Our Curriculum Offer
We are a happy, caring and progressive school. Our bespoke and carefully curated curriculum inspires and enthuses pupils to strive for excellence in all that they do. We value every aspect of the curriculum and tailor it to the needs of our unique, inclusive school community, providing opportunities to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Open minds (Intent)
Through our curriculum, children learn to ask big questions, challenge ideas and recognise that the answer is only the beginning. The broad and varied first-hand experiences we offer have a strong emphasis on building the cultural capital of our pupils, helping them to understand themselves and make sense of the world around them.
Loving hearts (Implement)
Our Christian values are woven through all aspects of our curriculum; a golden thread that teaches our children to be kind, openhearted and empathetic. Our broad curriculum gives pupils relevant learning experiences to help them to navigate their world and develop positive relationships with themselves and others. Pupil’s commitment to understanding and supporting local and global causes empowers them to want to change the world for the better.
We will achieve (Impact)
Our curriculum promotes academic excellence and creativity, whilst nurturing social intelligence and meeting the needs of all learners, no matter what their starting point. We pride ourselves in the opportunities we provide for pupils to apply prior learning and secure their knowledge in meaningful contexts.
At Clifton-upon-Dunsmore Primary School, all members of our community flourish, learn and succeed.
See below for the overview of our curriculum topics.
Our approach to learning in EYFS
Our Mission Statement for Early Years Foundation Stage
Our mission is to provide an enabling environment that promotes every child's learning and development attending the Reception Class. We have designed our EYFS curriculum to allow children to develop the knowledge and understanding needed to succeed in life. The children's learning is developed through a balance of adult-led sessions and carefully planned continuous provision where children have the opportunity to investigate and apply their learning using stimulating indoor and outdoor environments.
Our aim is that children will leave the EYFS as confident, independent and reflective learners who enjoy new experiences.
Our Christian ethos is fundamental, and it permeates through all aspects of our school life. We follow Jesus' teaching to,
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself." Luke 10 v27
By building positive relationships and keeping our minds open, and using our loving hearts towards those around us, we will achieve great things.
We aim to develop and foster the Characteristics of Effective Learning in every child.
Children are encouraged to become well-regulated and sociable by modelling positive interactions and language at all times and following our whole school behaviour policy, which focuses on: Is your fun, fun for me?
Our learning environments, alongside our skilled practitioners, are carefully planned and resourced to allow the children the opportunities to:
- Develop their communication and language skills.
- Expand their confidence, independence and resilience.
- Learn through active play and exploration.
- Extend their skills/ abilities by testing them out in a range of situations.
- Enjoy learning and have fun.
- Build positive relationships with adults and peers.
- Seek challenge and learn from mistakes.
- Develop their gross and fine motor skills.
- Gain the basic skills, knowledge and understanding required to become confident school-ready learners.
We believe that all the children can achieve amazing We believe that all the children can achieve amazing things, and we develop this through having high expectations of all the children in our setting. We believe:
"That with open minds and loving hearts we will achieve".
We also believe in working closely with parents to ensure that we can enable the best outcomes for our children. Parental engagement is critical to us at Clifton-upon-Dunsmore C of E Primary School. We develop this close partnership between home and school through Class Dojo messages, parent open-sessions, newsletters and curriculum overviews, daily conversations with staff and inviting the parents in to see teaching. We run practical sessions throughout the year to help parents and carers in supporting their children at home.
Staff in the EYFS work tirelessly to recreate an environment that fosters excellent Personal, Social, and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development. We realise the Prime areas are essential as they are the foundation of all future learning and impact the children's future well being.
Our strong focus on the Prime Areas allows children to access our EYFS curriculum. It empowers the children to set challenges, question their learning, develop resilience, and be brave to try. The strategies we use ensure that the children have good skills. It helps children make excellent progress towards reaching a good level of development at the end of the Reception year.
Alongside the Prime Areas of learning, we promote a love of learning through our engaging topic-based curriculum that incorporates the Specific Areas. We adapt the topics for each new cohort and their needs and ensure that they fit into the whole school curriculum overview. By adjusting the learning, we make sure that the children leave Reception school ready. We are committed to enriching the children's education by visiting different places such as museums and the local environment and visitors coming into school.
We recognise the unique practice of nurturing young children's learning with specific needs. We are aware of the importance of early intervention for children facing particular developmental and learning challenges. We baseline the children on entry and carry out a Wellcome Early Years and the Nuffield Early Language Intervention. These help us identify any possible needs and work closely with the SENDCo, parents and carers, and other external professionals to ensure tailored support.
The Reception Team at Clifton-upon-Dunsmore C of E Primary school is committed to all the children leaving the Early Years Foundation Stage school ready and enthusiastic, resilient learners.
Our approach to learning in Years 1-6
Teaching in years 1-6 becomes more formal, and discreet lessons are taught throughout the day. Below is a summary of how subjects are delivered. You can click on the links to find out more about each subject.
- Pupils have a daily English lesson using texts by a range of classic and modern authors using our Power of Reading scheme, plus a reading lesson and opportunities for independent reading every day.
- They also have a Maths lesson every day which is taught using the mastery approach in all year groups utilising carefully chosen representations to support understanding.
- Science is taught weekly and lessons encourage children to experiment and explore with a new unit each half-term.
- All children have two hours of Physical Education (PE) each week taught by PE specialists.
- Pupils from Y3-Y6 learn French in a weekly lesson.
- Religious Education (RE) is taught every term by our specialist RE teacher, weekly as single lessons, and sometimes with an RE Day or afternoon to explore a subject in depth.
- Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is taught regularly through lessons which follow the Jigsaw scheme and as assemblies. We also have Peer Mediators to support wellbeing throughout the school.
- History and Geography are taught as discreet subjects which alternate each half term.
- Art, Music and Computing are taught by the subject leaders in our Friyay afternoons on a rota of three lessons per unit.
- We teach Design Technology (DT) by dedicating a term of afternoons to a project, which is then celebrated in an exhibition where parents are invited to marvel at their children’s achievements!
Friyays!
As a school, we are somewhat unique in our approach to delivering our Art, Computing and Music Curriculums.
Each Friday afternoon, the class teacher will spend an entire afternoon for a three week block learning either Art, Computing or Music.
For further details of each subject area - please see the Curriculum subject page.
Computing
Music
At the end of each half term, we will be sharing our learning and invite parents to a Sharing Friday Event. This may include a music concert, an art exhibition and a computer exhibition. These will vary each time and details will sent out nearer the time.
Friyay Timetable 2023-2024
Progression in learning
In order to ensure children are able to build upon prior knowledge, learning at Clifton is carefully sequenced so that we can ensure progression across all subjects. Click below to see how we sequence the curriculum for each subject.
Art Curriculum Progression Map - Autumn
Art Curriculum Progression Map - SpringDownload our Progression Map for Geography Download our Progression Map for HistoryClick here to download our Progression Document for U+U FactsView our Progression Map for Teaching Addition Facts
Click here to download our Science Knowledge Progression Maps