Curriculum

Summer 2022 Video of Activities

Parents or other members of the public can find out more about the curriculum we are following in this section of our website.  Please click on the tabs in the curriculum folder to access long term plans and policies for each subject throughout the school.  Should you require any additional information, you can contact our curriculum lead - Mr Richardson.

 

 

Curriculum Intent Statement

“Belonging, Serving, Succeeding”

Every child at Banks St. Stephen’s Primary School is valued as an individual, made in God’s image. We value spiritual and moral development, as well as mental and physical health and wellbeing and we prepare children for life in modern Britain, ensuring that fundamental British Values are lived out through the ethos and work of our school. Our curriculum promotes respect for the views of each individual child, as well as for people of all cultures, backgrounds and beliefs and we organise our curriculum so that we promote co-operation and understanding between all members of our local and wider community. We believe our knowledge-rich curriculum promotes equality of opportunity for all children, including disadvantaged children and those with specific needs. We apply what cognitive science tells us about how children learn, providing them with multiple opportunities to practise and consolidate what they are being taught.

Our curriculum is designed with knowledge at its heart to ensure that children develop a strong vocabulary base and an age-appropriate understanding of the world. Teachers give careful attention to how the curriculum in each subject is planned, to ensure that teaching builds upon what pupils already know. The curriculum promotes long-term learning and we believe that progress means knowing more and remembering more.

We have developed a curriculum to ensure that children have access to “the best that has been thought and said” and are taught in a way that helps them remember the curriculum content in future years. We believe the more pupils know, the easier it is for them to build on their learning and develop higher order skills, building rich webs of knowledge as they progress through the curriculum.

Early Years

In the Early Years at Bank St Stephen’s Church of England Primary School we want children to be happy, confident, well rounded individuals with a love for learning.  

We believe in providing all children with a safe and stimulating environment that builds on individual’s wants, needs, and interests and aim to give the children a sense of belonging in the wider school community. 

Learning through play should be fun, engaging and promote children’s natural curiosity whilst providing suitable challenge. We aim to encourage children to take turns, share and be thankful to one another and to God, committing to our Christian values.

We value the importance of our outdoor environment and believe that it offers children the opportunity to develop their thinking and problem-solving skills. 

We are committed to providing the best possible start to school life, teaching them skills, and giving them experiences that will ensure their well-being now and success in the future.

KS1 and KS2

We deliver an inclusive, knowledge-rich curriculum, based on the National Curriculum and using a variety of approaches and resources depending on the nature of the subject being taught and the needs of the children, including children with specific needs. Good mental health and wellbeing is a priority and our curriculum is underpinned by the support we offer pupils to live healthy and fulfilled lives. We aim to equip all our children with the essential foundations for the next stage of their educational journey and beyond, enabling each one of them to live life in all its fullness.

The curriculum has been carefully planned and sequenced to ensure that knowledge acquisition is coherent, logical and progressive.

We aim to make best use of our local context and have consulted a wide range of stakeholders regarding the content of our curriculum, including children, parents and governors. Our local area has a fascinating geography with a wealth of agricultural and maritime history and heritage; our curriculum draws on the rich resources of our community. Teachers lead subjects where they have a specialism or keen interest and they have a vital role to play in the selection and delivery of content, as well as monitoring the quality of provision, including pupil outcomes.

We enrich our curriculum with first-hand experiences and encourage class teachers to plan regular school visits and invite visiting experts, enabling our children to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the world. At Banks St. Stephen’s CE Primary School, we aim to offer an inclusive curriculum which enables our pupils to: 

• Enjoy learning and experience success 
• Learn new skills and have time to practise and develop those skills  
• Become more resilient, regarding mistakes as learning opportunities
• Develop knowledge and understanding of fundamental British values
• Experience the wonder of our world and explore their own spirituality 
• Nurture and develop positive relationships based on Christ’s teaching
• Experience the personal fulfilment derived from serving others
• Develop a sense of belonging  

The curriculum is the totality of every planned experience and interaction that the children will encounter at Banks St. Stephen’s CE Primary School and is subject to constant review. There is a particular emphasis in KS1 on the teaching of reading and mathematics and the whole school curriculum Y1-6 includes a range of extra-curricular activities to enrich the experiences of our children. There is also the “hidden curriculum”; what the children learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave as a result of our strong Christian vision, associated values and nurturing ethos. We aim to teach children how to grow into positive, confident and responsible citizens, who feel a sense of belonging to their community, learn to serve others and experience success.