At Saint John's CE Primary School we believe that the School Curriculum should be broad and balanced, offering children the opportunity to achieve success in many different areas. Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum 2014 but we also aim to provide our pupils with many enrichment opportunities. We believe in preparing our pupils for life beyond Saint John's so our school curriculum aims to cover the children's academic needs and also their physical, moral, cultural, spiritual and social needs. We want our children to be successful and happy young people who are 'Secondary ready' and embrace life in modern Britain.
At Saint John's we follow an exciting topic based curriculum from Reception to Year 6. Each topic starts with a 'WOW!' experience, for example, an educational visit, visitors into school or special themed days. The children's learning is also celebrated at the end of each topic. In the past we have created exhibitions, performed plays or organised sales. Teachers plan for cross curricular opportunities in English and Maths wherever possible. The curriculum is peppered with curriculum days, such as 'Art' Curriculum Day or 'Maths' Curriculum Day. These days provide pupils with an opportunity to examine a specific area in more detail, providing independent thinking and challenge.
Wordsmith English provides the backbone to our planning. We use Wordsmith as our Curriculum 2014 scheme because it is book based with quality authors and up-to-date ICT with fun grammar activities embedded into units of works. Teachers adapt plans for their classes drawing inspiration from different sources where appropriate.
We have successfully used Abacus Maths for a number of years and it has now been updated in line with Curriculum 2014. Teachers use other exciting resources to enrich Maths learning. We subscribe to Mathletics and our 'Mathletes of the Week' are awarded with certificates.
All of our RE is taught in line with the agreed Gloucestershire Syllabus. Our curriculum reflects the fact that the religious traditions in this country are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teaching and the practices of the other principal religions represented.
Foundation subjects are linked to our cross curricular topics where appropriate but where this is not possible, we draw inspiration from carefully chosen Schemes of Work, for example, Rising Stars Computing and Science, Charanga Music and Hamilton Trust Topics. Children are taught French in KS2.
At Saint John's we believe in an active partnership between school, pupil and home. Children are encouraged to complete homework tasks that support or enrich learning in class. This includes a termly homework project. Parents are regularly invited into school and we run special 'Help Your Child at Home' sessions for Maths and English. Parents are provided with detailed curriculum letters each term.
Social Action Plan
We believe in the positive benefits of encouraging pupils to take an active role in social action which they think is important. During the academic year, each class will take part in planned events to achieve this aim.