Curriculum Overview

At Godinton, we take our children on a 'Learning Adventure', an exciting thematic based curriculum which offers a breadth of engaging learning experiences.

At Godinton, we take our children in Years 1 to 6, on a 'Learning Adventure', an exciting thematic based curriculum which offers a breadth of engaging learning experiences. Learning is blocked into cross-curricular units of work with exciting topic headings such as 'Pure Imagination' or 'Riots and Revolutions'.

For History, Geography and Science, we take opportunities to combine areas of learning with writing and other English skills to ensure core knowledge and skills are firmly embedded across the curriculum. This means, for example, we might combine the letter writing skills taught in English using the stimuli of writing a letter from the point of view of an evacuee when studying the Second World War. Our children are clear on the area of the curriculum being taught and the skills and knowledge associated with each.

Where meaningful links are not possible, the subject is taught discretely to provide the best learning opportunities for the children. This includes: maths, computing, PE, music, grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Art and Design Technology form our ‘Creative Adventure’ and link with our Learning Adventure topics.

During ‘STAR (Showing Tolerance and Respect) Week’ each term, PSHE and RE form the majority of the children’s learning. This ensures that these subjects are given high priority within our curriculum.

Forest School Sessions also form part of our curriculum from EYFS through to Year 6. In 2023, MFL (French) is currently being reintegrated into our curriculum, following curriculum adaptations due to Covid.

The Guiding Stars  Curriculum- Our Golden Thread

Our Guiding Stars are the life skills that we want our children to master in order to be successful in their learning. These Guiding Stars are the golden thread that guide our children through their Learning Adventures and Creative Adventures and develop the children’s abilities to work with others, achieve their personal best and aim high in all areas. They encourage our children to be active learners, to think creatively and to develop resilience if they should find something tricky. Our Guiding Stars are derived from our School Values which set the overall ethos for our school.

In all their lessons, our Guiding Stars help the children to be successful. Certain lessons will require certain skills from our Guiding Stars to be utilised and the children are supported in how they can use the skills required to maximum effect. The children learn how each of the Guiding Stars look in practice within their learning.

In addition to this, each subject area of our curriculum is an ambassador, a leading light, for a particular Guiding Star. The curriculum content helps to develop a greater understanding of each particular Guiding Star:

• English (Reading, Writing and Phonics) is the leading light subject for Communication,
• Maths is the leading light subject for Problem-Solving,
• Computing is the leading light subject for Independence,
• Science is the leading light subject for Perseverance,
• Art, Music and Design Technology are the leading light subjects for Creative Thinking,
• History is the leading light subject for Motivation,
• Geography is the leading light subject for Risk-Taking,
• RE and PSHE are the leading light subjects for Self-Confidence,
• PE is the leading light subject for Personal Best
• Forest School is the leading light subject for Teamwork.

Being guided by these important life skills will assist our children in all aspects of their learning and will equip them with an essential toolkit that they will be able to apply in a wide range of contexts.

Click here to find out more about our Guiding Stars curriculum.