Our Curriculum
We provide a unique learning journey for our children full of challenge, interest and fun that will provide a wealth of opportunities for them to achieve academic, sporting, technical and personal excellence now and in the future.
We aim for their time with us to instil a love of learning; a thirst for knowledge; an excitement about the world; an acceptance of difference that promotes respect for all and a personal confidence and strength of character that allows them to face the future eagerly, able and wanting to be effective in shaping a bright world for themselves and others.
Bede’s curriculum has been developed to fulfil the statutory requirements of the New National Curriculum September 2014. It begins and ends with the children’s needs, and is adapted year on year by our incredibly hardworking and innovative staff in order for those to be met within government guidelines. Our curriculum reflects the world around us and is meaningful, engaging and tightly targeted so that all of our children can make good progress, recognise their own potential and develop positive attitudes towards learning, which will help them to deal with any difficulties they may face when working towards their goals at school and in life.
We are proud of our ‘creative curriculum’ in which we attempt to draw together the threads of the National Curriculum so that the children can make connections between each subject area and develop strong thinking and problem solving skills. All aspects of the curriculum will be covered thoroughly as children work towards mastery of their year group’s national expectations in ways that will help them to become valuable citizens of modern Britain and an ever changing world.
From Y1 – Y6, the curriculum is organised into half termly blocks around a particular theme with occasional whole school smaller blocks, where everyone focuses on the same subject or theme for a few days to support particular events or topics. Each block is planned for to incorporate as many visits, visitors, practical activities, real world links and enjoyable experiences as possible; it builds upon previous learning and skills and is tailored to the particular cohort each half term in order for them to achieve as well as they possibly can. Both English and maths are taught with the half termly themes in each year group used to contextualise their content and reinforce learning across the curriculum. Staff plan thoroughly on a half-termly, weekly and daily basis to present the correct skills, knowledge and attitudes to their children in a tightly linked and meaningful manner.
The Early Years
The Reception's curriculum is based upon the Early Years Profile. Learning is contextualised in the same way as throughout the rest of school, so that it is always meaningful to the children and their own lives. As far as is possible, the children’s own interests drive the topics and we build in particular areas of focus to best meet the children’s individual needs year on year. Homework also follows the whole school policy in that it is topic led and allows for children and families to work together to develop cognitive, emotional, social and academic skills. Individuals are also given discrete activities to help their development in whichever areas we see are most needed and these are tailored to each child as necessary.
The curriculum is very much play based and experiential in order for children to best build up their knowledge, understanding and application of skills in a safe, secure, challenging and stimulating environment that will build strong foundations for a lifelong love of learning and development as a person.
We Can Do It!
In all areas, at all levels and at all times, we want our children to achieve, to feel empowered and not to be afraid of challenge or setbacks. Together with you, we want to help bring about young people always ready to eagerly face their next steps with courage, motivation, belief and skill. If you have any questions or ideas about our curriculum, please do call into school to discuss them with us.