‘Inspiring life-long learners with the confidence to achieve their potential’
The Curriculum at West Witney Primary School
At West Witney Primary School we pride ourselves on our distinctive and creative curriculum based on the statutory objectives of the 2014 National Curriculum:
Through carefully planned lessons, varied methods and strategies and innovative approaches, our curriculum provision aims to keep our children engaged and enthused whilst taking into account the needs of all learners.
British Values are inherent in our teaching and form an important part of both our taught curriculum and our hidden curriculum, that is, our values and ethos which permeate every part of our learning environment and our school day.
Our Creative Curriculum
Children who are encouraged to think creatively and independently become:
- More interested in discovering things for themselves
- More open to new ideas
- Keen to work with others to explore ideas
- Willing to work beyond lesson time when pursuing an ideas or vision.
By providing rich and varied contexts for pupils to acquire, develop and apply a broad range of knowledge, understanding and skills, the curriculum should enable pupils to thinks creatively and critically to solve problems and make a difference for the better. It should give them the opportunity to become creative, innovative, enterprising and capable of leadership to equip them for their future life as citizens.
It should enable pupils to respond positively to opportunities, challenges and responsibilities, to manage risk and to cope with change and adversity.
Creative thinking and behaviour can be promoted in all national curriculum subjects and in religious education.
Forest School, which is regularly enjoyed by Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and some pupils in Key Stage 2, offers another opportunity for creativity outdoors. The unique nature of the environment provides experiences that will improve social skills, concentration, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving and motivation.
The Creative Curriculum
The core principles include:
- A thematic approach to teaching and learning
- Working in depth to give children the time they need to consolidate learning
- Placing direct experience at the centre of the curriculum
The core aims should encourage all of the following:
- Making connections: seeing relationships and combining in new ways
- Taking risks: having the self-confidence and freedom to fail and keep trying
- Innovating: being original and imaginative about what might be
- Analysing: asking critical and challenging questions
- Thinking: taking time for reflection and thinking
- Interacting: sharing ideas and collaborating
- Experimenting: testing options and trying different ways
- Elaborating: exploring, fiddling, doing the unnecessary
- Leading to Learning where there is:
- Imagination and originality
- Time to reflect
- Space for thinking and choice
- Freedom to fail with the confidence to try again
- Personal, social and spiritual aspects of the curriculum are promoted
- A dynamic learning environment
- Teaching where there is:
- A range of teaching strategies and learning styles
- Teachers to make children active partners in their learning
- Children’s confidence, self-discipline and understanding of their learning
- Challenge and enjoyment
- A culture of collaborationwhere:
- The values and ethos are shared with the whole school community
- The importance of talk and collaboration is consolidated through learning
- There is the opportunity to learn from others
- Teamwork and detailed planning
- Shared ownership where all ideas are valued
- Involving parents and carers at every opportunity
- Focusing on the importance of the learning environment
- Extending involvement into the local community and beyond