Curriculum Enhancement
Curriculum Enrichment
Wider Curriculum Opportunities & Cultural Capital
Our curriculum provision extends beyond the National Curriculum and includes a wide range of enriching experiences and opportunities. A key feature of our provision is to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement, and provide a purpose and relevance for learning.
We take pride in our highly inclusive environment, where our children demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education and make good progress across the curriculum. Children at all levels are helped to achieve their potential through our individualised approach.
Whole School Theme Days/Weeks
Across the year, themed days/weeks are planned into the timetable to extend the breadth and balance of opportunities we offer our pupils. These include, Anti-bullying Week and termly Internet Safety mornings, World Book Day, Black History Week, RE theme weeks, whole school nurture days, whole school trips and Reading Adventure Days.
Forest School & Outdoor Learning
Our Woodland Adventure session are based on ‘Forest School’, which is a Scandinavian initiative designed to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through an innovative, educational approach to outdoor play and learning in a woodland environment. As a school we are very fortunate in having our own woodland adventure area, provided by the community.
These sessions are run on a Monday afternoon and involve, tuning into our senses outdoors, craft activities, nature based activities looking at and identifying anything that is naturally found in the area and how to look after our area. Many areas of the National Curriculum are intrinsically covered, in our Woodland Adventure sessions. Teamwork skills are developed through games and activities. Individual skills and self-esteem are heightened throughout activities such as hide and seek, shelter building, tool skills, lighting fires or environmental art, the list is endless. Each activity develops intra and inter-personal skills as well as practical and intellectual skills.
There is a wealth of opportunities for outdoor learning right on our doorstep. We take full advantage of this with visits to the local caves, castle, local walks, outdoor learning centre and the annual archaeological dig.
Educational Visits and Residentials
Trips include class visits aimed at bringing learning alive and providing first-hand; extra-curricular outings such as activities organised with the cluster of local schools or sporting events.
Children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 have the opportuniy to take part in a residential visit. This is planned to provide new and exciting experiences. We use several local providers: Lea Green Outdoors Education Centre, Whitehall Outdoors Education Centre and Hagg Farm.
Visitors into School
Visitors have a valuable role to play and can contribute to many aspects of the life and work of the school. They deliver talks, workshops and full day activities across a wide range of subjects, giving pupils access to outside experiences and expertise. Visitors provide a link with the wider community – children have the opportunity to work alongside artists, musicians, authors, emergency service professionals and others.
PE & Sport
We use our Sports Funding to provide additional sports experiences and activities. These have included wheelchair sports, Bikeability, archery, self-defence, racket sporst, Colour Run, basketball, rugby, cross country, dance, mini soccernetball, athletics at EIS, swimming, yoga and many more!
We also buy into the local sports partnership, which enables us to participate in different sports with other local schools.
Performance Arts
A range of opportunities are provided within and beyond the curriculum for children to showcase their musical skills and talents. Our Christmas, Esater and Harvest celbrations include opportunities for everyone who wants to perform to do so. Regular church services and school performances also provide our children with the chance to read aloud, sing and perform small drama pieces.
Collective Worship and Godly Play
A rounded programme of collective worship is planned and delivered daily; this enables us as a school family to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
We are also supported by the local christian community with visits to church, church services, visits to school from Rev Louise and Rev Lisa, puppet led collective worship and Godly Play each term.
Godly Play is a christian movement centred on childhood spirituality and provides the chuldren with fun and engaging learning that helps them to develop their understanding of their own beliefs and those of others.