Curriculum Intent Statement
At Shelf Junior and Infant School we follow the National Curriculum as it is defined by the Department for Education. We feel that our curriculum also includes opportunities to enrich the national curriculum through:
- Assemblies;
- PSHCE lessons;
- Philosophy for Children weekly sessions;
- Homework;
- Nurture provision;
- Clubs;
- Educational visits and visitors to school;
- Theme days and weeks;
After consultation with all school stakeholders, we have identified knowledge, skills and understanding that are important for our children at Shelf to learn in their time with us. We will ensure that our curriculum considers links with previous learning and that topics build on this previous learning making it explicit to the children. We will share ‘sticky knowledge’ that needs to be remembered and help our teachers and children to understand how we learn and build our memory skills.
We know that young children living in the Shelf area face a different and exciting world, full of opportunity and wonder. Our children are lucky to be able to have many experiences with their families and friends that add to their school learning experience. Many travel to exciting places, visit local and national places of interest and develop their personal cultural capital by visiting restaurants, theatres and areas of natural beauty. As a school we have planned our curriculum to widen this and ensure that all children are exposed to this rich tapestry of experience.
Our children are living in a world of exciting technology that they need to learn to control and use with care and self-regulation. We have a responsibility to support them to understand the need for them to have healthy minds and bodies giving them a chance to participate in sport and activity for enjoyment or competitively. Through our work with Kirklees council and our kitchen caterers, we want our children to experience food beyond their usual diet and to make healthy, informed choices about their meals and diet.
Our school day will ensure that children have many chances for problem solving both in lessons and beyond. This starts with our youngest children. We will teach all children to be resilient and able to solve their own issues carefully, in learning or friendship.
We will give our children the chance to develop their own understanding of financial responsibility through budgets and enterprise activities.
Reading will be at the heart of all we do. We see it as a tool for lifelong learning, developing curiosity and deepening vocabulary. We want our children to ask questions, develop the ability to debate issues and concerns and to be able to put their ideas across in a mature and thoughtful manner.
With Shelf being a mostly white British area, we consider teaching the children about diversity and different culture an important part of our school curriculum. We will do so with respect and consideration of all differences in people. We will develop empathy and compassion for all living creatures and environmental issues that impacts on the World today.
We will make sure that all Shelf children are ready for the next stage in their education. We will highlight opportunities that exist for them in the future.