Learning
“Memory is the residue of thought”
Daniel Willingham
At St Michael at Bowes, we have constructed a rigorous, knowledge-rich curriculum that reflects the wonderful diversity of our community and the opportunities offered to us by the area we live in. Topics are organised in the best way to allow pupils to build on their previous learning, make progress and thrive in their study of the subject. Children build on firm foundations by studying topics that are designed around a logical set of ideas that build on each other or follow a sequence. Each topic reinforces prior learning and widens as children move through the school, revisiting concepts in greater depth. We want our pupils to lead successful lives.That is why we strive every day to ensure that every child receives a holistic education that encompasses the principles of:
Life Long Learning:
Our inclusive curriculum is based on the belief that every child should be provided with an equal opportunity to take ownership of and become masters of their own learning. To help our children lead successful lives, weaim to understand the experiences of our pupils and to provide a curriculum that enhances pupils’ cultural capital and endeavours to overcome any barriers that they may face.
We want children to use their learning as inspiration for their own creative journeys; for them to enjoy their learning, develop enquiring minds, gain essential knowledge and develop the personal qualities they need to be good citizens of the world. By introducing children to the best that has been thought and said across the world and through history, they will develop a strong sense of self and begin to form their own great thoughts and deeds.
Teachers strive to provide engaging, relevant and exciting learning opportunities in all subjects.
Mathematics teaching, for instance, follows a mastery approach where children develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts before moving on to new content. Through carefully planned lessons, we teach children how to make sense of the world around them through developing their ability to calculate, reason, solve problems and ask thought provoking questions. This enables children to understand relationships and patterns in both number and space in their everyday lives. Through their growing knowledge and understanding, children learn to appreciate the contribution made by many cultures to the development and application of mathematics.
Linguistically Focussed:
At SMAB, we strive to give our children the best start in life by establishing secure foundations in reading. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and we believe that it is a fundamental life skill that impacts on the acquisition of all knowledge. Our aim is to ensure that children learn to read fluently and for pleasure, regardless of their background. We want every child to be passionate about reading, be hungry to read broadly and often, and have the desire to want to learn to read for themselves with a view to becoming lifelong readers. With this in mind, we aim to inspire a true love of reading, whereby our children are enthusiastic, fluent and motivated readers who feel confident about talking about books and authors. Teachers model this love of reading by choosing challenging and engaging books which are read daily in “The Big Read”. The teaching of reading is delivered through our school’s reading cycle using the ‘MIDAS’ strategies. Our whole class reading texts are mapped progressively and link to the wider curriculum.
Our whole school approach to writing is delivered through writing cycles that are primarily linked to the History and Geography topics that are being studied at the time. Other writing cycles are linked to stories from the ‘Big Read’, community events and the current wider world. Great emphasis is placed on the importance of developing vocabulary. Drama and oracy are integral to lesson planning to develop speaking and listening skills. The lesson sequence incorporates short writing tasks and activities that build to a longer, sustained piece of writing.
Social Justice and Social Mobility
As a school, we teach what children need to make sense of and improve the world. It is our belief that children need powerful knowledge to understand and interpret the world. Without this knowledge, they will become dependent on those who have it. This knowledge opens doors and liberates children from their daily experience and enables social mobility. It is only fair and just that all children should have access to this knowledge. Through our teaching, we explicitly promote equality and diversity and it is our hope that children see themselves and each other throughout the curriculum. Our goal is for children to grow into useful citizens with an understanding of the common good who will shape the world together. Most of all, we want children to develop all the skills they will need in order to confidently flourish in the world.
Character Building:
In our foundation subjects, we focus on a holistic combination of academic, personal and global learning, that develops an appreciation of human creativity and development. Children will have a strong grounding in their own nationality, faith and culture, at the same time developing a deep and profound understanding and respect for the nationalities, faiths and cultures of others. The best way to achieve this is by delivering a diverse curriculum with an emphasis on ordering, interrogating, preparing and connecting knowledge. The curriculum is supported by the school’s core values of respect, resilience, caring, co-operation, honesty and fairness which are explored through the curriculum and during collective worship.
Your interest in your child’s education is greatly valued and we will ensure that you are kept well informed about the work done in school. Newsletters are sent home weekly and at the beginning of each term, class teachers send an outline of the work they intend to cover during the term. Please make sure that you check your child’s bag for this information! A copy of the newsletters is always posted on the playground notice board and in the main entrance by the school office. You will also receive updates regarding the work done in class on ClassDojo.
Please click below for our curriculum map for 2024 – 2025. This map is evaluated and adapted every academic year to reflect the changing nature of the school and our community.
Please also click below to see our progression of skills documents for the foundation subjects (Art, Computing, Design Technology, Geography, History and Music)
