Curriculum

Our broad and balanced curriculum, combined with dynamic teaching, engages and challenges children in their learning, thereby nurturing the self-motivation and independence required for success.

Children are provided with a range of rich, meaningful first-hand experiences in which they are encouraged to be curious, creative and active learners. We aim to foster positive attitudes towards learning, as well as develop confidence, communication skills and physical development.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Staff work together to develop children’s self-esteem and confidence to enable every child to reach their full potential. We recognise that the early years are critical in a child’s development and will ensure that our children have the very best start to lifelong learning by establishing solid foundations on which they can continue to build throughout their school years and beyond.

We recognise that every child is a competent learner who can be capable, confident and self-assured. We know that children develop in individual ways and at varying rates. Children’s attitudes to learning are influenced by their school and home environments and we begin to build links with our families right from the start.

We observe how each child learns in order to gain an understanding of the characteristics they develop to become effective learners. We use questioning, praise and encouragement to develop a positive attitude to learning and high self-esteem.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

We put our children at the centre of their own learning and place great emphasis on nurturing skills and attitudes such as being resilient, responsible and reflective.

We want our children to become effective and confident readers and writers. Pupils engage in regular high quality phonics sessions, starting in early years throughout KS1, to help children grasp the foundations of letters and sounds and develop their reading confidence throughout their primary years. We provide opportunities to write in a range of styles and contexts to build their ability to write powerful pieces of text.

We love reading. High quality texts ensure our children have excellent individual and group reading experiences while being motivated to write about and discuss a range of themes and genres.

Our Maths ‘Teaching for Mastery’ approach ensures that all children grow in confidence and are able to deepen their mathematical understanding, make links and apply skills and strategies in a range of contexts. This approach makes Maths fun and ensures every child has the opportunity to excel.

We understand how important it is for children to have fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with numbers from the early years. In EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2, we use Mastering Number (NCETM) in order to develop pupils’ number sense and secure firm foundations in mathematics, allowing them to be successful mathematicians in KS1 and beyond.

Our teachers bring the National Curriculum alive by enriching the subjects through our ‘Wow’ days. Children have an opportunity to immerse themselves in areas of learning with exciting visits, special visitors and hands on learning.

Parents also have an opportunity to observe and share in some of this learning through our assemblies and through takeaway homework. These exciting and stimulating areas of learning provide the basis for the teaching of all foundation subjects including Science, History, Geography, Computing, RE and PSHE and Art and Design. Teachers and specialist coaches teach specific skills for Music and a range of sports while also developing the children’s understanding of the benefits of leading an active and healthy life.

We believe in the power of the creative subjects to develop children’s confidence and the ability to express themselves. Music, Art, Dance and Drama are each taught discretely in our curriculum both as specific subject lessons as well as part of our half termly themes.