Governing bodies are required to produce a curriculum statement annually. This replaces the requirement under the School Framework and Standards Act 1998 for a curriculum plan.
As from September 2014 there is an expectation from the government for all mainstream primary schools to deliver the new National Curriculum. We have therefore adapted our School curriculum accordingly to ensure that we meet the current aims and statutory requirements.

Please see Teaching and Learning and Curriculum Statements at the bottom of the page for further details of Barn Croft’s curriculum intent, implementation and impact. 

Yearly Curriculum Overviews for each year group are available at the bottom of this page to download or view. 

The Curriculum

At Barn Croft Primary School we take pride in providing a carefully planned school curriculum which ensures breadth, continuity and a clear progression.  Our curriculum aims to educate the child for life through meaningful learning experiences and we are very aware that children beginning primary education in September 2014 will be entering the work force in the late 2020s and so we need to ensure that our children are equipped with the necessary skills to cope with the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

As many parents will be aware a new National Curriculum was introduced for implementation from September 2014. Naturally, the school complies with all statutory requirements and will continue to teach English, Mathematics, Science, Computing, History, Geography, Art & Design, Design & Technology, Modern Foreign Languages, Physical Education and Music as well as Religious Education and Personal Social Health & Citizenship Education and Relationships & Sex Education. We provide extra time for teaching English and Maths, so that our pupils have the best opportunities to develop the essential reading, writing and mathematics skills needed to access and be successful in all areas of the curriculum.

It is the Government’s stated intention that the Revised National Curriculum will give schools greater freedom to develop their curriculum in a way that meets the needs of their pupils. Therefore we have used this opportunity to review our topic based curriculum to ensure that we develop key skills across the age range as well ensuring our children gain the essential knowledge in all the subjects. Subjects will be taught through the topics making links between different areas of learning wherever possible. However, there may be times when certain subjects or parts of them need to be taught discreetly. Parents can access their child’s class curriculum grid for each half term on the website as well as an overall whole school map. We will continue to review our curriculum again regularly to see how we can make it even more relevant and exciting for our learners.

In order to provide a broad and stimulating curriculum the children take part in regular  educational visits to venues such as woods, nature trails, art galleries, museums, field studies, beaches, zoos, parks & churches etc.  Parents will be informed of such intended visits in advance and are requested to give consent by completing a permission slip. Year 6 has a residential trip in the Summer Term.

(In the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA), the Government emphasises its philosophy of free school education.  In doing so, it laid down arrangements for charging for school visits.  The details are extensive and detailed.  Put briefly, it states that school funds should finance all aspects of the school curriculum which take place, either largely or wholly, in school time.  However, voluntary contributions from parents can be requested if the activity cannot be funded from school capitation.

We have worked hard to find ways to develop as many opportunities for the children to learn outdoors as possible. We now have a large allotment on the Honeybone Allotments site and also a wonderful Wildlife Garden on the school site which includes ponds, trees and a firepit. We have a teacher who is trained as a Forest School Teacher and this means that all children get the opportunity to learn outdoors either with their whole class or in groups which rotate during the week and across all year groups.

We are always grateful for any parental help with these activities so that we have enough adults to ensure the safety of the children off school site so please do get in touch if you can offer any spare time.

Extra Curricular Activities

We provide a range of clubs for children throughout the year offering before and after school activities including various sports, cooking, arts & crafts, gardening, board games etc.