Our Academies

What schools choose to teach and when – the curriculum – is a set of decisions that can have a huge impact on educational outcomes. The best curriculums include content that is ambitious, sets high expectations, and ensures that all pupils leave school with the cultural capital they need to thrive. The best curriculums also sequence this content so that pupils are taught new knowledge in small steps and are encouraged to make links between knowledge from previous topics and – when appropriate – from across different subjects. The United Curriculum sets out the powerful knowledge that should be taught as a minimum in each subject and sequences this content carefully.

When delivering the curriculum, all United Learning schools are committed to Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. These are a sensible, evidence-based articulation of the characteristics of effective teaching and include, for example, the practices of regular reviews, teacher modelling and opportunities for guided practice before pupils work independently. The United Curriculum includes lesson resources that are built upon these principles. In addition to Rosenshine, every school will also have its own teaching and learning priorities each year, based on the needs of its pupils and staff.

Taken as a whole, the United Curriculum ensures that every child is taught the content to which they are entitled and supports teachers with the tools to teach it. The United Curriculum has been developed by subject experts in collaboration with our schools over many years. It is an optional, supportive set of resources that most of our schools choose to use.