. Alongside this, firm foundations in basic skills are established and embedded, allowing pupils to build progressively on what they know and preparing them securely for the next stage of their education.

Our curriculum is also designed to shape character and instil values. Children are taught to be respectful, resilient, ambitious, and curious — values that, alongside academic excellence, equip them to be mindful citizens of the future Castleford community. By working in partnership with families and the wider locality, we ensure that our children grow up rooted in their community but with the confidence and ambition to make their mark in the wider world.

Every member of staff plays a vital role in delivering this vision. Through dedication, care, and professional expertise, our team goes above and beyond to ensure that every child feels safe, secure, and inspired. We know that every interaction matters, creating opportunities for new knowledge, new skills, new experiences, and new memories.

Our curriculum is the embodiment of our shared belief: that with care, courage, and ambition, every child can achieve. This belief underpins everything we do at Smawthorne Henry Moore Academy, and it is perfectly captured in our motto:

If you believe, you can achieve — #TheSmawthorneExperience