Ashington CE Primary School

Overall statement of intent for our school curriculum

At Ashington CE Primary School our children enter the grounds every day knowing they are loved, safe and protected from harm. The values of love, hope, forgiveness and trust are felt by all who come here at all times and in all situations.

Children’s relationships with the adults in school are positive and based on mutual respect, no one is rebuked or humiliated and children are encouraged and praised for excellent behaviour and for treating others in a way which is kind, gentle, empathetic, thoughtful and considerate. Adults model these behaviours at all times in the way they speak to and care for each other. Everyone is encouraged and supported and never judged for holding opinions, having abilities or needs which may differ from others.

The staff team recognise that children are learning from us all the time; from every interaction they have and every encounter they witness. They are mindful of this and use every opportunity to teach the children to be the best people they can possibly be. Successful learning behaviours are explicitly taught and modelled: apply yourself to your learning and be aware of your next steps to improve your skills, have an ‘I can’ attitude, help others, be positive about your learning and that of others, encourage, persevere, support and be part of a team, be respectful of yourself and others, engage fully, question, be ambitious.

All staff are learners and are responsible for their learning. We share ideas, observe each other teach, model teaching for others, know what we want to improve and know what our career ambitions are. We engage fully in all learning opportunities with the mind-set that we can all improve and that we need to improve in order to serve the children to the best of our abilities in a changing world and provide them with the best learning experience they can have.

We work as a team and have a team mind-set: we work and grow together for the good of the children in the school. All staff put the children first in every decision they make and every action they take.

The children experience a unique curriculum. Parents choose for their children to come to Ashington CE Primary School because of this unique curriculum:

Outdoor learning is experienced by every child for at least one session per day and every child takes part in Forest Schools each year. Outdoor learning is part of every curriculum area. This is clearly planned and linked to learning taking place inside the classroom. Children and adults enjoy these experiences and value them. Staff share and support each other with planning these experiences. Children are better learners because of these experiences.

Every child is part of a school choir and experiences high quality music teaching. Singing is seen not only as a way to worship but also as a community activity which is enjoyed, uplifting and inclusive.

All children take part in school productions, collective worship and assemblies and are encouraged to speak in front of an audience; building their confidence and developing life skills.

Teachers and children plan themed learning together; the children’s questions and interests guide the planning of all Humanities topics ensuring the children are engaged learners.

We only recruit the very best teachers and support staff whose values mirror our own. Children experience a personalised curriculum, relevant to their abilities and in accordance with National Guidelines. All children are challenged and standards are high, with our children making good progress from their individual starting points in all curriculum areas and beyond these; including the essential life skills developed through outdoor learning and personal, social and emotional education and the opportunities available to them outside normal school hours.

Our Governing Body is supportive, challenging, involved strategically and known to the children through their presence in school. They share this vision and believe the school is not driven purely by data but as importantly by its uniqueness, its creativity and the opportunities it affords its children, parents and staff.

When children leave at the end of Year 6 they have a unique skill set and attitude toward learning and other people: They know their own abilities and what they need to improve. They know they can achieve anything they set their minds to. They know they are responsible for their decisions and actions. They know how they learn best. They embody our Christian vision taken from 1 Corinthians 13.4-8. They treat everyone with love; they are patient, unselfish, kind, truthful and forgiving.  They are community minded. All adults are proud of every child leaving our school