On Monday 7 June 2021, Katie Cook, Headteacher and teachers at Siddington C of E Primary School began working on a new curriculum that will be introduced in September 2021. To begin, teachers considered the interest and needs of the children at Siddington, the role of the school in the community, and the school’s role as a Church of England Primary School. It was important to the staff to ensure that the vision they share for the school was embedded in their curriculum, and that the drivers that structure the curriculum support that vision. Staff also looked at the core aims of The Corinium Education Trust, and how as a school, they could ensure the school’s curriculum incorporates these principles. Katie Cook and her team look forward to presenting this curriculum to the school’s stakeholders, gaining their views, and developing the learning further in the future.

 

INTENT

At Siddington C of E Primary School teachers recognise that their pupils need opportunities to develop their skills in Oracy, Resilience and Perseverance. They need both planned and incidental opportunities to develop their Spirituality and Curiosity using Big Questions. They  want their pupils to be Aspirational about what they can achieve and about their futures and their role in society. 

 

Many of the children at Siddington C of E Primary School need further opportunities to build on their cultural capital through First Hand Experience that may include Visitors who are specialists in their fields. Staff recognise that as a rural, broadly White British community some of their children need to have their perceptions about other Cultures challenged while developing an understanding of their own Heritage.

 

The community at Siddington are interested in Sustainability and their impact on the World. They are curious about their impact on the World around them.

 

IMPLEMENTATION

These concepts are therefore the Drivers of the school’s curriculum planning and run alongside The Corinium Education Trust’s aims to ‘Inspire, Challenge and Transform’. They also support the school's Vision ‘to have fun, do our very best and look after everyone in a caring Christian community’.

 

To have fun:

At Siddington C of E Primary School the Curriculum will Inspire pupils at the school.  Teachers will do this through using Big Questions, planning for Spirituality, and providing first-hand experiences.  They want to offer a curriculum that inspires pupils to have high aspirations for themselves and for their futures.

 

Do our very best:

Through Challenge teachers will ensure their pupils do their best.  They will challenge their perceptions, challenge their beliefs about other cultures, and challenge them to be resilient and to persevere.

 

Look after everyone in a Caring Christian Community:

Using sustainability as a driver for the school’s curriculum will help enable pupils to contribute to helping to Transform their World.  Staff will ensure the school’s curriculum enables them to understand about their place in the school, in the local community and in the World.  Caring for others can help transform other people’s lives in their school, community and the World.

 

School leaders across The Corinium Education Trust have been reviewing the curriculum in each of their schools with colleagues. Headteacher, Emma Morrough Ryan and her team at Kemble Primary School, are excited by their new programmes of study:

 

‘During the course of the year the staff and governors have considered the vision and values for Kemble Primary School. We worked together to identify the uniqueness of Kemble and our aspirations for the children who attend the school. Exploring diversity and equity were considered to be core and ensuring pupils were well equipped to be successful in the world of their future.

 

We have carefully considered the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals alongside the National Curriculum programmes of study and subject leaders have ensured that the planned curriculum is balanced, broad and sequenced through EYFS to end of KS2. Each term we will consider a ‘big question’ and hold a launch day where children have the opportunity to explore the theme and find out more.’