Curriculum

Introduction

Great Orton Primary School is situated approximately five miles outside the city of Carlisle in a rural village setting of Great Orton. The school has educated children from the local and surrounding communities since 1859. There are currently 34 pupils on roll and is made up of three classes - Reception / Key Stage 1; a Year 3/4 class and a Year 5/6 class. In the afternoons, the 3 classes become two - a EY/KS1 and a KS2 class.

Set in lovely wooded grounds, the school has been extended over the years and now includes a hall, EYFS outdoor facilities, garden and a wildlife area.

Intent

At Great Orton Primary School we are designing and implementing a curriculum that is both immersive and progressive. We use a variety of high-quality resources to deliver our curriculum which allows for a good balance of breadth and depth. It is highly relevant and purposeful, exciting for both staff and pupils and that truly broadens pupils’ outlook and views by focussing on subject specific knowledge and skills. Experiences are at the core of our curriculum.

We aim to offer active, challenging and inspiring learning opportunities. Subject specific approaches allow children to explore their learning. We strive to help our pupils realise the full potential they have to achieve and succeed, not just at school, but as educated citizens within their own community and on a wider global scale. We want the pupils’ learning to be more ‘outward-facing’, enabling them to become well-rounded and happy individuals who not only care about themselves, but about others and the environment.

Our curriculum is designed to develop resilient, independent learners who can retain and apply their knowledge and skills appropriately.

 Implementation

Subject leaders have designed their curriculum around the key knowledge and skills that are expected for each phase of development. Children will have quality learning experiences from which they will work as Geographers, Historians, Scientists or Artists. Children investigate from an early age, even in the highchair, a child drops a cup to see if it has hit the floor; they look inquisitively as a ladybird crawls over a leaf to see where it is going. Where appropriate, learning is set up for children to make discoveries themselves, this is a memorable and child-centred approach to learning.

Impact

Our curriculum for the foundation subjects has been revised from January 2023 and we hope to create knowledgeable, skilled learners who can work as explorers in each subject. We want them to be able to enthusiastically communicate their learning and celebrate their discoveries along the way.