Curriculum
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela
Curriculum Statement
Education influences and reflects the values of society, and the kind of society we want to be.
The Staff and Governors of Stapeley Broad Lane CE Primary School aim to tailor education to individual need, interest and aptitude so as to fulfil every child's potential. Every pupil will have access to a rich, broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum. However, it is recognised that every child has a different knowledge base and skill set, as well as varying aptitudes and aspirations; and that, as a result, there is a determination for every young person's needs to be assessed and their talents developed through diverse teaching strategies. At Stapeley Broad Lane CE Primary School this means teachers using the flexibilities that already exist to ally high standards in the basics with opportunities for enrichment and creativity. Our curriculum develops pupils' substantive and disciplinary knowledge.
Substantive knowledge is the specific, factual content for the subjects, which must be connected into a careful sequence.
Disciplinary knowledge is the action taken within a particular subject to gain knowledge i.e. another name for subject specific procedural knowledge (knowing how to, as opposed to knowing what).
Common Values and Purpose
A set of common values and purposes underpin the curriculum at Stapeley Broad Lane CE Primary School and enable the school to achieve its aims.
Our curriculum ensures that pupils are SUCCESSFUL AND AMBITIOUS. Whilst paying due regard to achieving high standards in English and Maths, it is broad, exciting and challenging;
Our curriculum increases pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding as they grow and develop and become more aware of the world around them;
Our curriculum is carefully planned and structured to ensure that learning is continuous, and that pupils make good progress allowing them to know more and remember more;
It is exciting and offers pupils first hand experiences to enrich and enhance their learning and to underpin their growing knowledge, skills and understanding;
It opens their eyes to the wonders of creation and pupils’ immediate and wider environments. Our curriculum encourages them to marvel at the incredible and fantastic world in which we live and to be BOLD IN ACTIONS to address injustice and inequality;
Our curriculum engages the children’s interest, encourages independence and self-confidence and motivates them to want to learn;
Our curriculum, especially through the content of our Religious Education curriculum and our Collective Worship themes, aims to provide pupils with an understanding of Christian Faith and develop positive and LOVING RELATIONSHIPS. Pupils are also taught about the key elements of Judaism, Islam, the Sikhi religion and Hinduism;
Our curriculum teaches pupils about equality and fosters positive relationships across our school community.
Content
Our curriculum offer is more than just the national curriculum subjects. This overview shows how various elements are combined into a holistic offer.
Our curriculum consists of the following subject areas. Please click on the subpages under Curriculum for more detailed information.
How we organise the curriculum between the different year groups can be found on the class pages.
Our curriculum is enhanced and enriched by a vast range of visits, visitors and residential visits - each class will typically have one day visit / visitor each term and all children from Year 3 upwards have the opportunity to take part in a residential visit (between 1 and 4 nights away from home!). We also make good use of our extensive school grounds, including the wood amphitheatre and pavilion.
Our curriculum draws on the historic, scientific and cultural developments of the locality. We study the legacy of Roman Britain, drawing on the historical influences and remains found in Chester. Nantwich, as a Tudor market town provides another locality to enrich the children’s understanding of a different period of history. The opportunity to compare and contrast the Fire of Nantwich with the Great Fire of London cannot be overlooked! Chester also provides the opportunity to see the work of conservationists during a visit to Chester Zoo.
Our taught curriculum is enhanced by our Stapeley Pledge, which identifies 14 activities that pupils will experience during their time in school. This can be found below.
Assessment and Monitoring
Each term, teachers assess the pupils' attainment in all subjects - this information is supported by NFER tests in English and mathematics. Pupil Progress meetings are held three times during the school year to discuss individual pupils' progress and attainment. At these meetings, additional support or challenge are agreed and successes celebrated. Meetings are held regularly throughout the year with teachers and parents to share pupils' achievements and ensure that each child has the right amount of support and challenge to enable them to do their best. As part of our Investors in Pupils work, the children also take responsibility for their own personal development by setting themselves targets which are important to the individual child and have been agreed with staff. The class will also agree a class based target and reward!
Our subject leaders regularly monitor the impact of the curriculum, through book scrutiny, lesson visits, analysis of assessments and discussions with pupils and teaching staff. This helps identify strengths and areas for further development.