Curriculum Home
"At our school, you learn a lot, but it's in a fun, engaging way so you remember it." - Year 6 pupil
Our curriculum is underpinned by our core school values and explicit learning powers.
Core School Values:
Confidence
Tolerance
Kindness and empathy
Politeness
Citizenship and caring for the world
Honesty
Responsibility
Our learning powers:
Be resilient
Stay focused
Be curious and creative
Review and reflect
Help yourself
Learn from and teach others
At St David's School, our curriculum is meticulously crafted to cater to the diverse needs of all our children, thoughtfully addressing the challenges of transition to ensure swift and substantial progress. Our goal is to inspire through a curriculum enriched with extraordinary experiences and adventures, fostering an inclusive environment where every child is engaged, motivated, and awakened to the myriad of possibilities that lie ahead. Our educational journey is designed to build resilience, instil exceptional learning behaviours, and demonstrate that through dedication, every child can achieve success. We aim to cultivate an awareness of the global challenges we face, encouraging our students to be proactive in seeking solutions and understanding their capacity to make a meaningful difference.
This ethos underpins the development of key skills and attributes in our students, preparing them for success both in the immediate and in the long term. We place a strong emphasis on resilience and a positive mindset, recognizing the value of learning from mistakes. Each year group is supported by a Learning Ambassador, who plays a crucial role in fostering and applying these learning powers, ensuring every child thrives.
Our curriculum is not only ambitious and challenging but also engaging, enabling children to make rapid progress across all primary subjects. A foundation in reading, writing, and mathematics is prioritized, taught to the highest standards to prepare pupils for their future learning stages. We deeply value the partnership with our families, working collaboratively to enhance the educational journey of their children. Continuous reflection and a commitment to staff development are cornerstones of our approach, ensuring teaching excellence and the enrichment of our students' learning experience through expert partnerships.
Structured around a two-year rolling program, our curriculum is broad, balanced, and progressively builds knowledge and skills through half-termly thematic units. These units commence with a launch event involving parents, fostering a shared learning experience, and conclude with a presentation of students' work, celebrating their achievements. Our curriculum is designed to stimulate curiosity, promote problem-solving, creativity, and effective communication, with IT seamlessly integrated to enhance learning and enable students to showcase their understanding in dynamic ways.
From the outset in our Early Years provision, we aim to meet the developmental needs of our children through play-based learning, creating a nurturing environment that sparks curiosity and independence. Our focus on early literacy is evident through a rigorous phonics program, with continued support and interventions as needed, leading to outstanding outcomes in phonics and reading.
Environmental respect and sustainability are woven throughout our curriculum, with hands-on experiences like regular forest visits and our school allotment teaching children the importance of caring for our planet. We enrich our curriculum with cultural events, visits, and a wide array of extracurricular activities, ensuring our children receive the cultural capital necessary for success.
Pupil voice is central to our ethos, with the School Senate offering a platform for students to engage with school improvements and community initiatives actively. We champion diversity, inclusivity, and respect, embedding these values in our teaching and learning to create a compassionate school community.
Support for pupils with special needs is prompt and tailored, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to thrive. Through continuous and formative assessment, we closely monitor progress, adapting our teaching strategies to meet the evolving needs of our students. Our comprehensive and dynamic curriculum not only prepares our children for the next stage of their education but also instils a lifelong love of learning.