Curriculum & Learning

Powell’s C of E Primary School’s philosophy of education stems from the desire to instil in all pupils a love of learning whilst giving all of our learners the transferable skills and knowledge they will need to be well rounded individuals.  Our five core values – kindness, respect, perseverance, thankfulness and generosity and our curriculum drivers ‘ambition, vocabulary, resilience, diversity and our locality’ shape our curriculum, bring about the vision of our school ‘talk, learn, grow on our journey together’ and respond to the needs of our community.

Our curriculum strives to develop excellence and diminish disadvantage and differences. In addition to the National Curriculum and the Programme of Study, Powell’s Primary School acknowledge the ‘hidden Curriculum’ and ensure that this is also taught to all pupils. We recognise that no child can be judged wholly successful based on academic ability alone. We aim to ensure our pupils develop their awareness of how and why we as a school aim to serve the wider community, utilising the local area and the local community, to educate our pupils. Furthermore, our curriculum is designed to acknowledge the challenges our pupils may and do face, as well as the many opportunities they have, and is carefully crafted to embrace and utilise these. Our curriculum ensures pupils develop their resilience and allow them to become reflective learners who ‘talk, learn, grow on our journey together’ through their education at our school. Our pupils embrace social diversity and have an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

We present a broad curriculum that fulfils and exceeds the children’s curriculum entitlement. All subjects are delivered to a high quality with a high level of expertise and passion to instil that love of learning by all, whilst promoting the children’s ambitions for the future. We believe that ‘if it is worth teaching, then it’s worth teaching well.’ Our excellent subject leaders ensure that they not only maintain their own knowledge through research, a personal interest, enquiry  and enthusiasm.  Subject leaders lead effectively and impart this knowledge and passion onto all staff in our school, maintaining the highest standards of curriculum delivery in all subjects taught.

Our curriculum has been designed to ensure accessibility for all. We have the same expectations for all pupils regardless of their background, ability or additional needs.  However, where necessary we will make adaptations to ensure all pupils access the curriculum.  All lessons provide a level of challenge, recognising that pupils do not all start at the same level either academically or emotionally. Staff effectively and continuously assess and support all pupils, recognising and supporting any gaps in children’s substantive and disciplinary knowledge enabling access and progress within the curriculum for everyone. 

We provide a creative, bespoke, ambitious and broad curriculum that has been designed to give all learners the transferable skills and knowledge they will need to be well rounded individuals. By providing many extra-curricular opportunities, including those which enhance their leadership skills, our learners are ready for their next steps of education, capturing and building on their interests and aspirations.

We are proud of our curriculum, and we hold the School Games platinum Award, Eco-Green Flag Award, music mark, primary science quality mark, global neighbours bronze, arts mark gold and the geography quality mark bronze reflecting the broad and balanced curriculum on offer to all of our children. We are a ‘trauma informed school’ an approach all our staff are trained in, including a  member of staff with practitioner status and holds a senior mental health lead certificate.   We follow a whole school approach to ensure the well-being of our pupils leading to happy, confident and resilient lifelong learners.  We have also been awarded the Gloucestershire Mentally Healthy Schools Award.

Part of our vision is for every pupil to achieve the highest possible standards in all of the identified National Curriculum subjects. We have designed a clear, deliberate and progressive curriculum that ensures children build upon the key substantive and disciplinary knowledge identified, through carefully crafted lessons that utilise retrieval practice to ensure the learning is embedded.  Learning is often further enhanced by providing the children with real life experiences provided by Educational Visits and specialist visitors.

We believe that our pupils take part in a rich and varied Physical Education curriculum which enables pupils to compete in a diverse range of sports. Our Music and drama hall inspires all pupils to learn a range of instruments, perform and appreciate a love of music. Pupils enjoy singing and have the opportunity to join the choir and wind band. One of our key ambitions within music is to ensure every child leaves our school being able to read basic music and play an instrument.  We have excellent grounds which provide many learning opportunities including a vast forest school and pond which enhances many curriculum areas.

Through ‘British Values’ and our embedded school values system, pupils’ celebrate their differences and similarities and celebrate the strengths and successes found in each other, an important part of each child’s personal, social and moral development. Our curriculum builds on the language and cultural assets our pupils bring from their home and community experience, strengthening all of the children’s learning, incorporating a range of diverse range of texts types that represent all our pupils’ and their families. This in turn will allow children to recognise themselves in the texts, learn empathetically about each other and feel safe and proud to bring their own stories into the classroom.

Without doubt, we are proud of the curriculum that is offered to each and everyone of our pupils and continue to be proud of all of the children’s individual efforts, attainment and their personal development of character which our school continue to celebrate and enhance.