Our  Vision

‘ Small school, big Heart - making a difference. Our school provides the Christian foundation for children to grow and flourish, whilst inspiring ambition. Everyone is a valued member of the school family which empowers them to achieve their very best. Our nurturing environment ensures each child becomes a confident and curious life-long learner. Our Christian values enable us to inspire others, build courage and show respect - all through love’

‘Pupils and adults are supported to flourish spiritually, emotionally and academically’ - SIAMS 2019

 

Our Curriculum Statement

• Our curriculum reflects our Christian ethos, our school values, as well as British  values;

• Our curriculum relates closely to our local, regional and national context as well as to the needs of our pupils;

• Our curriculum is planned in line with the National Curriculum whilst ensuring depth, breadth and balance;

• Our curriculum is carefully planned to ensure knowledge acquisition  grows over time, with due emphasis placed on interconnecting knowledge to build pupils’ understanding;

• Our curriculum is designed to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills, with knowledge underpinning and enabling the application of skills;

• Every child has access to a high quality education which is appropriate to their needs, is suitably challenging, develops resilience  and builds on previous knowledge;

• Within our curriculum the physical and emotional needs of pupils are understood, valued and met;
• Our curriculum is ambitious and fosters self belief by encouraging  every child to be the best they can be;
• Our curriculum fosters a love of reading which is prioritised across the curriculum using high quality, rich and varied texts; 
• Our curriculum encourages children to be respectful citizens celebrating diversity and  it develops an awareness of both local and global issues through enjoyable, enriching  and engaging experiences both within the classroom and beyond; 

What do we want our children to learn?

Our curriculum is designed to be knowledge-rich, high-reaching, inspiring and purposeful and is one that meets the needs of all pupils. It is designed to promote learning and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum and the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, but also the additional elements that we provide to enrich their learning experiences.

The curriculum allows children to develop effective interpersonal skills, build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers. It provides opportunities for children to develop as confident and successful learners, with high aspirations and a sense of personal responsibility. Our behaviours for learning underpin all that we do in school, fostering curiosity and resilience. We have high expectations in speech, language and communication to strengthen children’s ability to learn at a deeper level, allowing them to articulate their learning; demonstrate quality thinking and application of skills and knowledge.

Physical and mental wellbeing are prioritised within our curriculum allowing children opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, thus preparing them to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society. Every child is recognised as a unique individual, and we celebrate and welcome differences within our school community.

Our curriculum enables teachers to be ambitious for our learners  and together we ensure that they are well-prepared for the next stage in their educational journey and can build their future. The curriculum is cohesive and progressive, where both knowledge and skills are built upon year-on-year. We provide an engaging learning experience for all our pupils and believe that childhood should be a happy, investigative and enquiring time in our lives.

How do we facilitate their learning?

The curriculum covers the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the children in our school, allowing them to flourish. Our curriculum is one where knowledge is built over time, and where children develop their understanding of concepts through the inter-connection of ideas and skills. The curriculum provides children with memorable experiences and opportunities from which they can learn, develop and apply a range of transferable skills.   

The curriculum exposes the children to the key concepts of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.  It is constructed with deliberate layering of cumulative knowledge as the children progress through the school, with past learning revisited  in order to build their understanding.  

The curriculum has high expectations to combine transferable skills, demonstrate a breadth of vocabulary and develop strong, meaningful cross-curricular links. Inviting classroom environments and our beautiful school grounds  stimulate learners and engage them in quality thinking and reasoning. 

At Witchampton we take pride in providing a highly inclusive environment, where all learners demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education and most make very good progress in most subjects and areas of learning. Children at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. Those who are most able are challenged and supported through being offered tasks which provide opportunities for greater depth and those who present with a barrier to learning are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace or simply to learn in a style that best suits their individual needs.

Pupil voice

The voice of the children is important at Witchampton First school and is an important part of our decision-making process.  Our Worship Team, School Council, Play Leaders, House Captains and Eco Team are all active participants in daily school life. Pupils also take part in partnership work with other schools in Wimborne Academy Trust and beyond and various events with our community such as supporting Wimborne Food Bank and Wimborne War on Waste. Pupil questionnaires and subject specific pupil voice also inform decisions regarding our school and community. 

Please follow the link to read the National Curriculum in full:  National Curriculum 2014. 

Initio Learning Trust's Curriculum Vision

VALUES: Our three core Trust values are excellence, collaboration and respect.

VISION: Our pupils develop character through a love of learning to achieve and thrive. they are prepared to be lifelong learners and responsible citizens with a global perspective.

OUTCOMES: Every child will leave our schools with the best possible character - resilience, confidence, aspiration, integrity, compassion for others, respect, curiosity, spiritual awareness and team working.

 

The Initio Learning Trust's Curriculum Vision is closely entwined with our own curriculum vision.

 

If you wish to find out further information, please contact the school office.