A key aspect to our curriculum is the enrichment opportunities offered to our pupils.
H&A 36
Our curriculum is underpinned by our aims and these are enriched through our ‘36 Before Y6’ experiences which we pledge our children will complete by the time they leave Year 6.
This is a rebrand of the ‘H&A 21’ which we launched in the Summer of 2022 and we have already had many exciting experiences including a whole school beach visit and a London residential which included attending a West End Theatre Production.
The ’36 before Y6′ is closely linked to our 6 curriculum aims, with 6 experiences linked to each of them. The children receive a passport with each of the activities which will be ‘ticked off’ throughout their time with us. Some of the activities we are particularly excited about are appearing on television or radio, going abroad and flying!
More information about these is available at the bottom of the page.
Residential Visits
Our outdoor education and residential programme is sequential and progressive. Children in Lower KS2 have a residential visit every other year where they visit an outdoor pursuits centre. Children in KS2 have an annual residential which alternates between a two-day outdoor pursuits residential and a city-break. In 2023, the children were lucky enough to visit London – sightseeing, a visit on the London Eye and a visit to the Lion King in the West-End. The highlight of the visit was a trip to 10 Downing Street and a meeting with the Prime Minister. As part of our new ’36 before Y6′, we plan to add a visit abroad for our oldest children before they leave as well.
Visits & Visitors
Alongside the ’36 before Y6′, are carefully planned regular opportunities for our children to engage with visits and visitors to enrich the curriculum. These include visits which link closely to the intended curriculum – for example locational visits to assist with geography fieldwork, places of worship, museums, art galleries and the theatre.
We understand that visitors can enrich the life of our children and add depth to the subjects we teach. With that in mind, we enjoy welcoming visitors to school either virtually or in person. Previously, we have held two virtual meetings with Bradford Interfaith Centre to develop children’s understanding of Hinduism and Islam; welcomed various science professionals as part of Science Week; held virtual chats with artists; invited various members of the local and wider community into school to enrich the subjects we teach; and held a ‘Career’s Day’ which included professionals from various careers talking to children about their work.
Artist in Residence
Chris Layfield is our ‘Artist in Residence’. He visits school 2-3 times each year to run workshops or work on art installations in school. During his last visit, he worked with each child to create a piece of art to display at Richmond Station. Previously he was commissioned to create a bespoke history timeline in our KS2 cloakroom and he also runs an after-school club.
Dance, Drama & Music
Pupils have a range of experiences to perform and engage in dance, drama and music. Alongside the music curriculum, pupils also have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument with a skilled music instructor. This has included saxophone and African drumming lessons in the past. The school celebrates Music in all it’s forms – from ‘Music of the Week’, to orchestral concerts and visits – including to the Gateshead Glasshouse to see the Royal Northern Sinfonia Orchestra rehearse.
To support the pupils understanding of dance, they work with a local dance school and take part in workshops bi-annually.
Opportunities to perform on stage are planned within the year. These include the Harvest Festival, Nativity Performance, Christingle, Easter Labyrinth, Spring Concert and the highlight of the year for many – our end of year production. Past performances have included ‘Joseph and his Technicolored Dreamcoat’, ‘Annie’ and ‘The Jungle Book’. School works closely with local secondary drama specialists to work with the children to allow them to ‘read and perform Shakespeare’.
