We enhance our curriculum through circles work which happens weekly in each class. This, along with restorative and cooperative approaches to learning, helps to develop pupil’s voice with regards all aspects of their curriculum.
Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through school-based and external exhibitions, performances, competitions and events involving other schools. All our class assemblies are mini shows linked to the theme or topic the children are learning. This gives them the opportunity to share their learning in an exciting, dramatic and creative way. We believe Oracy, the ability to speak well, is one of the biggest indicators of a child’s success later in life. Our Knowledge Organisers have assessment questions based on the Topic or Themes of the class. The children have the opportunity to choose a question and prepare an assessed presentation for the last week of term. The sharing of their understanding through presentations will deepen the children’s learning and share their ability to apply their knowledge as skills.
Developing their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning. When children leave Brookside Primary School at the end of Year 6, they should be equipped with the full range of skills that enables them to become lifelong learners.
Subject themes are organised into blocks and taught for approximately 11 weeks of each term. The timings of these may vary. The remaining weeks of each term will include whole school topics on ‘All about Me’, Faith Week, and a further enrichment week, which can change from year to year. There are also 3 termly assessment weeks.
Our curriculum Reading Spine allows model-reading of classic and essential reads. Model-reading of literature is powerful because it serves so many instructional purposes; to motivate, encourage, excite, build background, develop comprehension, assist children in making connections, and serve as a model of what fluent reading sounds like. Studies show having a teacher read aloud to students helps increase their reading level, because it models fluent reading for students. By following along and seeing how the teacher emphasises different words, pauses at commas and full stops, and pronounces difficult words, students can increase their own reading fluency.
Our structured learning approach, appeals to children and excites their interests. Each year group teaches through a number of termly topics which acts as a stimulus for other curriculum areas. Where learning is more suited to discrete teaching (e.g the teaching of phonics, PSHE, Maths and Science) the learners will be taught in this way.
Throughout our curriculum we place a huge importance on providing long term opportunities for children to be outside, connecting with nature and themselves. The children direct their own learning in each session, truly supporting their individual needs, wellbeing and risk awareness as well developing a deep sense of self. Every child in our school has Forest School for half a day every week. During this time, they learn personal skills such as resilience, problem-solving and relationship centred social development. They also learn skills such as fire building, cooking, den building and stick whittling.
Along with Forest School we seek to create opportunities for children to experience and excel in a range of activities that enhance and extend the Curriculum. All children learn at least two instruments as part of their music curriculum. Children have opportunities both inside and outside the classroom e.g. Nurture Groups, Motorskills groups, Residential trips, Zones of regulation, visiting theatre companies and art projects. We use our local area to enhance our curriculum, each class visits Lyme Park each year. The visits to Lyme Park are themed and linked to our topics. As a school we are known as ‘The Guardians of Lyme Park’.
We also recognise gaps in pupil’s knowledge and skills, based on the local context. Through our work on Faith, pupils develop a good understanding of their own and other’s cultures, developing positive attitudes to a wide range of different ethnic and faith groups including those not represented in the wider community. We hold a Faith week each year where each class focuses on a different religion. During this week we have guest speakers from each of the six main religions come into school to speak to the children. During their time at Brookside the children have the opportunity to link with another class in another school with a differing set of demographics.
