At Sheepscombe Primary School our intention is to provide a curriculum that will enthuse the children to learn well, within an inspirational setting allowing all children to flourish. We believe that the curriculum design and the way it is implemented makes a huge impact upon the way the children learn and feel about school.

Our aim is to ensure that pupils are excited by their education and develop a lifelong love of learning. We want our children to retain knowledge and build year on year upon it, as well as acquiring ever more sophisticated skills that they then carry with them throughout life. This will allow them to make well-reasoned choices about all that they do and to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with others.

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expressions and knowledge.”

“Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.”    Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

We develop our school values and our thinking around environmental sustainability through the provision of the curriculum ensuring that both are integral to our thinking. We offer a broad curriculum which reflects the skills, knowledge and understanding found in the National Curriculum. A thematic and skills based curriculum is followed throughout the school.  This allows great cooperation between year groups and across classes and the children all take great pride in this

There is a ‘Curriculum Structure’ section within this Curriculum tab that shows further information about how our curriculum is constructed– what we intend, how we implement it and how we measure the impact of all that we do.

In other pages within this drop down menu you will find out more about each subject by looking at the ‘Subject’ pages and other relevant links on each page. At the top of each subject curriculum grid you will see the Aims, Objectives and the Purpose of Study taken from the National Curriculum.  Alongside this you will see an explanation of how this fits with our Early Years Children and an explanation from our Sheepscombe School Community (Governors and Parent Governors worked in collaboration with School Staff) which sets out our collective thinking on each subject area. We lay out our curriculum to include Nursery and Reception children. All Early Years children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through a play based approach but there are many meaningful links that can be made through the EYFS to a wide range of subjects and that also emcompass fully the Prime and Specific Areas of Learning to which the EYFS adheres. Please see our Early Years tab for more information.

On the ‘Curriculum Themes’ page you will find more information on our whole school themes. Across the school at least three main themes are covered each year and, where possible and meaningful (tenuous links are not made), the skills found in each curriculum area link to the theme.  Teachers plan learning opportunities according to the needs and interests of the children and enrich this through regular curriculum experiences blending a real life, purposeful  element into the learning. The children are involved in the planning and evaluation and assist with the direction of learning pursuing particular interests as they arise.

Parents receive a ‘Class theme’ overview each term to enable them to have an understanding of the planned learning for the term whilst a theme is being explored Each class takes part in a range of experiences to enhance learning and these include educational visits, workshops, community events and visitors – being a small school is no barrier to our ability to enrich our curriculum.  We are passionate about engaging with our communities and using the extensive facilities in our local area and further afield to inspire and enthuse children in their learning.

We make the most of our rural setting by taking learning outdoors whenever possible. Each class takes part in Forest School at the National Trust Ebworth Centre every fortnight, led by our own trained Forest School leader and his team. We also run an allotment at the centre, growing our own produce. We walk to Forest School each week and enjoy finding out about the world beneath our feet and all around us every day.

Our children are encouraged to consider their prior learning or existing knowledge, then to build on this knowledge each term. We seek to teach through activities that make learning memorable, build courage, team work, resilience and determination, preparing them for their next steps in education, work and life.

Where possible we use the church links, our locality and local community to support learning, working in partnership with our parents, grandparents and families to share expertise and experiences.

 

There is so much more we could tell you about our curriculum so please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information. Class Teachers and the Head Teacher Mrs Vicky Dangerfield  are contactable by email via the school office or via telephone on 01452 813852.

Parents Guide to the new curriculum

[pdf 788KB]