Curriculum Intent
Our aim is to be ‘inspiring and nurturing together’ every day at Burbage Primary School. Our aim is to foster life-long learners who are active members of the community, locally and globally with growth mindsets to go beyond limited thinking. At Burbage we are ambitious for all pupils to achieve their full potential through a carefully sequenced, broad and balanced curriculum. This is knowledge focused but also equips children with the necessary skills to succeed in life.
We re-wrote our curriculum in 2020 for each year group with a focus on knowledge, we continue to work on it developing key concepts and ‘schema’. Following from research into transferring learning into the long-term memory, we teach our foundation subjects in ‘blocks’ of subjects so children can become totally immersed in what they are learning. We have a clever system for keeping this learning alive and in the long-term memory so our children can draw upon in it as they move onto the next stages of their education.
The mornings at Burbage consist of daily Maths and English lessons with dedicated time to phonics (in the infants), spelling (in the juniors) as well as daily reading for every age group.
In the afternoons we teach Science weekly as well as the foundation subjects in blocks; Geography, History, Art, DT, RE, Spanish, PSHE, Computing and Music. Click on the links below for an overview of each subject which shows you what we teach in each year group. We aim to build on the knowledge the children acquire in each year group.
Aims of our Curriculum
- To deliver a flexible, inspiring, fun approach to learning,
- To help children to become self-motivated learners who are able to apply their skills to a range of learning experiences including solving problems, investigating and exploring the world around them.
- To provide an exciting range of learning experiences which make learning irresistible and help children to develop a thirst for knowledge.
- To offer a knowledge rich curriculum that builds on prior knowledge whilst still developing practical skills.
- To make connections across the subject areas, enhancing children’s understanding of the world in which they live, preparing pupils to be lifelong learners.
- To develop children’s communication and written skills across the subject areas.
- To develop an understanding of how to use ICT to discover more and present findings.
We follow the National Curriculum for England as set out by the Department for Education. You can download details of the framework we follow here
Burbage Primary School’s 11 things to be experienced (at least once) by 11 years old.
At Burbage Primary School, we want children to have rich experiences to enhance their personal growth and ensure they have wide opportunities.
These are the 11 experiences we promise to give our children by the time they leave us at 11 years old:
We are committed to offering our children a broad and balanced curriculum with opportunities to experience and build on their cultural capital beyond the classroom.
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Use a library regularly
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Perform in a show
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Visit an ancient monument that is local to us
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Visit a beach, a wood, a river, a canal
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Hatch something in the classroom
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Visit the Houses of Parliament
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Visit a museum or a gallery
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Represent the school in a sports competition
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Raise money / support a charity
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Connect with a school in a contrasting location
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Experience foods from around the world
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Enrichment Activities
We believe that taking part in a wide range of activities nurtures a love of learning and life in all our pupils. We are keen to give them opportunities to try new things so that they form a strong community bond as well as grow as individuals.
The children are encouraged to get involved and give new things a go. We offer the ‘Duke of Burbage’ of a way of guiding children towards new experiences and encouraging them to commit to volunteering or developing a new skill.
Becoming independent, enthusiastic members of the community is a real strength of the school.
Trips and Visitors
We plan regular visits that further enhance learning beyond the classroom. We are fortunate to have a great village which offers opportunities for geography fieldwork and exploration. It is a safe place for children to learn practical skills such as learning to ride a bike safely on the road in Year 6, how to cross a road safely in KS1 etc. Sometimes we travel further afield, trips to Westminster to meet our MP in Parliament, to visit a show or museum in London – the opportunities are endless.
Our Year 6s have a residential trip away for a week. This valuable week really increases the children’s confidence; for many it is their first time away from home. They can take advantage of opportunities such as ‘high ropes’, ‘abseiling’, puzzle-solving, hiking and orienteering.
In addition, we enjoy inviting visitors into school to share their experiences or expertise. We are currently offering our ‘innovation and inspiration’ series where we ask people from different backgrounds to share their experiences, jobs and ambitions with the children in an attempt to broaden their understanding of the wider world and opportunities that are on offer.
Other Cluster/Partner Activities
We engage fully in cluster activities, including School Council visits, drama days, Maths competitions, Design Technology Competitions, Folk Music festivals and Curriculum days, these have included Writing, Art Able, Gifted and Talented days and Modern Foreign Language performances. We take part in the Marlborough Cluster Dance Festival and the ‘Music for a Summer’s Evening’ at St John’s; both of which showcase the very best of local school talent and are a lot of fun!