Our Curriculum

As a whole school, we provide a creative curriculum based around the "Cornerstones Curriculum".

The Cornerstones Curriculum is a creative and thematic approach to learning that is mapped to the new 2014 Primary National Curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations. Our new curriculum will be delivered through Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs) which will provide a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities that make creative links between all aspects of our children’s learning.

We believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning to engaging contexts. Our new curriculum will provide lots of learning challenges throughout the academic year that will require children to solve problems, apply themselves creatively and express their knowledge and understanding effectively across the curriculum.

For more information please visit Cornerstones Education.

How it Works?

Children will progress through four distinct stages of learning in each ILP – Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express.

Engage

At the "Engage" stage, children:

• Gain memorable first-hand experiences, such as going on a visit or inviting a special visitor into school.
• Enjoy ‘WOW’ experiences.
• Get an exciting introduction to a topic or theme.
• Begin researching and setting enquiry questions.
• Get lots of opportunities to make observations.
• Develop spoken language skills.
• Take part in sensory activities.
• Have lots of fun to fully 'engage' with their new topic.

Develop

At the "Develop" stage, children:

• Improve their knowledge and understanding of the topic.
• Develop and practice their new skills.
• Compose, make, do, build, investigate, explore, write for different purposes and read across the curriculum.
• Research their own questions and those set by others.
• Follow new pathways of enquiry based on their interests.
• Complete homework activities that support their learning.

Innovate

At the "Innovate" stage, children:

• apply skills, knowledge and understanding in real-life contexts.
• solve real or imagined problems using everything they’ve learnt.
• get inspired by imaginative and creative opportunities.
• revisit anything not fully grasped at the ‘Develop’ stage.

Express

At the "Express" stage, children:

• become the performers, experts and informers.
• share their achievements with parents, classmates and the community.
• evaluate finished products and processes.
• link what they have learnt to where they started.
• celebrate their achievements.

Additional Information about Key Stage One and Two

 We recognise the value of learning languages and therefore offer French lessons to our KS2 children.

We use the Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus as a basis to plan out Religious Education provision and the SEAL themes as a basis for teaching Personal, Social, Health and Emotional education. The whole school works on the same SEAL theme at the same time. SEAL themes include: New Beginnings, Getting On and Falling Out, Say No To Bullying, Going For Goals, Good To Be Me, Relationships and Changes. In addition to SEAL work, children learn about road safety, personal safety, fire safety and medicine safety.

Reception

Our Reception classes also use the Cornerstones Curriculum   We aim to provide a safe and stimulating environment where children can become independent learners. They are encouraged to explore and experiment whilst their knowledge is extended by careful adult interaction and intervention. The adults observe the children learning through play and use these observations to plan next steps in each child’s development.

The Early Years framework is split into three ‘prime’ areas of learning and development and four ‘specific’ areas of learning and development.

Prime Areas

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language

Specific Areas

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Learning in all areas takes place inside and outside everyday. Both indoor and outdoor environments enable children to learn through a balance of adult led and child initiated activities. We also aim to use the children’s interests to make their learning more exciting and appealing.

We work closely with parents/carers and have an open-door policy where staff can address any concerns and share magic moments of development whether during the school day or at home.

For more information about the EYFS you can download a copy of What to expect, when? from www.foundationyears.org.uk which suggests ways that parents can support their children in Nursery and Reception.

At Racemeadow Primary Academy, we use Read Write Inc.

Read Write Inc. Phonics is a highly successful literacy programmes for 4-13 year-olds created by Ruth Miskin and published by Oxford University Press. The training and support from Ruth Miskin Training, rated Outstanding by the Department for Education, ensure the programme has the best chance of success in schools.

The Read Write Inc. programme is carefully matched to the new curriculum, giving your children the best chance of success in the national tests. It shows teachers, teaching assistants and parents step-by-step how to teach all children to become fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers.

Our school uses Read Write Inc. Phonics for our children in Reception to Year 1 and for our children in Years 2,3 and 4 who need to catch up

At Racemeadow Primary Academy we focus on teaching the children to be successful and reflective learners. We teach the 'Secrets of Success' (Chris Quigley) to help our pupils in their behaviour, attitudes and values. 

Each week Secrets of Success certificates are awarded in celebration assemblies. We also use Marvellous Me to send electronic Marvellous Me badges.

What is success?

Success isn’t just about money. It is about happiness, choices and feeling good about yourself. Successful people feel good about:

• How hard they have tried.
• Who they are.
• What they spend their time doing.
• The choices they have in their lives.

Here are some things everyone should know…

• You are not born successful.
• Everyone has setbacks and failures.
• The first step to success is choosing.

Download the overview below which outlines the Secrets of Success.