Curriculum

Each academic year we teach six, 6-7 week long units of work.

Our curriculum is our progression model.  It is designed around themes that we return to again and again, at different levels, so that the children are constantly revising the knowledge that they have alongside their greater knowledge and understanding of the concepts that we are learning.  We have two main ways of doing this.  The first is our BSP curriculum theme threads (see below) which are referred to constantly, both in planned curriculum learning and in incidental conversations.  These threads are a summary of themes that are substantive concepts which are woven through all the different units of work as much as possible.  They are not an exhaustive list but are key threads that teachers refer to as much as possible in any subject, including English and maths where applicable. 

The second way in which we demonstrate learning and progression is through the use of Big Ideas or Key concepts (second order disciplinary concepts).  We are using these in Maths, Science, History and Geography already and will be developing them in some other subject areas alongside our colleagues in Learn Academies Trust.  These Big Ideas examine the concepts of what it is to be a scientist or a geographer.  We revisit these Big Ideas in different contexts, times and places through our teaching so that the children build a secure understanding of these subject concepts, and understand the ways in which learning in different units of a subject is linked. 

We also make sure that everything we learn enriches our understanding of our school's vision and values and helps us to think about ways we can demonstrate them in our lives.

Our curriculum is complex but we are really proud of it.  It is unique to our school and contains issues and information that are central to the children and their experiences and needs.

Blaby Stokes C of E Primary School: our curriculum story 

This is the story of the way in which we have developed our curriculum and its core themes.

The content of the school’s curriculum and the development of skills to access and enrich it have always been at the heart of Blaby Stokes’ teaching and learning.  In late 2022 we began a complete review of our curriculum, working in partnership with other teachers across Learn Academies Trust.  Our new curriculum is a work in progress: it will change over time and we are happy that it will do so. 

Our setting and the local environment provide us with a rich heritage and place in which to learn.  We used this resource as a starting point for learning.  Our curriculum starts in the first years of school with local history and geography and habitats, and weaves the stories and themes found in what is familiar to the children through different places and times as they move through the school.   

Our curriculum 

We are very proud of the curriculum that we are developing, teaching and learning at Blaby Stokes C of E School.  We feel it empowers the children with a sense of who they are and where they come from.  It gives them not just the vision to see that they are part of a changing world; but also the power to understand that they can be part of that change.

Our curriculum tells Blaby’s story clearly; how it has grown and changed, how current and past inhabitants’ needs have changed and developed, and the story of inventions and innovations that have impacted not only Blaby, but the rest of the country and the world.  This story contains themes about the importance of place, the supply and demand of goods and the people who provide them. It explains the way commerce creates power which can fluctuate over time. These themes form the core narrative, the ‘Golden Thread’ of our curriculum.  Around this thread are themes of commuting, visiting other places, working away, trading, routes between key places and the maps that emerge from linking these journeys, what makes people important and powerful, and how we have been able to identify, analyse and be influenced by these occurrences.  Our core curriculum themes are listed below.  Clearly identifying these themes and examining them in the context of different people, places and times underpins continuity, context and progression across the school.  We also examine these themes in the context of subject disciplines, examining as scientists, geographers and historians the impact of people and place on our lives; and using skills as musicians, artists and designers to investigate and express what we have learned.

Curriculum Themes:

If you would like to find out more about our school curriculum, please contact our Head of School, via the School Office. Thank you.
 

Remote Education

When needed, we use Oak National for remote education. https://www.thenational.academy/pupils/years