What we teach and why we teach it

Our Curriculum Statement

At Chickerell Primary we aim to provide the children with a curriculum which is broad, well-balanced and above all stimulates the children's natural curiosity to learn. In addition to acquiring key skills and a depth of knowledge, we aim to help the children to grow in confidence and maturity so that they can enter secondary school  genuinely 'secondary ready', with the ability to pursue wholeheartedly, academic, social, sporting and cultural activities.

As of October 2021,we have begun to use 'Cornerstones' curriculum throughout the school so that we can ensure a solid progressions of skills and knowledge acquisition in the foundation subjects, Science and English particularly.

Within this Cornerstones curriculum, deep knowledge allows the children to learn more and make links between what is known. Learning through a knowledge-rich curriculum means that every time a topic or content is revisited, it allows the children to understand on a deeper level. Progress is made by knowing more and remembering more – allowing children to be able to tackle more challenging topics through having the opportunity to easily retrieve information and apply it to  more unfamiliar contexts

Alongside this, our curriculum will  also provide our children with a ‘language-rich’ environment, consistently requiring them to develop a wide vocabulary which will empower all children to be orally confident. Opportunities to practise and use that vocabulary both orally and through writing form a central part of our curriculum.

What is the Cornerstones Curriculum? The Cornerstones Curriculum is a creative and thematic approach to learning that is mapped to the 2014 primary national curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations. It is based on a child-centred pedagogy called The Four Cornerstones and is delivered through Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs) and Knowledge Rich Projects (KRPs), which provide a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities that make creative links between all aspects of children’s learning. We believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning to engaging contexts. Our curriculum provides many learning challenges throughout the academic year that require children to solve problems, apply themselves creatively and express their knowledge and understanding effectively. Cornerstones also provide a rigorous skills and knowledge framework that outlines the end of year expectations in all subjects. These skills and knowledge are tied to activities and are age-related .

Use the link below to find out more about this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otbga-VEzrE&t=2s

For maths, we are continuing to use White Rose as the main tool for teaching.

The teaching of Religious Education is statutory in all schools. It is taught as a subject outside the National Curriculum but following the Dorset approved 'Discovery' Syllabus.

We follow the 'Jigsaw' scheme to ensure that children's experiences of PSHCE are also progressive, sequential and age appropriate. Sometimes we might involve outside agencies to support us in delivery of certain aspects, such as the 'safer schools team' for online safety teaching. They would always share resources with us before using them with children in school.

To make our education relevant to the world the children live in today and their wider experiences, we also incorporate the following key aspects of Global Citizenship learning:

Social Justice and Equity; Diversity and Identity; Globalisation and Interdependence; Peace and Conflict; Environment. 

Additional theme weeks and special whole school event days for the whole school provide further in-depth coverage of PSHE and Rights Respecting Curriculum, e.g. Anti-Bullying Week, Fairtrade Fortnight, Outdoor Learning Day.

Teaching staff are encouraged to broaden the  cultural capital experiences of the topics for the children through promotion of the outdoor curriculum, off-site visits, visitors into school and shared experiences with the wider school community, such as the Christmas community party, weekly care home visits and joint activities with other local schools.

Children’s achievements are celebrated regularly through the school newsletters, school website, displays in classrooms and shared areas, interactive displays and in assemblies where children are encouraged to share their knowledge and successes with the rest of the school.