Curriculum Statement

 

     

 

 

Rationale

We are a school that is built on success stories; some big, some small, some public but most private. 

We provide an education enriched by our core values; inspire, excite, respect and care. Through our curriculum design, our learners are given opportunities to become independent, collaborative, creative learners who have the confidence to seek answers and nurture a love of learning. 

At the heart of our curriculum are our school values and ethos, the bedrock upon which the school stands. We continuously strive to achieve high academic standards through our engaging curriculum, which is informative and relevant for all pupils. A curriculum, which makes the most of our beautiful context, our caring, nurturing environment and the skills and interests of all stakeholders. Ours is a curriculum, which carries meaning for our children, families and staff.

 

Intent

The Broadhempston message is simple; we want all the children to have the opportunity to be successful learners and be motivated individuals who are constantly striving to do exceptional things. Our aims are:

 

• to provide an enriching and challenging curriculum which will inspire a passion for different subjects

 

• to maintain individual Teaching and Learning Policies within the school while following current government curriculum guidelines

 

• to embody rigour and high standards and create coherence in what is taught in our school

 

• to ensure that all children have the opportunity to acquire a core of essential knowledge in the key subject disciplines and develop learning skills and personal qualities

 

• to allow teachers the freedom to use their professionalism and expertise in order to help all children realise their potential

 

• to enable parents to understand what their children should be learning throughout their school career so that they can support them

 

• to provide a curriculum which acts as a benchmark for the school and to help young people to move confidently through their education, taking into account the needs of different groups including the most able and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities( SEND)

 

• to provide regular reports on pupil progress both in written form and at Parents' Evenings

 

• to maintain a sensitivity to the individual ethos of the school when planning the curriculum

 

• to strive to give children the opportunity for cross-curricular activities within the school, whether it be in a sporting/cultural capacity, or in the classroom, if this is deemed appropriate/ manageable

 

• to encourage the children to become lifelong and independent learners and able to respond positively to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

 

A 5* education:

During their time in our school, children will be offered the opportunity to:

• Create an outdoor fire and cook something on it
• Meet an inspirational person
• Take part and compete in a sporting event
• Perform in front of an audience
• See our forest in every season of every year

 

 

We believe that a broad, balanced, creative curriculum will enable children to flourish. With this in mind we have implemented a programme of enriching activities, visits and memorable experiences which underpin our five star core offer.

 

Enrichment 

 

Together with, and underpinning our core offer, we ensure that our curriculum has its roots in basic skills. Our teaching of reading is well established and we have systems in place for ensuring that children secure basic skills at the earliest point possible. We teach writing through the Talk for Writing approach and use Phonics Play (Letters and Sounds) and No-nonsense Spelling and Grammar to support skills children need to acquire. Alongside this staff ‘forensically’ analyse children’s written work to enable focussed targets, which result in accelerated progress.

Our maths teaching is through a mastery approach. The children are exposed to discussions, vocabulary and CAPED (check it, another way (show), prove it, explain, draw your learning). This ensures children’s understanding of new concepts is both secure and challenged.

The core curriculum at Broadhempston is of a high standard and supports our creativity. It focuses on the necessary priorities for ensuring that all pupils make excellent progress in reading, writing and maths. It allows for progress within all groups of children across the school and results in high standards.

 

Implementation

 

Our Early Years curriculum is designed with the characteristics of effective learning and development matters at its core. Beyond EYFS the curriculum ensures coverage of the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. The school’s curriculum builds on pupils’ prior learning and develops deep understanding of the material covered, introduces subject content progressively and constantly demands more of pupils embedding reading, writing and communication, and maths where appropriate, across all subjects. We aim to develop pupils who love the challenge of learning, are resilient to failure and are curious to seek out new information to deepen knowledge, understanding and skills.

The curriculum was designed with consideration of our staff and their varying experiences and skills, our children’s passions and interests and the passions of our families who often share their expertise with us. It was built with the local surroundings in mind; which are vast and interesting.

Our two-year/three year programme, created in 2018/2019, was supported by the responses from questionnaires for staff and children and discussion with our stakeholders. We are ambitious and want to create successful and enjoyable topics that allow for a broad and balanced approach.

 

 

Long and medium term planning 

 

The following are the long-term rolling programmes for the classes at Broadhempston Village Primary School.  

 

Class 1 (2-year rolling) EYFS and Year 1

 

 

Class 2 (2-year rolling) Years 2 and 3

 

Class 2 Years 2 and 3 Long Term Plan

 

 

Class 3 and 4 (3 Year Rolling) Years 4, 5 and 6

 

Class 3 and 4 (3-year rolling programme) Years 4, 5 and 6

 

Medium term planning

 

Completed by all teachers and involves ensuring coverage of both the national curriculum objectives and the key skills that we want the children to develop. These detail the starting points for all topics, show how it will develop and outline any significant outcomes. These documents use the format below, are entirely for the use of teaching staff, and become a starting point for short-term plans.

 

Class:                                                  

Length of time: 

Big question:  

Desired outcome:

Parents are kept well informed about what their children will be learning each term. Programmes of Study are created to share our intentions. These are available on our website, through our class pages, or in paper form.

 

Resources

 

At Broadhempston Village Primary School the curriculum is brought alive by the range of quality resources used by the staff.‘Hooks’/enquiry days are used to engage and enthuse pupils who inquire and use their curiosity to pose questions and design part of their own learning journey.

The importance of enquiry learning is that pupils learn how to continue learning. This is something they can take with them throughout life -- beyond parental help and security, beyond a textbook, beyond the time of a teacher, beyond school - to a time when they will often be alone in their learning. A tool for life.

Resources we use may include:

 

• Local artists
• Field work visits – science, forest school 
• Forest School 
• Local businesses
• Visits to places of worship 
• Visitors with specific skills and knowledge 
• Sporting champions
• Educational visits linked to our topics 
• Parent expertise
• Stem leaders 
• Museum visits 
• Zoo/wild life centre visits

• Residential centres

• Musicians

• Story tellers

• Published Writers

 

This list is not exhaustive, but is a sample of the many ways we engage and enthuse children, families and staff.

 

Reviewing and evaluating

 

Life at school is never dull; education is constantly changing and evolving in order to meet the needs of the world in which we live, and to prepare the children for the world in which they will live as adults. As a staff we never feel that we have quite finished planning our curriculum as we always want to create an even better product for the children in our care.

With this in mind, we review our curriculum on a 2-year cycle. Through collecting the views of our school council, pupils via questionnaires and staff discussionwe review its current impact and aim to continue to personalise our curriculum for Broadhempston, making the most of our children, families, community and environment.

We review and evaluate our curriculum/2-year/3-year rolling programme; strategically planning our 5 Star Core offer and enrichment activities to ensure high levels of interest, enthusiasm, challenge and motivation.

We will ensure

•           Each topic is enrichment led – share ideas, develop what is in place now.

•           Enrichment activities will underpin each block of learning

•           Make community links for events and people where possible

•           Ensure our pupils voice impacts on school curriculum

•           Design with our pupils in mind, to support them and to build on their skill and knowledge set.

•           Extended better use of outdoor learning

•           Key vocabulary is clearly identified to enable best outcomes

•           We continue developing our curriculum, taking into account Ofsted curriculum training:  Intent,       Implementation and Impact.

 

Throughout our curriculum design process, our principles and values stand strong. Via our enriched and broadly balanced curriculum we offer every child the opportunity to be all that they can be and have the skills in order to reach the goals they set themselves.