Chilton Academy & Nursery

Chilton Academy Curriculum

At Chilton Academy, our curriculum is innovative, rich and varied; it is relevant for our children living in a large village in the North-East of England in the 21^st Century. It aims to celebrate all social and academic skills and subject – mindful of our geographical place within the UK and our rich mining cultural heritage.

We believe our children are central to their learning experiences. They should be asked what they already know and teacher use this to plan Schemes of Learning which help our pupils deepen their understanding and explore new learning. Each term, a Scheme of Learning is developed with the children to ensure they can actively participate in their own learning journeys. Enabling children to be active participants in their learning journeys inspires and motivates then to learn and be inspired by new and exciting knowledge.

Our curriculum is built around 4 key principles:

Questioning

Children learn by asking probing questions and finding out answers. By doing this, they discover new knowledge and can learn new learning skills.

Within each episode of learning, children are asked or ask a question which encourages deep thinking. This could have a literal answer which requires research and careful reading or by contacting an expert to ask for some information to help them. The question may not have a definite answer and children may need to use their new found knowledge to make predictions or think “What if…”

Using speaking and listening, children then articulate what they have discovered and choose unique ways to represent this to their peers. We encourage our children to be always inquisitive, to challenge thinking and make their own predictions for what they might discover.

Real and Relevant

We believe we live in the most fascinating location in the United Kingdom. On our doorstep we have fascinating history, a wide and varied geographical landscape, famous artist and musicians… Our children need to be aware of the locality within which they are growing up and learn from its past so they can shape its future.

With this in mind, all learning across the curriculum stems from real life contexts. Not only does this enable pupils to see a Real and Relevant context, they learn about their local communities of Chilton, Durham and the North East. Only then can they explore our great land and the wonderful planet and all the unique learning it has to offer.

Every aspect of a Scheme of Learning needs to be rooted in real life. In Art, this may be a painting, in music a piece classical composition or in History a real-life artefact. It may be a video, a visit or visitor, an experience. It is a real life-event or a simple fact which can catch the pupils’ imagination. Only then will our pupils be inspired to deepen their knowledge on their continuous learning journey.

Learn Something New

Learning is a continuous journey. No matter the subject area, our children need to deepen their knowledge and understanding, building upon prior knowledge to find answers to their questions and predictions. It is vital therefore that learning begins with what we already know. Staff then need to build a Scheme of Learning which meets the needs of their learners – helping them to deepen their knowledge and ensure key facts are secured and remembered.

Subject specific skills are carefully mapped out to progressively build upon prior learning so pupils are continuously learning something new and recalling the facts they need in order to articulate their understanding

Present Our Learning

Pupils articulating their learning is the best way for them to deepen and secure new and exciting facts and skills as well as reinforcing the important vocabulary related to their new learning.

Where possible, children are given autonomy in how they present their learning. This can vary depending on the stage in the learning journey and the focus of their work. It could include a poster, a written outcome, a thinking map, an oral presentation. It may be an individual response or with a partner or small group. A focus on the skills being learnt, the vocabulary used and the knowledge children keep stuck in their minds is key to enabling pupils to engage in a continuous learning journey.

British Values and PHSCE

The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy values along with a carefully planned PHSCE curriculum which embeds our core values. Find out more about British Values and PHSCE on our website.

Reading and Phonics

At Chilton Academy, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills your child will develop whilst they are at school. Find out more about our approach to Reading and Phonics at our school.

Long Term Curriculum Plans

You can view or download the Long Term Curriculum Plans for each class by clicking the links below.

Have a look at our classes section for further information on what we have been learning about.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

At Chilton Academy, we believe that inclusive education means providing all pupils with appropriate education and support alongside their peers. The Curriculum is all the planned activities that the school organises in order to promote learning, personal growth and development. Further information can be found in the SEN Information Report. If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.

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