Curriculum
At Ellingham Primary School we deliver a broad and balanced curriculum which offers every child the opportunity to succeed and flourish, fulfilling the aims of the National Curriculum. It promotes the academic as well as spiritual, moral, cultural and physical development of the children preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of later life.
Topics and subjects are enriched with memorable trips and experiences which enhance learning experiences and create lasting memories. We have high expectations for all learners and our carefully designed curriculum enables them to experience success and aim for excellence. Lessons are planned sequentially and are delivered to ensure that learning is memorable and key knowledge, vocabulary and skills are remembered and applied to new learning. We know that long term, deeper knowledge grows when links are made between concepts, lessons build on prior knowledge and our pupils have the opportunity to apply their learning in different contexts. The use of knowledge organisers supports children's learning across the wider curriculum.
We understand the need for all pupils to leave our school with developed core skills of reading, writing and maths. Reading and vocabulary acquisition are integral to our curriculum. Children are encouraged to become fluent readers and are supported to develop a love of reading; Reading for Pleasure is promoted across our curriculum. We follow the mastery approach to maths.
'Strong Roots for Flourishing Futures' underpins all that we do at Ellingham.
The Strong Roots that are the foundation for all of our learning across our curriculum are:
A structured approach to learning, based on research, building on prior learning and embedding knowledge into long-term memory
To ensure that our children are fluent and able readers, with a love of reading, who have a wide and rich vocabulary, acquired and reinforced in all areas of the curriculum
To ensure that our children have a firm understanding of mathematical concepts and skills, acquired and reinforced through the mastery approach
To provide memorable and enriched learning experiences to build into the children’s natural curiosity and thirst for new experiences and knowledge
To ensure, as exemplified in the 2015 SEN Code of Practice, that all children receive an education, appropriate to their needs which enables them to achieve and succeed.
To underpin all we do with a strong value-driven, whole-school approach, which reflects and involves the local community and diversity of our school
…for Flourishing Futures
Our whole-school approach underpins all that we do with a strong sense of moral and social purpose. We want our children to flourish in their time with us and in their future. When they leave us, we want Ellingham children to join secondary schools as:
Well-rounded, life-long learners, confident as critical thinkers and with the skills and resilience to make positive decisions
Responsible and valued citizens of our global community able to understand and seize the opportunities within their grasp
Active citizens, equipped with the knowledge and self-awareness to make healthy choices in their lives.