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'OUR' Curriculum Vision

As a Church of England school we are proud of our role in helping guide our children through their early educational journey as they develop a set of guiding principles which will help them as they move onto secondary school and beyond.  We are a Christian community; happy, welcoming and caring and our children understand that mistakes are part of getting it right and sometimes you need to forgive and try again.

Olveston is a school where children have a love of learning, where expectations are high but more importantly every child and adult is valued as an individual; each recognised for their uniqueness.  During their time with us, interests and talents will be developed. OUR curriculum is underpinned by our six core values which are rooted in the Christian faith. However in a world of great cultural and faith diversity we want our children to understand and celebrate similarities and difference. Our goal is that children leave us with 'the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence' - they will be empowered to live their own lives and have resilience to face a rapidly changing world.

OUR curriculum (Olveston’s Unique Response) has been developed to ensure that children have:  a sense of where they belong and how this fits into the wider world (character and identity); their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the world and a secure foundation of knowledge and skills on which to build lifelong learning. To this end, all of our themes start with the child and what they know into a deeper and broader understanding of local, national and global perspectives. Every theme is carefully planned building on prior knowledge and understanding (metacognition). New ideas and concepts are introduced in a timely and considered way taking into account the following underlying characteristics of a life-long learner:

  • Self-Awareness
  • Team Work
  • Resilience
  • Commitment
  • Problem Solver
  • Empathy

 

'OUR' Learning Environments:

 Classroom environments both support and enrich the learning of all children.  As well as being vibrant and welcoming, the classroom environment is a learning resource, the second teacher, a way of engaging children and building the class community.  It can create a sense of ownership and be used to support and promote learning, as well as celebrating children’s work.  With careful thought and planning, an effective classroom environment is used as an interactive resource supporting teaching, learning and assessment.

 

At Olveston CEVC  Primary School we believe that a well organised and stimulating environment has a direct impact on the quality of teaching and learning, and therefore supports raising standards.  It enables pupils to develop independence as learners, building on good Foundation Stage practice.

 

We provide consistent expectations for all pupils in order to support them, whilst challenging them to give their very best.  In this way, we develop a shared sense of what high standards look like. Above all else, our children are taught the purpose of their learning and they work towards applying their knowledge and skills to an intended outcome, such as a piece of published writing, artwork, performance etc. We are proud of the children’s work and we are actively building a culture of high-quality display throughout the school.

 

The benefits of outdoor learning have been highlighted extensively and here at Olveston CEVC Primary school we have wonderful grounds which provide a wealth of outdoor learning experiences. These include a conservation area, reflective garden, wildflower banks and a Forest Schools area. As the Norwegians say, ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes’. We endeavour to go outside as much as we can!

 

How do we ensure OUR curriculum optimises learning?

 

our curriculum how.pdf

Our Learning Journey

When designing OUR curriculum, we chose themes that are relevant, interesting and engaging. Although the curriculum is designed so that knowledge is sequential and connected, we have allowed space for children to share and develop their own interests and to go ‘off at a tangent’ should the opportunity arise due to a local, national or global event/issue. As our children pass through the school, their perspective will grow and widen enabling them to contribute knowledgeably when discussing and debating important issues. We value our children’s voice.

our thematic curriculum journey.pdf

 

Click the links below to access the documents on your mobile device:

  Curriculum Vision

  Our - The Learning Journey