Curriculum Overview
Principles of our curriculum: (Intent)
Our school curriculum is built on the ‘EJ Way’ which embodies the values, attitudes and behaviours that we feel create a foundation for life-long learning and responsible citizenship.
The EJ Way (‘We learn and play the EJ Way’)
We are excited to learn new things.
We know how to share thoughts and feelings.
We look after each other.
We are proud to work together.
We are kind to ourselves.
The way in which we design our curriculum, plan and carry out our teaching, instigate opportunities and experiences and have consistent expectations mean that…
We are excited to learn new things
- The ability to ‘gain, retain and explain’ knowledge (Learning Capital) for future application will be a central focus along with age-related expectations in Reading, Writing and Maths.
We know how to share thoughts and feelings
- We take a nurturing approach to all aspects of children's lives at school and support pro-social understanding alongside a therapeutic approach to behaviour and learning.We look after each other
- A culture of care and kindness will permeate all that we do.We are proud to work together
- Regular cultural, community and civic opportunities will be utilised to broaden experiences.
We are kind to ourselves
- We promote personal well-being and self-awareness across the curriculum and ensure that children have the skills to successfully meet the challenges of our changing world.
Our Curriculum Statement:
Ely St. John’s maintains a strong commitment to the broad and balanced curriculum and the enriching activities that intrinsically motivate children. We wish to meet the government’s challenging targets while maintaining a love of learning across the curriculum.
We endeavour to provide a curriculum that acknowledges the importance of the basic skills, and the value of repetition and practice. We also acknowledge the need to embed those skills across the curriculum to enhance the children’s ability to reflect and respond to their learning across the range of subjects. Ultimately, we aim to ensure that all children have equal access to broad, balanced, relevant and stimulating teaching.
Our aim is to provide a nurturing, friendly school community in which every child and adult feels valued and secure. This includes encouraging a regard for all people and a respect and tolerance for differing views, incorporating a graduated response which ensures all children’s social, emotional and mental-health needs are met as fully as possible. We actively promote a clear code of conduct through our EJ Way Behaviour Policy and challenge opinions or behaviours in school that are contrary to our nurturing ethos and fundamental British values. We promote social, spiritual, cultural and moral development actively across the curriculum and our overall purpose is to prepare our pupils for life. Our Behaviour Policy shows our commitment to a therapeutic approach to teaching behaviour that requires us to meet need; teach behaviour and aim for children to be pro-social and intrinsically motivated.
The outdoor environment is as important to our learning as the indoors and outdoor learning is a key element in our curriculum. In addition to this, we try to provide as many trips, visits and visitors as we can to ensure learning is rooted in real experience or the world around us. Many enrichment activities are provided outside of core teaching time to enable the children to develop skills and talents that interest them. We have a particular commitment to learning about and contributing to the community within which we serve and are a part of. Our belief is that community means experiencing learning together in collaboration. We work hard to develop that sense of collaboration and as well as providing lots of opportunity for ensemble music making and sport within and around our school, we strive to support the local community and learn from it and about it.
We believe our expectations of each child are challenging but realistic, aiming to develop enquiring minds, promote independence and encouraging children to take responsibility for their learning and behaviour. We wish to develop greater resilience for some of our more vulnerable pupils and an ability to self-regulate and be intrinsically motivated for all.
We strive to be a school where people wish to be and belong.