Curriculum Statement
At Bridge Street School we have designed our curriculum with pupils’ learning at the centre. We recognise that a curriculum has to be broad, balanced and offer our pupils opportunities to grow as individuals as well as learners.
The school recognises that our cohort of pupils has been unsuccessful in their previous school setting. Therefore, the curriculum is designed through a combination of learning techniques that aim to ensure pupils enjoy learning and feel prepared their next stage.
The Bridge Street School also intends to offer pupils new and exciting experiences through enrichment activities that are designed to build resilience, confidence, self-esteem and ensure a rich cultural capital.
We believe that pupils should be challenged in their schooling; learning from failures and celebrating successes but also that some of these skills will need to be specifically taught. We intend for our curriculum to be empowering; enabling pupils to develop their self-esteem, interpersonal skills, creativity and independence.
How the school intends to deliver the curriculum throughout the school
Our topic based curriculum is organised into three areas ‘Discovery, Exploration and Creativity. In the autumn term the main theme is History. In the spring term it is Geography and STEM. In the summer term the focus is on the Arts. We ensure our pupils learning journey is underpinned by our school values and these are linked into the above three areas.
Teaching staff consider the outcomes they want to achieve and then work backwards following a sequential approach. Staff design learning that focuses on knowledge, skills and understanding. All of the topics are based on a key enquiry question which allows pupils to take ownership of their learning journey.
The development of basic skills is a priority and are practised through a series of well-planned contexts and cross curricular themes. Vocabulary development is a key part of our curriculum and will be embedded in all our curriculum plans. This is taught explicitly and promoted within the learning environment. Literature is also carefully selected to support each enquiry question and used during English and reading sessions to fully immerse pupils with their learning. A love of reading is fostered through all topic areas and challenging and engaging texts are sourced to develop pupils vocabulary and comprehension skills.
How the school involves pupils in curriculum planning and delivery
The Bridge Street School values input and feedback from pupils with regard to the planning and delivery of the curriculum. Due to the nature of our setting, the school cohort is continually changing and the curriculum evolves and develops to suit this. Pupil Voice is key to engaging pupils at The Bridge Street School and we use these opportunities to ask the children for their ideas, interests and questions so that pupils are curious to enhance their classroom learning. Our belief is that pupils receive a well-rounded education if everyone is involved in shaping it.
How the curriculum benefits pupils’ learning and personal development
Our curriculum has been designed for a range of learners, providing equal opportunities for all; by doing this, pupils will benefit in the following ways:
- Learning how to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
- Understanding that failure is part of the road to success
- Being rewarded for personal successes
- Being supported with their next stages in education and feeling prepared for life after school
- Achieving to the best of their ability
- Acquiring new knowledge and gaining confidence through new experiences
- Finding a sense of belonging to the school and its community
- Learning how to cooperate with their peers and respect one another both at school and home
- Develop an understanding of the world they are growing up in, and learn how to live alongside, and show respect for, a diverse range of people.
