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Curriculum
The curriculum is all encompassing to ensure the school promotes learning as well as personal growth and development. We aim to prepare pupils for the opportunities, experiences and responsibilities of adult life and to lay a firm foundation for future learning. We seek to provide a broad, balanced differentiated curriculum and offer a wide range of exciting, challenging activities and experiences to all pupils irrespective of ability, background, ethnic origin or gender. Our aim is to encourage and support our pupils to enjoy their childhood and reach their full potential, as confident, inquisitive and successful learners and leave Thurlton Primary as fully rounded individuals.We believe that children learn best when home and school work together for their benefit. We firmly believe that the education of the children is a partnership between children, staff and Parents/Carers and we place a great deal of emphasis on our relationship with our Parents/Carers. Support from home is vital in maximising our pupil’s chances of fulfilling their potential. In order to facilitate this partnership, we offer an open-door policy where Parents/Carers are welcome to visit school to discuss their children’s progress with staff at a mutually convenient time. Each class has regular Parent/Carers’ meetings, one per term and short written reports with Targets are sent home at the end of teach half term.
As successful learners our pupils will:
We acknowledge that pupils learn in many different ways and we recognise the need to develop strategies that allow all children to learn in ways that suit them. Opportunities are planned to cater for a range of different learning styles to ensure that all children can access the curriculum and learn in a way that is best for them. Believing that children learn best when they are engaged and involved with their activities we plan our curriculum to appeal to the interests of the children and to develop their learning in a wide range of areas.
We want children to come school every day excited by the prospect of new discoveries and new skills to learn.
At Thurlton Primary all individuals are valued, pupils can flourish in a safe, calm, caring and enabling environment in which each pupil’s wellbeing is paramount and their developing independence is encouraged and celebrated. Our learning environment is supportive and purposeful but also stimulating, challenging and engaging with a clear focus on promoting positive behaviour and behaviours for learning.
Our approach to Teaching and Learning
We want our pupils to enjoy learning through involvement in a meaningful, purposeful and relevant curriculum that develops lively, enquiring minds and gives pupils skills for life. We use themes and topics to inspire learning, combined with discrete teaching of specific statutory content.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
In the Foundation Stage, a variety of structured play and practical activities are planned to help children develop in the following three prime areas of learning:
Pupils learn in an imaginative, play-based environment, both indoors and outdoors, and that the prime areas provide a focus for learning skills and experiences. There will be role-play, story sessions, development of number and handwriting skills as well as lots of opportunities for speaking and listening and the development of communication and social interaction.
Key Stage 1 and 2
At Key Stage 1 and 2, we aim to create successful learners who are confident individuals and responsible members of society, fully prepared for the next stage of their education and enthusiastic about learning in all its aspects. Pupils have a daily English and Mathematics lesson.
Phonics is the beginning of Literacy and we base our Phonics teaching on the Read, Write Inc (RWI) programme of teaching. Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation (SpaG) is based upon the Spelling Shed and Classroom Secrets programmes
Writing is taught through a topic-based approach, as much as possible, in order to provide purpose and audience for the children. Grammatical accuracy is embedded in the teaching of writing but also as a discrete element of the English curriculum.
We aim to create fluent, discerning, life-long readers who love and value books. Children are encouraged to share books with peers and family on a regular basis: Teachers take time to read class novels and model reading for pleasure. It is important that children enjoy reading and also have the opportunity to experience books from classic and modern classic authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton among others. Comprehension and literary appreciation skills are taught through Guided Reading sessions where the pupils explore reading texts through a range of questions and activities to deepen their understanding and breadth of reading experience.
The new Mathematics curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils become fluent in the fundamental of Mathematics including the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. Pupils are taught to reason mathematically, solve problems and apply their mathematical skills in a variety of real life contexts.
In addition to English and Mathematics, pupils are taught to develop their skills, understanding and creativity in Science, Computing, History, Geography, Design Technology, Music, Art, Physical Education and Religious Education (which is based on the locally agreed syllabus). Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, British Values and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) are all taught through our Life Skills sessions and are closely linked to 5R’s (Ready, Responsible, Reflective, Resourceful and Resilient) of Thurlton Primary.
Children are taught about the community in which they live and are encouraged to work in co-operation with other members of the school community. Supporting charities, both local and further afield, is encouraged. All children are expected to undertake appropriate responsibilities within the class and school, e.g. caring for the classroom environment, participating in class assemblies and participating in out of school activities.
Promoting the British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths we believe is a fundamental element of our teaching. Using Values for Life and Personal Social and Health Education lessons we encourage children to develop their own beliefs and an understanding of the meaning of a healthy life style, staying safe, being a good citizen.
We aim to develop children’s enjoyment, confidence and skill in physical activity and introduce them to the pleasures of sport to help develop active children who benefit from a healthy lifestyle. Through a multi-skills approach, children develop their skills in cross-country running, football and basketball as well as athletics, gymnastics, dance and swimming. We participate in many of the Cluster PE events and competitions.
We enhance and enrich the curriculum through a variety of activities including educational visits, visitors to school, after school clubs and links with other schools.
