Our Curriculum Vision
Please note: The curriculum documents found in this section are working documents and as such, are subject to changes, teachers notes, comments and highlighting. They represent the most up-to-date information about our curriculum, of which we are very proud.
Our broad curriculum provides a wide range of exciting learning opportunities, which offer pupils challenging, collaborative and creative experiences. Pupils are equipped with the skills, attitudes, knowledge and dispositions to be successful learners. Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum which can be found by clicking the link below. We have developed our provision to ensure we provide our pupils with a knowledge-rich education to ensure their success as they move into their next stage of their learning. The curriculum reflects the diverse backgrounds of our school community and pupils see themselves represented within the curriclum. The National Curriculum document shows the statutory objectives for the knowledge, skills and understanding that we teach at Coombe Hill Junior from Year 3 to Year 6.
Children will experience:
Exciting motivating topics and learning opportunities
Explicit and meaningful links across subjects
Rigorous skills progression
Speaking and listening, reading, writing and maths opportunities across subjects
Opportunities for independence, collaboration, leadership, questioning, problem solving, imagination, creativity and practical experiences.
Opportunities to explore and work in the natural environment
Access and use of a broad range of up to date equipment and resources
Opportunities to embrace the outdoors
Opportunities to stay safe and healthy
Visits, trips and talks which motivate, enhance topics and engage learners
Opportunities to pursue their own interests
Opportunities to reflect, recognise and celebrate achievement
The National Curriculum (2014) is central to our school offer and can be found here.
We aim for every child to:
thrive in a stimulating, safe and happy environment.
become a fluent reader, enjoy reading for pleasure and have a love of reading that continues into adulthood.
have a strong understanding of number and the number system and to be able to apply this knowledge to solve reasoning problems.
develop confident and fluent communication skills both written and spoken.
know how to keep themselves and others safe and healthy, both physically and mentally, in order to support their long-term wellbeing.
develop lifelong learning, through a progressive curriculum plan, which embeds key skills, knowledge, vocabulary and creativity
develop resilience and a growth mindset in their attitude to learning, enabling them to meet challenges and solve problems.
be offered a wide range of opportunities to enhance their school experience and ignite a passion for learning
to see themselves, their families and their cultures represented, and valued
to develop understanding and respect for others and to be ready to take their place as global citizens
be well prepared for the next and future challenges of secondary school and beyond
Our Learners
We think constantly about the pupils in our care, providing a stimulating, safe and happy environment in which they can thrive.
We are one community made up of many nationalities, faiths, and home languages. We have 390 individual pupils - each one is different and each one is valued. Many come from homes where English is not their first language
For some pupils, there are plenty of opportunities to continue to learn and develop after school, for some perhaps opportunities are limited and, for others, school provides most of the cultural capital that supports learning and progress. At least 16 per cent come from homes where there is or has been some disadvantage.
We have a significant number of pupils who are tutored for grammar school, experience academic pressure and rely on what they have learnt by rote; some of our pupils are hindered by fear of failure. These pressures can reduce the time that they have to play freely outside.
What we provide
Mindfulness as part of PSHE
Mindful days
ELSAs
Focus on Mental Health
Peer mediators
Play leaders
Chickens and guinea pigs
Quiet, mindful areas
High focus on reading and building vocabulary through real books in Book Study, Reading Skills and Power of Reading
Rights Respecting Schools initiative (Silver)
Festival assemblies and events throughout the year
Helpful Heroes interpretors
Broad RE curriculum developed with emphasis on sharing and respect
LEAH (Learn English At Home) group to help parents who are new to English support their children
Faith-based events and celebrations
Wide range of clubs
Founding school for The Spark School Book Awards
Visits by Theatre companies
Immersive curriculum days
Annual Shakespeare Performance
Visits by museums
External school choir performances
Pupil Council visit to Parliament
Strictly Coombe Dancing
Emphasis on fundraising and stall days, including supporting Lunchbowl Charity
Books Days and Writers’ Week
Drama productions in Year 4, 5 and 6, including use of specialist teacher, public speaking competition
Homework Club, reading squad
Ukuleles learnt in Year 3
Regular competitions
Outstanding Learner Disposition
Focus on rewards and celebrations
Emphasis on ‘events’ and creative hooks in lessons to engage and inspire a love of learning
Collaborative work, especially through Google Chrome
Growth Mindset Approach through the school
Maths Hub's curriculum focus on understanding and explaining
Outdoor Learning Day each term
Use of grounds for other lessons
Lots of Sports competitions
Our creative curriculum:
Uses creative hooks to inspire pupils, encourage a love of learning and aid their memory
Provides as many opportunities as possible for pupils to develop their own creativity, particularly through whole school performances, music, art, and drama.
Has the power of stories and storytelling at its heart
Takes inspiration from our grounds and from the world around us
Is flexible enough to take advantage of new opportunities to inspire pupils as they arise.
Our encouraging curriculum:
Is coherently planned and sequenced to ensure good learning, and build links between subjects
Provides opportunities to develop cultural capital and close the gaps for learners
Takes every opportunity to develop the vocabulary of all children, through systematic teaching, building a culture of intrigue around words..
Leads every pupil to develop their qualities as outstanding learners, to build resilience and grow in confidence
Supports collaboration and teamwork skills
Reinforces the ‘human values’ as set out in the government’s ‘British values’ agenda and a respect for the cultures and values of others
Understands the value of sport, encourages healthy choices and works to help pupils maintain good mental health
Prepares children for the next steps in their future life
Our aspiring curriculum:
Has reading as a central column running through it
Enables for all children to become fluent in number skills, have a solid understanding of the number system and the confidence to apply it to a range of situations.
Is challenging and does not make limiting assumptions about pupils’ potential for success
Develop cogent and articulate communicators in a range of forms
Fosters long term enthusiasm for learning and inquisitive minds
Enables children to use the technology that will be part of 21st century working life
Helps pupils to see and make links between subjects and to further develop the skills they have learnt
Is flexible enough to enable every pupil to make strong progress whatever their starting points or disadvantage
Provides a range of opportunities that enable pupils to discover their own strengths, experience success and see it celebrated
Builds pupils’ understanding of the challenges to our environment and gives them the confidence and determination to make a difference in the world