Curriculum Design: A Shared Vision for Rich, Rigorous Learning
Across our Trust, we are proud to deliver a carefully crafted, knowledge-rich curriculum, which is ambitious, inclusive, and designed to empower every pupil with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
This work is championed by our experienced Trust Lead Practitioner, Lisa Lockwood, who plays a central role in guiding curriculum thinking and supporting schools in its effective implementation. With her leadership, our curriculum design is not just consistent and coherent, but continually evolving, shaped by both research and real classroom experience.
At the core of our approach is a deep commitment to both substantive and disciplinary knowledge – what we call the “know thats” and the “know hows.”
The “know thats” represent the substantive knowledge – the essential facts, concepts and ideas that pupils need to understand the world around them.
The “know hows” refer to the disciplinary knowledge – the methods and approaches specific to each subject, helping pupils learn how to think and behave like subject specialists, whether that’s as historians, scientists, or artists.
This dual focus ensures our curriculum goes beyond surface learning – it’s deep, meaningful, and allows pupils to make connections across their learning journey.
Task Design
At Impact Multi Academy Trust, our curriculum is rooted in our core principles: collaborative leadership, strong relationships, and continuous development for both leaders and teachers.
Developed by our initial primary academies, the curriculum reflects a shared commitment to excellence. By actively involving both school leaders and teachers in its creation, we ensure best practice is shared, professional ownership is fostered, and workload is reduced across the Trust.
Our curriculum:
- Promotes substantive knowledge underpinned by long- and medium-term planning, which will is coherently sequenced developing conceptual knowledge over time.
- Gives pupils the opportunity to develop disciplinary knowledge and skills to prepare them for the next phase of education and aspiring careers.
- Matches or exceeds the expectations laid out in the National Curriculum.
- Supports young people’s personal and wider development, building cultural capital through curriculum opportunities.
- Builds general and subject specific vocabulary.
- Is designed to reflect each academy’s local context.
The sequence of teaching and learning
Across all subjects, our curriculum work is collaborative by design. Subject networks, planning sessions, and continuous professional development create a thriving community of practice. With leadership from subject experts and classroom practitioners alike, we ensure that our curriculum is rigorous, relevant, and reflective of our shared values.
One shining example of this in action is our Art Network, which is led by a professional artist who co-designed our Art curriculum alongside our teachers. This network brings subject leaders together to engage in rich professional dialogue, share classroom practice, and shape the ongoing development of the Art curriculum. The artist’s role is not only to guide and inspire, but to refine the curriculum based on teacher feedback, ensuring it remains responsive, authentic, and firmly rooted in both creative integrity and educational impact.
In short, curriculum design in our Trust is a shared endeavour – led with vision, shaped by expertise, and enriched by collaboration. It’s how we bring learning to life, and how we make sure every child has the opportunity to build powerful knowledge and the confidence to use it well
Staff CPD
Display Examples
