Our curriculum is designed to fulfil our academy vision – to inspire, to raise aspirations and to create brighter tomorrows.
The aim is to stimulate, challenge and engage children to foster a love of learning that will be with them for life.
Our curriculum is underpinned by the Early Years Framework for Foundation Stage followed by the National Curriculum (2014) in key stages one and two which are enhanced with opportunities that make up the Bracken Lane curriculum.
The approach to our learning centres on the belief that children learn better when their interests and fascinations are allowed to flourish, where they are encouraged to explore subjects in a variety of ways. We base this on a four-stage teaching philosophy – engage, develop, innovate, express.
This approach builds confidence in learning, independence and effective communication, preparing children for their next steps. Where commonality exists between subjects the learning is linked and taught in a cross-curricular way, where this is not achievable subjects are taught discretely.
We believe that:
- children should have first-hand experiences and a multi-sensory approach to learning.
- children should have links to the local community.
- the curriculum should reflect local history, the environment and it’s people and should be flexible to meet the needs of different cohorts of children.
- learning should engage children and allow them to demonstrate the academy’s golden values.
- opportunities for independent and shared learning along with a range of teaching strategies will allow all children to reach their potential.
- the curriculum should allow the children to develop their knowledge and skills and demonstrate the use of these as they innovate and then express what they have learned.
- children should have the opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities and achievements outside of the academy should be celebrated.
- value should be placed on children’s wider personal development and endeavours recognised positively.
