Spires Federation Curriculum Statement
Our Core Values are: Respect, Honesty, Hope, Wisdom and Collaboration
Our Mission:
The Spires Federation family of small schools is committed to excellence. We hope to inspire all of our pupils to enjoy learning, make outstanding progress and achieve their full potential.
‘Small school, wide horizons.’
Here at the Spires Federation we embrace our rural location and small school context. We want to provide pupils with an exciting and varied curriculum which enables them to appreciate where they live, but make them aware of their place in the wider-world. We strive to ensure all pupils reach their potential and become active, valuable and positive members of society, from the ‘Small school, wide horizons.’ Whilst being mindful of our statutory obligation to ensure that all children access the full coverage of the National Curriculum, ensuring progressive acquisition of knowledge, our delivery model reflects our community and context. Underpinning this stimulating curriculum are three important and aspirational intentions, that reflect the context of our small, rural schools:
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To foster local and world-wide knowledge
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To develop confident, inquisitive, independent, resilient learners
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Deliver shared learning opportunities, impacting on a wider audience
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Make a valuable contribution as citizens in a 21st century Britain
We are committed to ensuring that ALL children have high aspirations and expectations of themselves, developing a life-long love of learning. We provide all of our children with the opportunity to cultivate their thinking skills; these skills are then developed so that they can apply them to the wider world context, ensuring purposeful and relevant outcomes, leaving a legacy for generations to come. Teachers are facilitators and pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively, self-directing their own learning journey.
We are developing these opportunities with a range of approaches, where relevant, all encompassed within a creative curriculum.
‘The aim of education should be to teach us how to think, rather than what to think.’ JAMES BEATTIE
Please click on the link below to access details about the National Curriculum that we follow in our school and our school Curriculum Intent:
As we have mixed-age classes, we have a three year rolling curriculum for Flamingo Class, and a four year rolling programme for Panther Class. Our curriculum is constantly evolving, is progressive, inclusive, and revisits knowledge to enable the children to build on existing learning.
For the academic year 2021-22, we are on 'Cycle C' of our curriculum. We ensure that high quality texts are weaved throughout, including all genres of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and playscripts:
Flamingo Class:
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EYFS & KS1 |
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Year |
A |
B |
C |
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Autumn |
‘CASTLES’
Home and Away – Geography Local Study – Lincoln – Castles Monarch Study
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‘INTREPID EXPLORERS’
The space race-Neil Armstrong/Christopher Columbus |
‘THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON’ Geography-Place knowledge/environments, human and physical features-start local and expand to contrasting area. Locational knowledge - name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans - name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas Human and physical geography - Identify seasonal / daily weather patterns in the UK and the location of hot and cold areas of the/world - Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to local & familiar features - Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment
History-events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally (for example, the Great Fire of London)
Science/UW-Materials-What material is the house built of?
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Spring |
‘THROUGH THE KEYHOLE’
History Local Study – On our Doorstep
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‘PICKING THROUGH THE ICE’
Polar Regions - Shackleton
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'TERRIFIC TRAVEL' Science/History-Transport/Weather based
Key individual study-The Wright brothers/Henry Ford/George Stephenson -Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally eg. first flights, events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries)
The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.
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Summer |
‘AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS!’
Africa – small study of a particular area
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‘SAND & BONES’
Seaside - Dinosaurs
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‘A World of Gardens' (Lake District v area in Australia )
Geography/Science based
Place Knowledge - understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country (Term 1 eg Lake District/Term 2 Australia)
Geographical skills and fieldwork - Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify places. - Use four compass directions & simple vocabulary Science-Plants/seasonal change: Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the UK and location of hot/cold areas in relation to Equator and North/South Pole / Life cycles Can seeds grow anywhere? What is the lifecycle of a ladybird? |
Panther Class:
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KS2 |
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Cycle |
A – 2019/20 |
B – 2020/2021 |
C – 2021/2022 |
D – 2018/19 |
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Autumn |
‘LOCATION, LOCATION’
(Rainforests, Economic activities. Trade links, climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts)
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‘LEST WE FORGET’
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Saxons (Britain’s settlements by Saxons and Scott)
‘VISCIOUS VIKINGS’ (Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle
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‘HAIL CAESAR’
(Roman Empire and Local history)
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Spring |
‘THE MARVELLOUS MAYANS!’
(A non-European Society that provide contrasts with British History.
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‘RIVERS DEEP, MOUNTAINS HIGH!’
UK vs Europe –
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UK vs City (Leicester)
‘OUR COOL COUNTRY’
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‘EXTREME EARTH!’
(Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Distribution of natural resources)
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Summer |
‘GLORIOUS GREEKS!’
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‘AWESOME EGYPTIANS’
(Ancient Egypt- Early Civilizations)
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‘STONES N’BONES’
Stone Age to Iron Age
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‘CRIME & PUNISHMENT’
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