Curriculum at Springwell Park
At Springwell Park Primary we teach The National Curriculum and deliver it in a broad and balanced way. We have made deliberate choices in the way that we balance and structure the curriculum to ensure that all learning is meaningful and memorable for the children in our school. The values that drive our vision for the school are at the heart of our curriculum offer. Our values are known to pupils as ‘The Springwell Way’. Pupils are taught via assemblies and through the curriculum to be kind, courageous, appreciative, resilient, aspirational and proud. We aim for children to embrace new knowledge, experiences and opportunities to learn with confidence and expand their cultural capital. In each subject area key knowledge has been selected and coherently sequenced so that it builds towards the key end points of learning. Within subjects key concepts have been identified to allow children to make connections with previous learning and therefore strengthen their knowledge and skills and deepen their understanding. Liverpool has a unique richness of culture on its doorstep and we have designed our curriculum and curriculum opportunities to connect the children in our school to all that it offers.
In both KS1 and KS2 English and Maths is timetabled during the morning and taught daily. Foundation subjects are taught during the afternoon sessions.
Teachers plan carefully to ensure that they present key knowledge in an effective way, make connections with prior learning and ensure that knowledge is embedded by frequently revisiting. Low stake quizzes are used as a way of identifying the knowledge children have retained and can recall. They are implemented in lessons and allow teachers to consolidate or plug gaps as well as being a tool to help the retrieval of information.
Key vocabulary has been identified on medium term plans and teachers plan for how to introduce and teach it in the sequence of learning. Children have the opportunity to use and explore new vocabulary through rich dialogue within lessons. Learning activities are designed to allow children to use and demonstrate their understanding of key vocabulary.
Our curriculum is supported by a range of visits, visitors and themed days. We have a wide range of extra-curricular activities that extend pupils' knowledge and understanding in a range of artistic, creative and sporting activities. We ensure that all pupils have access to extra-curricular clubs.
Our curriculum is further enriched by opportunities for independent homework study in the summer term. This consists of a project that pupils are encouraged to plan and research, before deciding how to present it. Projects are always based on a topical theme. Independent study is an important feature of developing skills for our pupils to act as independent learners and provides the opportunity for families to work together. Some of the projects the children have worked on to date have included: Our planet, Liverpool, The Olympics, What makes me happy, The Queen and The Kings Coronation.
Our curriculum design supports children in our school to achieve well. We develop pupils who are articulate in both written and spoken forms, who have the knowledge and skills needed to allow them to achieve highly in the next stage of their education.
We judge the impact of our curriculum not only on the achievements of our pupils but also in the kind of individuals they are becoming. Our children grow as individuals and become well respected citizens and value their place in our community and in the wider world. Our children are well equipped to discover their strengths and passions for life. We encouraged past pupils to get in touch with us and tell us about how they are getting on with their aspirations. This year one of our past pupils will attend Oxford University to read History, others have pursued careers in the armed forces, nursing, teaching and some have gone on to owning their own business.
The Broader Curriculum
At Springwell Park we offer our pupils a broad and balanced curriculum. Our curriculum reaches far beyond the classroom, we provide opportunities for children to participate in a number of events and activities designed to both enhance the delivery of the statutory National Curriculum and provide learning opportunities beyond the statutory requirements.
Sports
All classes receive quality PE sessions delivered by our Sports Coach (Little Sports Coaching) including a variety of sports such as gymnastics and tag rugby. In addition to this we offer pupils the opportunity to take part in a number of competitive events both in school and out of school such as:
Move it Programme
Y5 have the opportunity to take part in the Move it programme run by Sefton Active to promote a healthy lifestyle. Pupils take part in a six week programme of weekly exercise sessions as well as learning about healthy eating and keeping a healthy mind and body.
http://www.activelifestyles-sefton.co.uk/move-it/
Bikeability
Y5 pupils have the opportunity to take part in the Bikeability cycle training programme.
The programme is about gaining practical skills and understanding how to cycle on today’s roads. Bikeability gives everyone the skills and confidence for all kinds of cycling.
There are three Bikeability levels, each designed to improve cycling skills, no matter what is known already. Levels 1, 2 and 3 take trainees from the basics of balance and control, all the way to planning and making an independent journey on busier roads.
Tackling the Blues
Tackling the Blues is an award-winning sport and arts-based education programme. It supports children and young people aged 6-16 who are experiencing mental illness and gives children some of the tools to stay mentally healthy. TtB is delivered in partnership between the Faculty of Education and the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University (EHU), Everton in the Community (EitC) and Tate Liverpool.
We have worked with Tackling the Blues for a long time and really value the programme and how it helps our children to build resilience and talk about how to keep their minds healthy.
A few years ago our school was selected by the programme to meet Prince William at Everton Football Club and talk to him about what they had learnt.
http://www.evertonfc.com/community/health-and-wellbeing/the-projects/tackling-the-blues
Dance
For many years now we have taken part in the Wally Cain Dance Festival. This is a festival for Sefton schools where children from primary and secondary settings perform for an audience. Every year there is a theme and children work towards choreographing a contemporary dance that reflects the theme.
Music
Our music provision is a strength of our curriculum and played a significant role in us achieving the Silver Artsmark in January 2023. All children in Key Stage Two classes have the opportunity to learn to play the Ukulele which is taught by Music teachers from Sefton Music Support. In addition to this children have the opportunity to take part in the following curriculum enhancements:
Music week is also held every two years when pupils experience a concert a day from a variety of different genres of music.
Debt Aware
Y5 and Y6 receive financial education from Debt Aware. Debt Aware believes that if children start learning the basics at an early age, they will be confident about managing money as they grow up. Pupils learn why it makes sense to save for things you want but don’t need, what borrowing means, how credit works and the risks involved.
http://www.debtaware.org/about-debtaware/why-do-we-need-financial-education/
Safe Skills
'Safe Skills' is a preventative education resource which aims to improve the safety of young people in our community in relation to the risks associated with grooming. The programme is delivered to Y6 pupils by our pastoral team. The programme is designed to develop young people’s resilience in order to protect themselves against these risks by using films and interactive skill based activities about grooming behaviours and controlling relationships.
http://www.arieltrust.com/ariel-launch-new-cse-resource-safeskills
Gangs Project
As part of transition Y6 work with James and the 'Get Away N Get Safe' gang prevention programme. The programme is designed to ''educate, inspire and empower young people to take control of their future by rejecting the gang lifestyle"
http://getaway-n-getsafe.co.uk/
Positive Footprints
Positive footprints is all about raising aspirations and opening up the world of work to young people. It shows children what careers are out there and the skills that they will need to leave a positive footprint wherever they go in life.
It is also about building their self belief, their resilience, recognising their qualities and how they could be used in the workplace.
We have worked with the Positive Footprints programme for many years and have had amazing feedback from the children who have experienced it. As part of the programme we organise a careers event each year and invite a range of different workplaces into school to talk to the children. Some of those jobs have included nurses, doctors, universities, engineers, solicitors, mechanics and tradesmen.
Running initiatives like this is something that we feel extremely proud of as a school. Inspiring young people today for a better tomorrow!
https://www.positivefootprints.co.uk/
After School Clubs affiliated to Children's University
School offer a variety of extra curricular clubs, such as:
Residential to Coniston
Y6 pupils are given the opportunity to go to Coniston Water Park for 2 and a half days. Coniston Water park is situated in the idyllic location on the banks of Coniston water in the Lake District. Pupils get to experience activities such as ghyll scrambling and sailing. Water park's mission is:
“To help people achieve more than they think is possible”. We will do this by “Developing confidence, raising self esteem and increasing an awareness of self, others and the environment through positive learning experiences in new, challenging and supportive environments.“
Along with raising aspirations and exploring new activities pupils also develop life skills of independence, resilience, team work, organisation and self awareness.
http://www.waterparkadventure.co.uk/
Science Week
Every year we hold a Science week which is launched by an assembly or wow experience. Each year there is a theme to follow. Throughout this week pupils carry out experiments and investigations within class.
Magical Maths
Professor Poopenshtinken is a regular visitor to school and has been involved in previous Maths Day activities. Pupils have the opportunity to attend Magical Maths after school clubs. The club provides mega-fun maths learning sessions with a different theme each week. The club is designed to challenge pupils and develop their problem solving skills in Maths.
https://magicalmathsclub.com/what-we-do/school-clubs
School Council
All pupils are given the opportunity to nominate themselves to be in the school council. Pupils prepare speeches promoting their skills and qualities for the role of school council representative. A polling day is then held in school with all pupils casting a vote and posting this vote in the ballot box. The successful candidates then take on the role of class representative. The school council have played an active part in the following activities: