Nonington CE Primary School’s curriculum meets all statutory requirements. Religious Education is taught weekly using guidance from the Canterbury Diocese including ‘Understanding Christianity’. There is a daily Collective Worship, which is based on Canterbury Diocese planning. We teach our pupils Sex and Relationships Education and our policy is being reviewed in line with the new guidance to be implemented by 2023 and ‘Valuing all God’s Children (2019)’. There are planned opportunities for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development, the outcomes of which are collected in class SMSC books. Our curriculum teaches all aspects of the National Curriculum, through a cycle of themes, projects and discrete subject lessons providing a broad and balanced curriculum with opportunities to deepen understanding. Nonington CE Primary School is a small school in a rural setting, which is reflected in our curriculum and the opportunities we give our pupils.
To ensure our pupils have the skills, knowledge and values that can be used in life, our curriculum focuses on English and Mathematical skills which underpin the whole curriculum. Each class has daily lessons which focus on reading, writing and mathematics. Through the curriculum we reinforce our school’s Christian Values of Wisdom, Hope and Trust. Within lessons teachers reinforce our pupils’ understanding of learning through a shared learning vocabulary of learning values (resilience, perseverance, participation, reflection, collaboration & resourcefulness) and learning words (wonder, question, share, connect, think and explore). We recognise that some of our pupils experience barriers to their learning. These include how some children perceive themselves as learners; their willingness to take risks with their learning and try again; richness to their vocabulary and showing respect for others. When planning our curriculum, we are mindful of these barriers as we aim to develop children who are creative, are problem solvers and collaborate when learning. To achieve these learning behaviours, language of learning and collaborative skills are taught. Within lessons key vocabulary is clearly identified and explained. We aim to ensure that the impact of our curriculum is that our pupils are confident, secure, creative, aspirational, respectful and tolerant; these are our core pupil attitudes. As part of our School Improvement Plan this year, we are developing our use of thinking maps, reflecting on our core pupil attitudes and developing pupils’ advocacy by either giving, acting or praying to make a difference.
At the start of each seasonal term children engage in projects developing their understanding of our Christian values and our school’s Bible Story of Jesus and the children. At the end of each term, pupils learn about how one of our Christian values are developed around the world. Our distinctive Christian vision and Christian values are also developed through our daily Collective Worship and within the wider curriculum. Our daily reading, grammar and Mathematics lessons show children how to be successful and give opportunities to practise skills and develop knowledge. These skills and knowledge are then applied throughout the curriculum within our projects and discrete subject teaching. Pupils are taught how to be problem solvers. As part of our School Improvement Plan this year, pupils are developing their knowledge and understanding of being advocates through our ‘Pupil Panels’ during which pupils plan opportunities to give, act or pray to support others.
Nonington CE Primary School is an inclusive learning community, rooted in God. Classrooms embrace inclusive practices which include all learners in the whole class teaching. Pupils with additional needs are supported by provision planned through each class’s provision plan. Individual pupils are also supported through provision plans and high needs funding. There is inclusive access to all areas of the curriculum and we make reasonable adjustments to achieve inclusion.
Our school has curriculum maps which identify knowledge and skills to be taught, understood and applied in each year. Teachers and leaders use these expectations within their planning and assessment. We plan memorable experiences for our pupils to deepen learning. We are currently reviewing the curriculum to identify key opportunities to deepen the understanding of as pupils progress through the school and teaching specific skills at the start of the year, so they can be applied throughout the academic year.