Our New Curriculum
Why a new curriculum?
In 2014 a new National Curriculum was launched which is used across the country and in a wide range of schools. Our curriculum followed the national path but lacked a focus on quality texts, creativity, and imagination and failed to offer connections in learning. Lessons stood alone and children were not inspired to work towards an end goal. Children were also taught in ability groups which did not give true equality of opportunity. The most effective learning took place where children were given time to immerse themselves in a project and became excited by new experiences. So we have taken this best practice and developed it into our ‘Learning Journeys’
What is the new curriculum?
The Learning Journey
Each Learning Journey begins with a ‘Good Book’, it may have been chosen because it is a children’s classic, by a significant children’s author, offers an opportunity as a springboard for History and Geography or promotes challenging debate and discussion. There are ten Learning Journeys that children experience each year. Each journey will enable children to travel either in time or across our country and onto faraway lands. They will meet familiar and unfamiliar characters some fictional and others living or from the past. A journey will twist the basic skills of English grammar and punctuation with the creativity of Art and Design. Stories will introduce the written word set in a variety of places real and imagined and will offer the opportunity to practise writing for a range of purposes. They will learn about themselves, their locality and our British culture and compare this to the different cultural experiences of people from other countries and continents. Oceans, mountains, ice, snow, deserts, forests and canals will be some of the landscapes visited by children along their many journeys. They will learn through humour, rhyme, poems and the music of wonderful language telling a good tale.
The Learning Journeys and the EYFS
Our youngest children in Nursery and Reception will also have texts chosen to be a focus for their Learning Journeys.
We have used Chris Quigley's Essentials Curriculum to inspire our Long Term plans
Should you require any further information about our curriculum please contact Mrs Garratt via the school office.