Curriculum Updates:

• In the Spring of 2024 we began a review into the content of our curriculum. We found that whilst we were achieving coverage of the relevant subject areas' national curriculum objectives, the curriculum as a whole was in need of  further adaption to the needs of the school. In short - it needed Greatalnifying.
• In the Summer of 2024 we started to work with other primary schools to learn and refine our choices for our mixed-age village school. The result is a curriculum that supports high quality teaching and learning based on subject-specialist construction. It builds subject knowledge and ensures progression and full curriculum coverage from Reception through to Year Six.
• In The Autumn Term 2024 we began to refine our provision still further with the acquisition of Literacy Tree's Book-based Writing Roots. These are sequences of lessons based on a wide range of high quality and significant children's literature chosen to engage, challenge and support children to be critical readers and confident and informed writers. All National Curriculum requirements of grammar, spelling, vocabulary, literary language and composition are embedded leading towards a variety of purposeful and exciting shorter, longer and extended writing outcomes.

Our Curriculum Intent - 'Why do we do what we do?'

The Great Alne curriculum is designed to foster responsibility by encouraging students to take ownership of their learning and actions. Through collaborative projects and daily routines, they learn to respect others’ ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives. We also prioritise being ready by instilling organisational skills, resilience, and a growth mindset, ensuring students are prepared for both academic challenges and real-world experiences. These core values are embedded across subjects, school activities, and the wider community, creating a holistic approach to character development that prepares pupils for their further educational experiences.

Take a look at our long-term plans here:

Reception, Year 1 and 2

Year 3 and 4

Year 5 and 6

Our approaches to teaching subjects from the national curriculum are here:

Approach to Teaching Art and Design

 

Enrichment

Supplementing the core nuts and bolts of the curriculum is a commitment to develop enrichment opportunities wherever possible. The planning of this allows children to reflect on their learning and develop their recall of knowledge.

One of our core curriculum enrichment opportunities is our termly trip to the Heart of England Forest where we capitalise on areas of learning such as living things, map work and land use, bush craft/survival skills. 

An example of the progression in forest school skills is available to see here.

Eco-Club, run by Mrs McStrafick adds yet another layer to children's engagement with the natural world around us.

Their plans for the current academic year are here.

Further to this, we have registered and begun the evaluation for the Eco-Schools Green Flag, an internationally recognised award for excellence in environmental action and learning.

 

In addition, we have enjoyed the following trips and visitors over the last academic year and are building in further enrichment opportunities to enhance our new Great Alne Curriculum.

• Author visit from Cat Weatherill
• Trip to the Black Country Museum
• Author visit and library opening by Myles McLoed
• Piano lessons for all children in the Piano Lab
• Trip to Drayton Manor Park
• Trip to Warwick Castle
• Theatre Trip to The Palace

We are proud of the work we have done and will continue to do to make learning at Great Alne Primary as vibrant as possible. If you have any questions about the curriculum, please email admin2024@welearn365.com