High Bickington Academy School Curriculum

Life, Love and Learning to the Full

CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION

At High Bickington C of E Academy, we have developed a curriculum which we believe is inspirational and awe-inspiring, and which incorporates global themes and 'big events'.

Our curriculum, based around The Cornerstones Curriculum, is a creative and thematic approach to learning that is mapped to the National Curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations. The learning journey is mapped out year by year and subject-specific content ensures there is clear progression, consolidation and extension of skills and knowledge. Our curriculum projects are knowledge rich projects and provide exciting learning activities across all subjects. Schemes of work and medium term plans contain lessons and activities directly related to the National Curriculum programmes of study.

The approach we take is based on the following four key components of learning:

The use of these four components across the schools provides us with a common focus for learning. We believe that children learn best in different ways and therefore we aim to create a high-quality learning environment in which the four components can flourish. 

Engage

Our pupils will :

• take part in memorable experiences through the 'big events'. Each project contains an event that stimulates the children’s curiosity and enthusiasm. These events usually involve a class educational visit or inviting an expert into the classroom. Examples of our previous 'big events' range from taking the older children 100 metres below ground into the coal mines of the Big Pit, to taking Key Stage One pupils fossil hunting in Lyme Regis.
• be introduced in exciting ways to new projects or themes.
• begin initial research and set enquiry questions.
• have many opportunities to make observations and answer key questions.
• develop spoken language skills.
• fully engage with their learning in projects.
• have fun!

Develop  

Our children will :

• dig much deeper to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of a topic across the curriculum
• practice their  skills
• compose, make, do, build, investigate, explore, write for different purposes, read across the curriculum
• research their own questions and those posed by others
• follow new pathways of enquiry based on their own interests

Innovate

Our pupils will :

• apply previous skills, knowledge and understanding in real-life contexts
• be challenged with real or imagined problems to see if they can use knowledge and skills from the earlier stages in order to solve them.
• be inspired with imaginative and creative opportunities
• have time to review skills, knowledge and understanding not grasped during the development stage
• have the opportunity to take on different roles using Mantle of the Expert

Express

Our children will :

• share their achievements with others in many different ways with parents, class peers and the community
• evaluate finished products/processes