A member of Dales Academies Trust
In our small rural school, our team of enthusiastic and passionate staff nurture positive relationships that enable our children to flourish from their different starting points. We make learning irresistible for our children through planning a series of exciting integrated curriculum themes based on purposeful learning for real audiences. Where children can make connections between what is being taught and learnt today and the bigger picture. Such as learning about and supporting local food banks as part of our ‘Food For Thought’ theme.
In line with mastery learning, we focus on depth in every subject area so that children can apply knowledge and develop skills and study the national curriculum with age-related progression with confidence.
Ours is a reading school, where reading is cherished and celebrated and where attainment across the curriculum improves due to an increased engagement with texts.
We embed Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural and Christian values so that children become successful and motivated learners, confident and responsible citizens acting with courageous advocacy.
Social and emotional learning is at the heart of what we do, so that our children feel safe, are self aware, foster positive relationships, embrace diversity and achieve personal well-being.
Oracy is at the heart of our excellent teaching and learning, equipping children with the skills to become articulate, respectful and confident communicators. We believe that speaking and listening skills are fundamentally vital for success, both in learning and in life. Oracy skills are one of the strongest indicators for success later in life, impacting on academic achievement, employability, confidence and self-esteem. We believe that all children should be given the opportunity to develop these skills as a fundamental element of our curriculum.
We engage a STEM model of learning to develop problem solvers and critical thinkers: scientists, engineers and mathematicians of the future.
Our curriculum promotes feedback which allows pupils time to engage, reflect and review – including peer and self- evaluation so that they are capable of improving their own learning. Children are given the time to polish and refine.
We value achievement in sport and ensure every child accesses high quality physical education, participates in a wide variety of sports and represents the school in sport every year.
Children participate in the arts and develop artistically and creatively, through art, music, dance and drama and participate in high-quality school productions each year.
We provide an experience rich curriculum so that all pupils can pursue personal interests and talents and explore their community and local area.
We use digital technology effectively and creatively so that our children are digitally fluent and equipped for life and work in our rural area.
Our creative curriculum enables children to demonstrate learning in different ways, not always pages in an exercise book but photographs, posters, products, presentations and performances.
Our curriculum fosters a growth mindset in our children so that they have the strength of character to persevere.
Assessment is rigorous and robust and used very effectively to fine-tune the next stages in children’s learning. At it’s lightest-touch, through high-quality conversations with children, through observations, looking in books and providing feedback and marking. More formally, we use termly summative assessments in maths, reading, writing, grammar and spelling.
