Our Intent
The curriculum at Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge CE Primary School is designed with the core purpose of personal development, delivered through our vision of ‘living life in all its fullness.” Our broad and balanced education is inclusive of the needs of all pupils and gives them the skills, knowledge and understanding to prepare them for life’s journey as they take our Christian Values into the wider world. It ensures that academic success, as well as physical and mental development and health and well-being are key elements that support the development of the whole child and promote a positive attitude to learning.
We recognise our role in developing children’s sense of justice and the associated skills and attitudes to become valued citizens of the future, in a safe and nurturing environment.
We aim to uphold and raise aspirations and eradicate any social and economic disadvantage by providing enriching opportunities to increase cultural capital.
The aim of our curriculum is for pupils to have the skills to be successful, independent, and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of education. It is important that the curriculum prepares children for their future and builds on our key values of COMPASSION, PERSEVERANCE, TRUST, RESPECT and RESPONSIBILITY. The curriculum celebrates diversity and values all God’s children with dignity.
We encourage children to be confident and enthusiastic learners and provide opportunities to enable them to take risks. Within a climate of high expectation and challenge, all children are guided, supported and inspired to fulfil their true potential, emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually, both during their time at school and in their life ahead.
Our Implementation
At Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge CE Primary School, we offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced, and which builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all children, whatever their starting points, as they progress through each Key Stage.
Our curriculum follows the 2014 National Curriculum and thematic topics are taught throughout the school that are personalised and meet the needs of our context. Themed topics are devised to teach defined skills, knowledge and understanding in a structured way that ensures progression through the school, consistency across year group and coverage over time. The themed topics have been designed to complement and build on one another with clear progression and threads so that in subsequent year groups, children will be able to explore concepts deeper, applying their knowledge in different contexts and making connections.
We recognise the changing needs and interests of our children, and we are responsive to this, regularly developing existing topics.
Foundation subjects are delivered using a thematic topic approach and assessed using the National Curriculum as a basis to ensure coverage and progression throughout the school.
All staff take responsibility for areas of subject leadership and all staff receive CPD to help them develop professionally. Staff work with subject leaders from other schools and can apply what they have learnt to have a positive impact in driving their subject forward.
Subject leaders monitor planned lessons and offer advice, support and guidance to further improve planned lessons. Subject leaders visit classes, monitor the work in books and spend time talking to the children about their learning. The school regularly receives feedback from the children through pupil voice.
Our more able children are challenged further in their learning through differentiated enrichment activities and children who find aspects of their learning more difficult are appropriately supported so that they too experience success.
The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our school, are embedded within the curriculum and through themed days.
Our curriculum embraces the community in which it is situated, recognising local history, heritage, geographical and business links and most importantly, the aspirations of all our children. Opportunities for active learning are plentiful as we take advantage of our World Heritage location. Involvement in the community is an essential part of our curriculum as we celebrate local traditions, learning new skills to enable the children to take an active role in events throughout the year. Children leave the school with a sense of belonging to a tightly knit community where they have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners and to be the best they can be.
Collective worship plays a fundamental role in our curriculum with daily worship. This is an opportunity for the whole school to gather together, engage in worship, respond to the messages we hear and to make a difference in the world. The themes are referred to throughout the school day with links made to our school values.
Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through school-based exhibitions, performances, competitions and sporting events involving other schools. We have a weekly newsletter where children’s learning and successes are celebrated. Our school vision is firmly embedded, alongside our Christian teachings, and ensures our children develop their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens.
Our Impact
From their own starting points, children will make excellent progress academically and socially, developing a sense of spirituality so that they are well prepared for the next stage in their life journey.
All our children will have the skills, knowledge and understanding to be successful in all that they choose to do. They will leave Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge CE Primary School as confident and dignified individuals, with a deep respect for others, which is embedded through their behaviour and them as citizens of the future. They will have the belief that they can overcome the biggest challenges, with the guidance of the Christian faith.
Take a look at how we learn outside the school environment in our Events, Trips & Visits page.
KS1 Curriculum
In KS1 we use Ruth Miskin and the Read Write Inc Phonics Scheme.
EYFS (Reception Class)
EYFS – Early Learning Goals