Curriculum Overview
Our curriculum is driven by the need to prepare our children for lifelong learning. At Benington Primary School, we offer a rich and vibrant curriculum which is ambitious for all learners.
Through our Christian Faith, we acknowledge our responsibility to all, to enrich lives and show love and respect within our school family.
For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37)
Intent:
Our Curriculum has been designed to ensure each and every child can 'live life in all its fullness' by offering stimulating and awe-inspiring learning experiences with Christian values at its heart.
It is bespoke to the needs of our pupils, not only by focusing on appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum, but by modelling our Christian values and by developing individual and collaborative learning experiences, a positive growth mindset, a sense of responsibility and challenges that take them beyond the classroom.
We are a small rural school with a constantly evolving curriculum which responds to the needs of learners and their interests by enhancing learning experiences and raising awareness from the local area to national and global arenas. Thus, we will develop outward looking pupils who are able to engage in learning about themselves and have an understanding of the wider world and its complex cultures.
Ultimately our curriculum is intended to CARE: it will Challenge, be Aspirational, promote Resilience and be Engaging.
Implementation:
Through quality teaching of knowledge, skills and vocabulary across core and foundation subjects, all children will be challenged to be inquisitive, compassionate, courageous and creative learners. They will have opportunities to influence their own learning through age appropriate and progressive themes and topics. Effective learning characteristics including being ambitious, reflective and imaginative will drive teaching and learning.
Impact:
The impact of the curriculum is monitored though triangulation of outcomes: pupil voice, test/data outcomes, planning, monitoring of books and displays, learning walks and discussions with staff, pupils and parents.
The desired outcomes of the curriculum will ensure that our children will have a confident set of skills, knowledge, expectations and Christian values which can be used to get ahead in education and life more generally. In short, they will learn more, remember more, enjoy more and develop more spiritually, socially and emotionally. Thus, enabling them to be ready for their next stage in education.
Curriculum Statement
Our curriculum ensures learning is effective, exciting and relevant to the needs of our children.
All pupils will secure firm foundations in English and Mathematics and this underpins a firm accessibility and development in other subjects across the curriculum. Our knowledge and skill-based curriculum offers a broad range of subjects from Early Years through to Year 6. We believe in bringing learning to life, both indoors and out, with an emphasis on engaging and purposeful learning couched in secure and respectful relationships.
Benington Primary School aims to provide a curriculum that is balanced and relevant to the children as well as to the ever changing world we live in. While emphasis is placed on children learning core skills of English and Maths, we place significant value on developing the ‘whole child’. Where possible and relevant, links are made across the curriculum. These connections support the children’s long term memory.
All of the schemes we use were chosen because they are ambitious for all pupils and systematically develop knowledge and skills. They are planned and sequenced with small steps to build on previous knowledge and improve short term to long term memory recall. They enable staff to systematically check understanding and identify misconceptions in order to adapt their teaching where appropriate.
What does the “whole child” mean?
Every child is an individual – respecting the differences; providing all children what they need through timely and reasonable adjustments. This is EQUITY.
We continually support the children in managing their own behaviour and de-escalation, just as we would support them with more challenging areas of the curriculum. Provision mapping illustrates how we support the children’s needs across the curriculum, including their social and emotional needs, for without these secure, learning will not take place.
We enrich our pupils with a wide range of activities including: trips and visitors, fund raising, leadership opportunities and courageous advocacy.
At Benington School we want our children to have the necessary skills to make informed choices in all aspects of their life.
What does the curriculum look like as we move through the school?
Early Years Foundation Stage
At Benington we strive to create a safe and happy environment, which inspires, challenges and supports pupils to achieve their potential. The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage provides the structure for our curriculum and approach. The framework covers the education and care of all children in Early Years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities with reading at the heart.
For us this is about providing the children with the opportunities needed to help them to develop a connection with nature which in turn supports good mental health development and a feeling of calm and balance. Children thrive and flourish within these environments and develop robust foundations for learning. We use the Cornerstones curriculum to ensure coverage and progression. We use the NCETM Mastering Number resource for maths and Little Wandle for phonics.
Key Stages 1 & 2
For each national curriculum subject, our Subject Leads have all developed a year on year breakdown of the knowledge and skills, based on the National Curriculum, which our children must progress through. These form the backbone of our approach and are delivered through discrete sessions or in a cross-curricular approach, whichever as is most appropriate. These are detailed in our Subject Curriculum documents. They include all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
The national curriculum key stages 1 and 2 framework document
Overview of the national curriculum for primary years 1 to 6
